So i check the other gourds and find 4 more gourds with pecked eggs.... 27 eggs in total!Almost 24 hours later there are now two egg pecking sparrows wrapped in paper towels in a ziplock bag in my freezer that will be Kestrel food this winter.
Bad Luck
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JL Murray
So yesterday evening i go out in the backyard and spot 2 sparrows on one of my gourd rack's and since all my gourd's are nested in and have eggs i think to myself "this is not going to be good" so i lower the rack in hopes that they did little to no damage but i find that the 6 eggs in that gourd all have holes pecked in them, So i check the other gourds and find 4 more gourds with pecked eggs.... 27 eggs in total!
Almost 24 hours later there are now two egg pecking sparrows wrapped in paper towels in a ziplock bag in my freezer that will be Kestrel food this winter.
So i check the other gourds and find 4 more gourds with pecked eggs.... 27 eggs in total!Almost 24 hours later there are now two egg pecking sparrows wrapped in paper towels in a ziplock bag in my freezer that will be Kestrel food this winter.
, Could it be a House Wren?2009. 98 eggs, 66 hatch, 61 fledged.
2010. 114 eggs, 89 hatch,70 fledged.
2011. 96 eggs. 80 hatch,68 fledged.Heavy Merlin preditation.
2012. 89 eggs. 56 hatch, good fledge. Guards installed. Merlin not sighted at houses.
2013. First Egg May 24, first Baby June 13.
2014. successful.
2015. successful.
2016. Martin's population decline, suspect new housing in the neighborhood. Merlin eating well also!
2017.Population explosion
. first egg May 25 in a BO-11
2018. Population stable.
2010. 114 eggs, 89 hatch,70 fledged.
2011. 96 eggs. 80 hatch,68 fledged.Heavy Merlin preditation.
2012. 89 eggs. 56 hatch, good fledge. Guards installed. Merlin not sighted at houses.
2013. First Egg May 24, first Baby June 13.
2014. successful.
2015. successful.
2016. Martin's population decline, suspect new housing in the neighborhood. Merlin eating well also!
2017.Population explosion
. first egg May 25 in a BO-112018. Population stable.
I have been trapping one sparrow pair after another. Martins have not laid yet. Hoping this Minn monsoon season ends soon. hoping to get all sparrows out of the picture before the marins lay eggs.
pauly D
2011-2 pair
2012-2 pair
2013-6 pair
2014-13 pair
2011-2 pair
2012-2 pair
2013-6 pair
2014-13 pair
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JL Murray
No the nasty European Sparrows!Robbo wrote:
Seems to be a endless supply here!digger55 wrote:I have been trapping one sparrow pair after another. Martins have not laid yet. Hoping this Minn monsoon season ends soon. hoping to get all sparrows out of the picture before the marins lay eggs.
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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.
The things we put in our freeers...
Sorry about the egg damage. I have had that before and real concerned now as well. Little buggers.
Deb
Sorry about the egg damage. I have had that before and real concerned now as well. Little buggers.
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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MamaBruff
- Posts: 1466
- Joined: Wed Mar 06, 2013 12:21 pm
- Location: SW Missouri
- Martin Colony History: 2013-2016 Unsuccessful at starting a PM colony. Health problems.
Rehomed all my PM stuff. Good Luck and Best Wishes to All.
Man what a bummer! But at least no parent PMs were killed, and renesting can commence. Those darn HOSP are awful. No wonder they are taking over the world. 
Mary
Mary
~Mary B~
Lifelong PM Admirer and Nature Enthusiast.
Ruthless trapper of S&S year round.
2013-2016 Unsuccessful at starting a PM colony. Health problems.
Rehomed all my PM stuff. Good Luck and Best Wishes to All.
Lifelong PM Admirer and Nature Enthusiast.
Ruthless trapper of S&S year round.
2013-2016 Unsuccessful at starting a PM colony. Health problems.
Rehomed all my PM stuff. Good Luck and Best Wishes to All.
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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.
I got one tonight with the 410!!! Ka-POW! One less male house sparrow.
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
I got a pair of those rats this evening. I got into three more but they flew away. They are finickey. at least I know that two of em wont make ten more next month to infect the planet. As far as the other three, they should have the sore tail on their mind for a while. Sorry about your losses J L.
2011...1 pair
2012...2 pair
2013...9 pair/40eggs/25fledged
2014..14 pair/70eggs/57fledged
2012...2 pair
2013...9 pair/40eggs/25fledged
2014..14 pair/70eggs/57fledged
Sorry about the sparrow damage JL. For the last couple of years I have been trapping the young sparrows in the late summer and fall while they are still dumb, in a Blains bait trap, of course you still catch a few of the parents with them. When spring comes (if it ever does) there is hardly any sparrows left. In the past before I started concentrating on catching the young ones there were always plenty of hosp's around. My guess is that a lot of others probably do this also.
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JL Murray
I think Sparrows are the hardest headed creatures on earth and their persistent chirping is more irritating than being locked in a concrete room with a thousand crickets!
If the US Military had played a recording of the chirping of HOSP's instead of Heavy Metal Rock they would have gotten General Noriega out of the Catholic Mission he was holed up in in Panama in HOUR'S instead of DAY'S.... IMHO!!!
If the US Military had played a recording of the chirping of HOSP's instead of Heavy Metal Rock they would have gotten General Noriega out of the Catholic Mission he was holed up in in Panama in HOUR'S instead of DAY'S.... IMHO!!!
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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.
JL, you always make me laugh! That was good. 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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Connie
- Posts: 441
- Joined: Wed Feb 23, 2011 4:05 pm
- Location: WALKER, LOUISIANA
- Martin Colony History: Had my site up to 22 gourds of which most (+/-3) stayed occupied.
Downsized to 17 gourds due to back surgeries. Had 14 families in 2017 but did not do nest checks due to health. Feeling better in 2018 and hoping for a good year.
JL,
Connie