Martin Population Way Down

Sparky · Wed Mar 13, 2013 9:09 pm

At my colony. Very unusual for this time of the season. I'm at less than 1/2 capacity. I've been doing this martin thing for 13 years and this is the first time I noticed this. Anybody else experiencing low numbers for this time of year? Very strange.

LoneOakMartins · Thu Mar 14, 2013 4:47 am

My numbers are very low for this time of year. I have 3 martins is all. I don't know what is going on.

Tom Teague · Thu Mar 14, 2013 6:33 am

I have noticed the same thing here in Trophy Club. The colony just up the street from me generally has at leat 5 to 6 pair by this time but to date I have seen 1 PM at that location.

LoneOakMartins · Thu Mar 14, 2013 8:01 am

So, wonder whats going on? Do you think there are still a large number of adults waiting to start the migration?

DornCounty · Thu Mar 14, 2013 8:15 am

tyically we are also starting to get reports of "GREEEN LEAVES" by now also aren't we?

LoneOakMartins · Thu Mar 14, 2013 9:07 am

Any educated guesses on what may be happening? I hope nothing has happened to our Martins while they were visiting Brazil.

Louise Chambers · Thu Mar 14, 2013 9:19 am

I'd say wait a couple weeks, by then another wave of adult martins should be coming in. Migration is age related - the two year olds will be a big group, arriving ahead of subadults. The 2012 nesting season was a very good one and subadult returns should be too.

abernathys · Thu Mar 14, 2013 3:01 pm

Hi Sparky---
I am in Maxwell close to Lockhart and I have close to 50 martins. Yesterday I noticed a couple of males taking leaves off the ground into their gourds. I still have gourds available. Most of them arrived in February which was very early for me to have that many so soon.
Hopefully you will get yours soon.
Sandy

DAVE · Thu Mar 14, 2013 3:28 pm

Sparky! Mine are down too, but am glad in away because it's so cold here. Down to 30 last night, up to 40 today and roaring winds

I have 1 ASY Female here. Stays the night leaves for a long time comes back and rest doe's this about 3 time a day. Tryed spoon feeding her but just fly's away. So I put 8 or 9 crickets in her Gourd, hope she will eat them. Maybe the reason that there not as many as before at this time is that most of them know it's TO DARN COLD

Good Luck to all Dave

Sparky · Fri Mar 15, 2013 7:29 pm

2 years ago I lost several adults in the ice storm that was rare, but last year was good despite the drought from the year before. I'm hoping they were not shooting off the air cannon's in Brazil at the martins and causing injury. I read an article a few weeks ago and that report stated town officials were shooting off the air cannons in the major cities in Brazil because of a Starling problem.

Still very few as of today. I have about 1/4 of the T-14 in occupancy and 2 gourds out of 8 on the T-14 pole. My 8 gourd pole has zero occupancy. Maybe this is the year for the Subbies?

Hoping all get some more of those purple guy's.

DornCounty · Fri Mar 15, 2013 9:52 pm

well we only have one in the town colony of 40 houses and none at my personal colony so I would guess many are still to come.

adrianhans · Sat Mar 16, 2013 8:47 am

Hey, Sparky,
I was having the very same discussion about my colony in Port O'Connor. End of Feb., there were some migrants staying overnight, but I have not seen any "sleepovers" since. I have about a dozen unoccupied gourds at this time which is pretty unusual. And, there seems to be a shortage of females. There are males that have claimed the gourds but not a one has found a mate in the week that I have been here. I always tell myself to be patient, and I know that there will be a lot of martins coming in the next few weeks, but I have noticed a difference. Here's hoping that next week-end I will be able to post photos of the massive influx that I have witnessed in the past at this time. In the meantime, I have my "Subbies Welcome" sign out.
Good Luck in the meantime, and be doing a rain dance (Did you notice the Houston paper forecasting another drought year?)

1 Ron Vasser · Sat Mar 16, 2013 9:13 am

Seems normal in my part of the country. We don't have leaves and I'm half full. Good luck!

James Rieman · Sat Mar 16, 2013 8:47 pm

I wonder if we are seeing the effects of the drought of 2011. Martin production was poor in Texas and birds fledged during that year would be this year's 2 year old birds, which are typically the second largest age group of martins after the subbies. I think those birds would be arriving now.

I have also seen a shortage of females at my site. Two pair and 5 extra males. I got a lot of birds early but growth has been stagnant lately.

Sharon - Central TX · Sat Mar 16, 2013 9:03 pm

I'm in Georgetown and just posted on another thread that our numbers are way down. Then I saw this one and, although not happy at the numbers, am relieved it is not just happening here. We have had more hawk attacks than usual and I thought that might be the reason, but apparently not if y'all are seeing the same low numbers.
I hope Louise is right.