Bee Martin
When i was a young my dad called a King bird a Bee Martin.Today while sitting outside watching our martins a king bird was sitting on a wire nearby.When i saw it fly up and grab something. I could tell it was big so i put my binoculars on it. I was surprised to see a big bumble bee or a carpenter bee which it promptly swallowed.
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DebA
- Posts: 1941
- Joined: Tue May 04, 2010 7:43 am
- Location: Pratt County/Kansas
- Martin Colony History: Start 2009 with one pair. Upgraded from S&K houses to two Trendsetter 12's with gourds beneath in 2013. I have experienced job, pet, and parental losses since '13. The Purple Martins lift my spirits and remind me how life continues forward by flying their little selves from Brazil back to my yard. As one forum person once told me, chin up DebA, look at the martins. Danger all around but yet they soar in the sky without a care in the world.
Do you have the Eastern or Western? We have the Western...gray head with a yellow breast. I love the King birds. They sure defend their territory and chatter/gripe at each other. Mine just arrived last Sunday! I was wondering the other day if the same birds migrate here like martins or is their migration more the area and not my same ones.
Deb
Deb
PMCA MEMBER
Pratt County, Kansas
2016 34 PAIR
2015 27 PAIR
2014 23 PAIR
2013 13 PAIR
2012 6 PAIR
2011 4 PAIR
2010 2 PAIR
2009 1 PAIR
Pratt County, Kansas
2016 34 PAIR
2015 27 PAIR
2014 23 PAIR
2013 13 PAIR
2012 6 PAIR
2011 4 PAIR
2010 2 PAIR
2009 1 PAIR
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~Ray~Gingerich
- Posts: 2122
- Joined: Mon Jan 05, 2004 10:24 pm
- Location: Delaware/Dover
Saw one chase a crow on time, looked like he rode on its back a short distance while attacking.
~Ray~ Gingerich
1999 1pair, 2006 2 pair, 2008 2 pair,
2009 23 pair, 2010 39 pair, 2011 67 pair,
2012 115 pair, 2013 160 pair,
2014 152 pair, 2015 174 pair, 2016 178 pair
2017 187 pair, 2018 200 pair, 2019 171pair
2020 233 pair
1999 1pair, 2006 2 pair, 2008 2 pair,
2009 23 pair, 2010 39 pair, 2011 67 pair,
2012 115 pair, 2013 160 pair,
2014 152 pair, 2015 174 pair, 2016 178 pair
2017 187 pair, 2018 200 pair, 2019 171pair
2020 233 pair
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Don Strickland
- Posts: 430
- Joined: Fri Mar 12, 2010 4:38 pm
- Location: Oklahoma/Shady Point
Eastern and Western Kingbirds migrate to South America during the winter.
I have Eastern Kingbirds here.
I don't know if they return to the same location though. Would be interesting to find out.
Don
I have Eastern Kingbirds here.
I don't know if they return to the same location though. Would be interesting to find out.
Don
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Don Strickland
- Posts: 430
- Joined: Fri Mar 12, 2010 4:38 pm
- Location: Oklahoma/Shady Point
Another interesting observation, back when I was a kid.
They go way high in the air, close their wings, and dive straight down until just before they hit the ground and they open their wings. Looks like they are going to crash and burn, but they don't.
My dad also called them Bee Martins.
Don
They go way high in the air, close their wings, and dive straight down until just before they hit the ground and they open their wings. Looks like they are going to crash and burn, but they don't.
My dad also called them Bee Martins.
Don
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handyman315
- Posts: 300
- Joined: Thu May 12, 2016 11:03 am
- Location: SW Ohio
- Martin Colony History: Colony established May 20, 2017 after three unsuccessful years. Persistent and aggressive Tree Swallows plagued the site, but beyond learning - and practicing - to control them, was the return in 2017 of a 2016-SY-M previously unable to find a mate. As a handsome ASY-M, he brought along two females and a swagger that soon put the Tree Swallow issue to rest. As the anchor pair, he and his mate hatched all six of their eggs into fat and healthy babies into what settled in to be a three-pair, flourishing new colony with up to 11 birds total, including 3 SY-M trouble makers.
My Dad also called them "Bee Martins" and today when one (an Eastern) showed up at my PM colony the PMs were none too pleased and took to chasing him off. Is he a threat, maybe to their babies?
2023-42 Nests, 197 Eggs/Babies
2022-48 Nests Fledged 203
2021-43 Nests Fledged 185
2020-31 Nests Fledged 133, three early deaths due to cold & rain
2019-19 Nests Fledged 84
2018-11 Nests Fledged 48, ASY-M Arrived April 6, Despite Snow & Cold, Joined Soon by Mate & Two Adult Pairs
2017-3 Nests Fledged 13, FIRST-YEAR LANDLORD! Resident SY-M from 2016 Returned (as ASY-M) on May 20. At Least 11 Adult Residents
2016 Late-Arriving SYs, Resident Lone SY-M
2015-14 Many Visits
2022-48 Nests Fledged 203
2021-43 Nests Fledged 185
2020-31 Nests Fledged 133, three early deaths due to cold & rain
2019-19 Nests Fledged 84
2018-11 Nests Fledged 48, ASY-M Arrived April 6, Despite Snow & Cold, Joined Soon by Mate & Two Adult Pairs
2017-3 Nests Fledged 13, FIRST-YEAR LANDLORD! Resident SY-M from 2016 Returned (as ASY-M) on May 20. At Least 11 Adult Residents
2016 Late-Arriving SYs, Resident Lone SY-M
2015-14 Many Visits
I love the king birds. Ive had a pair for the last 5 years but now I have none I used to watch them sit on the chain link fence in front of my deck and sit and catch hornets and bumble bees right next to the pms. I though the kings were rather docile with the pms.
As far as i was concerned i love them and the pms did also.
As far as i was concerned i love them and the pms did also.
2015 69 pairs 418 eggs 396 fledged
2019 I have 148 openings now
2016 100 pairs 600 babies fledged added another t-14 and have 126 openings now
2015 Jun 24 360 babies and 58 eggs also found one that had died
2017 632 babies 11died and 20 were killed by hawks
2015 74 pairs and 9 eggs 5/14
2010 3pairss
]JOINED PMCA JUNE 6,2018
2018 651 babies 5 hawk kills 11 floater kills 25 died in houses and 610 fledged
2014 80 pairs 283 babies 282 fledged one died
2019 I have 148 openings now
2016 100 pairs 600 babies fledged added another t-14 and have 126 openings now
2015 Jun 24 360 babies and 58 eggs also found one that had died
2017 632 babies 11died and 20 were killed by hawks
2015 74 pairs and 9 eggs 5/14
2010 3pairss
]JOINED PMCA JUNE 6,2018
2018 651 babies 5 hawk kills 11 floater kills 25 died in houses and 610 fledged
2014 80 pairs 283 babies 282 fledged one died
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-=DKC=-
- Posts: 356
- Joined: Thu Jun 08, 2017 2:26 pm
- Location: Corpus Christi, TX
- Martin Colony History: ................
2019: 11 pairs
2018: 11 pairs - 43 fledged
2017: 4 pairs - 17 fledged
I get lots of Kingbirds and Flycatchers moving through during migration. But during PM nesting season I have breeding Couch's Kingbirds. For my first 3 unsuccessful years of trying to attract Martins, the Kingbirds would chase off any visitors to my gourds. Last year (my first successful PM year) the Kingbirds once again harassed the Martins but they stayed anyway. This year (my first year with return birds) no problems at all.
I think the issue was that in previous years the Kingbirds already had nestlings when the Martins arrived and so they were defending their territory. This year the Martins arrived before the Kingbirds started nesting and everyone gets along just fine.
My favorite thing about the Kingbirds is that they are merciless in attacking gulls, hawks, squirrels and anything else they consider a threat. They help the Martins with alerts and harassing the bad guys.
I also have breeding Great Kiskadees and Brown Crested Flycatchers. The Kiskadees can be mean to the Martins but generally everybody gets along.
I think the issue was that in previous years the Kingbirds already had nestlings when the Martins arrived and so they were defending their territory. This year the Martins arrived before the Kingbirds started nesting and everyone gets along just fine.
My favorite thing about the Kingbirds is that they are merciless in attacking gulls, hawks, squirrels and anything else they consider a threat. They help the Martins with alerts and harassing the bad guys.
I also have breeding Great Kiskadees and Brown Crested Flycatchers. The Kiskadees can be mean to the Martins but generally everybody gets along.
"If at first you don't succeed, keep on suckin' till you do succeed." - Curly Howard