My first babies are hatching!

Welcome to the internet's gathering place for Purple Martin enthusiasts
Post Reply
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.

One hatched, one pipping! So Precious!
Image
~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.
Top
Louise Chambers
Site Admin
Posts: 6208
Joined: Tue Nov 04, 2003 1:07 pm
Location: Corpus Christi, TX

Congrats, Mary! You are working hard on trapping those house sparrows - keep it up and I hope your site will be hosp-free, soon.
Top
pmlover
Posts: 805
Joined: Thu Apr 04, 2013 3:30 pm
Location: OH/New Concord

very good Mary I'm so glad for you
Dick
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
Top
JL Murray

Way to go, and very nice photo!
Top
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.

Thanks! My Purple Martin parents have been doing a wonderful job protecting their nest! I just got in from rechecking, all going well. 2nd babe is making a nice crack across his egg. HOSP female is euthanized, but male is at large still. They had made nests in EIGHT compartments! He is no doubt the most formidable enemy I have encountered so far.

Here are some pix:

https://picasaweb.google.com/TheBruffet ... directlink
~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.
Top
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.

Oh Mama Mary B,
What a great pic again! So precious is right! Nice job latest PM g'ma. I'm so glad you are on the forum! And...you are a landlord.
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
Top
Larry Budrow
Posts: 12
Joined: Fri Jul 02, 2010 12:09 pm
Location: Illinois/Hawthorn Woods

Congrats Mary. Wishing you great success.

Larry
Top
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.

Thank you everyone! You guys and gals remember that excitement when your first pair hatched their brood. SO much hope, planning, worry, work, and anticipation, and finally a sign that it may be fulfilled! My one newborn even looked fatter this evening when I checked! Still have 3 eggs tho. I'm sure this will be a sleepless night for the little Mama. Will post more baby pics as they come along. I am really hoping that they all make it to fledge, of course! :grin: Yes I know better, but still hopeful... there's that "Crazy or Optimistic" again! Insanely Optimistic... :lol:

Purple Hugs!
~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.
Top
april57
Posts: 232
Joined: Fri May 29, 2009 1:58 pm
Location: Wizard Lake Alberta

so exciting your first hatch. I am amazed now how many Martins have returned or new ones. We have a lot of eggs and babies. They are so precious and as far north as we are..
congratulations!!!
2007 none
2008 few landed
2009 - 2 pair - 9 eggs- 9 fledged
2010 - 1ASY pair and 4SY pair total 10 bird
2011 first ASY pair May 06
2012 first pair arrived May 01, May 21 total 10 pairs 49 babies
2013 May 04 martins 2 pair May 19 total 12 pair
2014 May 08 2 pair May 12 almost full 10 pair
Top
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.

Baby #1 on evening of hatch day. He looks bigger already!
Image

Baby #2 has arrived, a whole day later than her brother. Wow what a difference a day makes.
Image

With the nesting season getting so late, so many empty holes just attract HOSP. So I closed (inserted nestboxes backwards) the 4 compartments closest to my one precious nest, and 2 are rigged with PM excluders with sparrow traps. That leaves 5 open compartments plus 4 gourds in case any latecomers arrive. I placed some mini spookers on the precious porch. Doing all I can to help keep them safe!
Image
~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.
Top
Gobbler T
Posts: 1518
Joined: Tue Mar 31, 2009 8:13 am
Location: Mississippi / Columbus

Very nice Mary! Good pic's too! Enjoy those little ones, they don't stay little long.
Tony


2007 --- 0 2011---0 2015---4
2008 --- 0 2012---0 16-19—0
2009 --- 0 2013---1 2020—?
2010 --- 0 2014---3
Top
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.

Tony, You should know all about that not staying little! How is your colony doing these days? The heat is giving me one more thing to fret about, but it is supposed to rain and cool a bit tonight and tomorrow.
~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.
Top
Chuck4
Posts: 861
Joined: Mon May 16, 2011 10:05 am
Location: North MS
Martin Colony History: I started trying to attract Purple Martins in 2011. I got my first breeding pair in 2013.

2013-1 pair, 2014-4 pair, 2015-8 pair, 2016-12 pair 60 babies :-).

Congratulations! Nice pics too. 8)
PMCA Member
_____
Top
Matt F.
Posts: 3978
Joined: Mon Feb 28, 2005 9:48 am
Location: Houston, TX

Great update Mary!
Those are wonderful photos!
Image
Top
Ed Pace
Posts: 680
Joined: Tue Feb 08, 2011 3:31 pm
Location: NY/Jamestown

Mary; It's great to see thoes little guys in your nest, hope they all come back next year.

Ed
Top
Guest

Great pictures Mary. Thanks for sharing your excitement with us. It's contagious! I'm so happy for you!
Top
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.

(EDITED by me)

Please forgive me.

Well I suppose I shouldn't be posting anything when I am exhausted or had a glass of wine. The other night it was both. DUMB. :oops:

What I was trying to say was I was overwhelmed with the support and encouragement from myfellow forum members... and a bird story. Geez.
:oops:

So here's my legible version of the bird story... My husband calls me from the MOKAN state line power plant near Galena KS with a bird question. Turns out he was describing a nesting pair of Western Kingbirds who were very upset with his presence near their nest on top of a floodlight.... He was excited and happy to watch their antics, and described them to a "T". The birds' eastern edge of range according to sources should be central KS, so that surprised me. I would have never known about Western Kingbirds if not for their mention on the forum. I have never seen one, just the Eastern race.

Hugs,
Mary
Last edited by MamaBruff on Sat Jun 29, 2013 11:24 am, edited 1 time in total.
~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.
Top
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.

Good to hear the two are thriving! I'd want to be in a 2 bird nest if I were a bird. Lots of grub and company. I was going to sign off - Enjoy, but pretty sure you got that covered. Mini spookers is a great idea!
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
Top
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.

Thank you everyone for your kind words and thoughts! I am SO enjoying my little family of martins! Watching them bringing in bugs and green leaves, graceful flight, and all their chatter. The nest is so clean, no poo, no shells. They are a delight! Life is good today! (In the back of my mind, I'm wondering what drama will be next)

I want to also add: The reason I have baby Purple Martins today is because of the PMCA information on the website and magazine, and especially this forum! ALL you guys and gals have helped me so much! By your example, advice, encouragement, pat on the back, shoulder to cry on, and reminding me to breathe... You are my friends!
~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.
Top
Post Reply

Return to “Purple Martin Forum”