All 8 Hatched

Welcome to the internet's gathering place for Purple Martin enthusiasts
Post Reply
Laverne
Posts: 2216
Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2004 1:58 pm
Location: TX/Alvin
Martin Colony History: Erected 1st house in 1997. Birds were checking it out before Mike got down from the ladder. Six cavities had a little colony 1st year. Grown to 88 cavities all gourds with near 100% occupancy. Most important factor for success is rain = bugs.

Hey Jack. I love that photograph. There's just nothing prettier than a nest full of fledgling size Purple Martins.

I seem to remember the beginning of this thread started with a question:
Anyone had a nest where all 8 have fledged successfully? Wondering if I should move 1 or 2.
Why, yes, Jack -- I do know of someone who had a nest where all 8 fledged successfully!! We are going to remember this one!! (See, I'm very confident that last one will go.)

Are they coming back to the nest for the night?

Congratulations to that pair of Purple Martins, too!! Awesome!!
Sincerely,
Laverne
Top
ljd-kc
Posts: 162
Joined: Thu Jul 03, 2008 9:05 am
Location: Kansas City, Mo.
Martin Colony History: Started my Colony in 2008 with 32 gourds and one ASY pair. As of 2017 I had 106 cavities with 106 pair.

Hi Laverne,

Yes they are returning each night for the time being. Actually the morning following the first day that the first seven fledged there was 9 in the cavity at 5:45am. Could have been an overnight guest or possibly mom. At that age they all look very similar to me. Put 9 adult sized martins in a Troyer Horizontal and that is an uncomfortable sight! I hope you had a great year!

Jack
Top
baileysambone
Posts: 131
Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2011 12:38 pm
Location: Louisiana/Baton Rouge

Jack,
My pair nested in my heritage farm house, and that's the house with the 4 gourds underneath it.
I put the trendsetter up this year, but not until in april. So hopefully I'll have PM in both houses next year.
I like both houses, but I think the trendsetter is superior. I like it a lot.
Please keep us posted on your little one.
Yvonne
2011 visitors
2012 1 pair ASY male, SY female 9 eggs, 8 hatched, fledged 5
2013 5 pair fledged 8
2014 4 pair fledged 15
2015 7 pair fledged 25
2016 10 pair fledged 31
2017 17 pair fledged 69
2018 18 pair fledged 69
2019 21 pair fledged 52 (biting gnats lost babies)
2020 17 pair fledged 53
2021 16 pair fledged 62 ( hard freeze in Feb for days. Lost 39 birds. My oldest and wisest)
2022 11 pair fledged 43
Top
ljd-kc
Posts: 162
Joined: Thu Jul 03, 2008 9:05 am
Location: Kansas City, Mo.
Martin Colony History: Started my Colony in 2008 with 32 gourds and one ASY pair. As of 2017 I had 106 cavities with 106 pair.

Well the last one fledged this morning! At 10:00 am this morning I checked the nest and it was empty! My guess is they will continue to bring them back to the nest for about another week, as most do at our colony.

Their ASY parents did a great job considering the number in the nest as well as how dry it has been this year, compared to the last 4 or 5 years. Thanks to all who posted with both advice and their stories Good luck to all, the remainder of your season.

Jack
Top
Louise Chambers
Site Admin
Posts: 6208
Joined: Tue Nov 04, 2003 1:07 pm
Location: Corpus Christi, TX

And those nestlings looked really good, Jack - fat and sleek, they should do well. They have very good parents AND a very good landlord.
Top
John Barrow
Posts: 982
Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 4:12 pm
Location: Corpus Christi / Sandia , Texas

Jack,

What a great photo of the birds snuggled together before fledging. The banding weights are excellent--adult weight, or more, at 17 days. Shows great parenting skills by the ASYs. There is no reason why they can't all befome independent and survive. Congratulations on the ouitstanding job you are doing in managing your colony.
~~TEAMED WITH A MARTIN GODDESS~~

Member/Mentor-PMCA. I do regular nestchecks and participate in PROJECT MARTINWATCH!! Coordinated 3 geolocator studies-2009, 2010 & 2013. State and Fed licensed bander (retired Jan., 2020)
Top
Post Reply

Return to “Purple Martin Forum”