My poor babies in this heat!

donnak-Tx · Wed Jun 27, 2012 2:58 pm

This is one time where having a camera makes me sad. I can see they are really suffering in the heat. Beaks wide open and panting. We wired two small umbrellas yesterday over the two plastic gourds that have babies. The parents were cautious at first, but quickly came back to their feeding schedule. I've got the sprinkler on underneath hoping it will cool the air below them some. Wish I could just bring them in the house .It's supposed to be really hot in my part of Texas all week. :( Mine were late coming this year so normally I don't have babies when it gets so hot. Praying they survive. One nest of 3 and one nest of 4.

Louise Chambers · Wed Jun 27, 2012 3:02 pm

Donna, if possible please share photos of the umbrellas - might help others figure out how they can shade gourds or houses. The nestlings have got to be cooler with shade provided.

donnak-Tx · Wed Jun 27, 2012 3:39 pm

Louise, I'm not sure I can get my picture from my phone to my email. I know how to post from facebook. I"ll put the picture on the PMCA page

Louise Chambers · Wed Jun 27, 2012 3:51 pm

thanks, that would be fine, I can repost them here too.

Here are some notes from Donna on how she attached the umbrellas: We used plastic cable ties. Placed the umbrella on top of the arch of the metal arm, and then "wired" the cable tie from the post of the umbrella and used some of the small wires of the umbrella frame itself. I had even purchased an adult rain poncho- thinking I could put the neck opening over the top of my post and drape the poncho over the metal arms. They have snaps on the sides that could be used to secure to the metal arms too.

D'Nese · Wed Jun 27, 2012 8:14 pm

I have the same problem. I have 2 gourds on a shepards hook, 5 babies in each. Temps here reaching 100 degrees this week. I tried a large umbrella, it's green and white striped, but the birds just wouldn't land!!! Should I wait longer for them to accept it? I just don't want them to abandon the nests? I love the purple umbrellas tho!!! NICE color!

Any suggestions?

Louise Chambers · Wed Jun 27, 2012 9:27 pm

Maybe try something smaller than an umbrella, something that does not give such a drastic change in appearance of the gourds.

Louise Chambers · Thu Jun 28, 2012 6:52 pm

Bump - for heat

Louise Chambers · Sun Jul 01, 2012 8:29 am

Jack in Cookeville · Sun Jul 01, 2012 8:40 pm

Louise Chambers wrote:Maybe try something smaller than an umbrella, something that does not give such a drastic change in appearance of the gourds.

I have lost about 20 babies to the heat. They just can't stand 104-108 temperature so about every hour during the hottest part of the day I would stand and spray their houses and gourds with a water hose put on mist. The adult Martins would even set on their perches and let the water run on them and some would even fly through the mist but still didn't completely stop the babies from coming out of their nest and dying. They liked only about a week or so before flying. We put several back in the gourds but not even sure which one they came from. This is really sickening and disgusting but we are trying to protect the birds from the heat. Sure hope the heat lets up soon....