Question for Central Texas Martin folks

[Matt@atx]

Today is the Feb 23rd and we got 1 Martin back. This is our 8th season and I beleive they started returning about 2/12- 2/13 last year and maybe a little later the year before. We would maybe have 5 to 7 by now.
Is anyone else in the Central Texas region experiencing a slow return?

[Anthony Neira]

Hey Matt, Yes, mine are late this year, The whole gang usually get here around Feb14, Yesterday (Sunday) a couple more showed up , the Starlings let me know by making a big racket & attacking , my air gun took care of that! I now have 6 pair, I usually have more by now. Their weather sense must be working, it's telling them to hold off 'cause of the cold! Good Luck!!

[rrmartins]

That's what we have going on, we still only have four. Still not too worried, freezing outside for second day. It's 28 right now with a high of 40 forecasted. There is another front hitting Thursday, bad weather for martins. They'll be here after all this weather passes, we hope.

[apundt-TX]

Hey Matt,
I have been watching the Scout Report Page for many years and the replies seem to be on time for what I have witnessed. Keep in mind too that sometimes the reports come in a few days to a week later than the actual sighting date.

From what I have observed watching the wind report coming out of South America to the US hasn't been there yet. There was a couple of days this month of winds coming off the Yucatan peninsula to the Louisiana flyway but nothing coming up the east coast of Mexico and into South Texas yet.

http://earth.nullschool.net/#current/wi ... 15.88,1024

I'll let you know when I get them here but even the established neighborhood colonies around Southwest part of Austin have no arrivals yet.
That should change big time after March 2nd.

A.P.

[James Rieman]

Mine are a few days late too. In addition to the weather, keep in mind 2011 was a terrible year for Martin production due to the severe drought. The numbers of four-year-old birds, which would be arriving now are probably very low. I expect larger numbers of birds won't show up until the three-year-old birds start to show, which should be soon. Smaller colonies may not have any birds that survived to four years. I expected a slow start to the early season this year in Texas.

[Vern1]

I'm located about halfway between Lockhart and Bastrop, just SE of Austin.

I'm actually a little earlier than previous years.
My scout showed up on Feb 9 followed closely by 6 more over the next few days.
I'm up to 13 now, with the additional birds coming in Friday and Saturday.
There are 4 pair that have taken over the same 4 gourds that were occupied first last season.
The other 5 are ASY males going from gourd to gourd.

They look healthy and should be able to forage for the next 3 days, then another day of bad weather, then hopefully home free.

[Matt@atx]

Thank you very much for your all feed back sirs. Its very good to know that. It appears basically the same more or less like this for now in the region I guess.
I had read one of Vern's earlier posts and RR's about a week ago so was wondering what was happening. Vern's place always tears it up with the birds eating well and hanging out. Its sounds like you have a very nice self sustaining environment for them there Vern.
I thought we would miss our seasonal freeze sessions this year but
..nope.

That is quite a wind map Apundt. I have never seen that before but when viewing the wind movement, it makes a lot of sense. If more appear, I will post as well.

[Vern1]

I'm truely blessed with both location and surrounding area.
I live on a small family farm with multiple stock tanks and a combination of fields and trees.
The largest stock tank covers about 6 acres when full and is only about 200 yards from my racks with clear fly ways between and around the water.
I've also had Martins here for the most part since 1977 so word seems to be out!
I think they like the present location due to relative security from predators.
The racks are located between two houses and we are out and around the area regularly working on different things.

[rrmartins]

Lol, I was thinking the same thing about Vern, I bet he has a little martin city going on.

Vern. How many pair, and how many you fledge last year?

I just built a little 4 room cedar house to add to my colony, that will bring me up to 22 cavities. The rooms are 7x11, nice and cozy. I have read that you need at least 32 pair in a colony. This betters the chances of survival in case of bad weather drought, etc.

[Vern1]

I had 37 pair last season.
As for how many fledged, I'm not absolutely sure but right around 4.8 fledges per pair - it was a good year.
I do actively manage them and do regular nest checks but the Martins arrive, nest and hatch over such a wide period it's hard to keep up!
During my nest checks, I'm primarily looking for problems, mites, etc. more than numbers.

I had gourds fledge lots of babies over a 7 week period so it was certainly busy here.

As a side note, I did notice the mite infestations went up sharply after the first half of the Martins fledged and visited the roost to drop off the kids at Martincare.

[rrmartins]

Well, I just went out back and we had 6 circling. I had only seen the 4 till now. Glad the other two snuck in before the cold hit. If they just showed up, at least they will have a warm place now.

[Matt@atx]

I'm glad to here more have appeared RR The trickle effect.
Vern, I have notice mite increases in at least the last 2 years where I have not used seven. I didn't like putting the powder in there because I was not able to place it accurately enough since it was powder and gets on stuff.

This year(maybe I should have asked before I did it), I bought some liquid seven in a spray bottle which I sprayed onto a small chore rag and lightly wiped it in the gourd bottoms to include around the inside bottom entrances. I figure this will dry as a clear thin coat then put pines chips in all of them over it.
In the seasons where I did use seven, mites did not appear at least not as a problem.

[rrmartins]

I put a little seven under my nest trays, and it helps a lot. I hardly ever have to do a nest change in the house. I have to do a nest change in the gourds sometimes, I put VERY little seven under nest, after the eggs are laid, and that seems too help also.

[Vern1]

I install fresh pine needles in mid-late December and dust lightly with one small spoon of seven then close the SREH with pool noodles - it seems to help keep wasps out of the gourds also.
By the time I open them one to two months later, it has dissipated into the needles pretty well.

If I have mites later, I have a small insecticide dust puffer - it's a little billows thingie I bought off of a well known internet auction site for under 10 bux.
I made a longer injection tube for out of a piece of 1/8" brass tubing from hobby shop.
You put the seven dust in the puffer and stick the probe down into the bedding and give it a little puff - practice your puff outside a few times to get the right amount.
This puts the seven down under the nesting material without disturbing nestlings by having to move the nest too much and is down and out of their reach for the most part.
You can also stick the dust probe right thru the entrance hole and into the bedding if you made the probe long enough.
It's the safest method I have came up with so far and only use that when needed.

[Matt@atx]

quite a innovation for that use Vern. We might to need to ask you what you do for other things later since I cannot think of anything specific to ask at this moment. lol.
that's pretty neat. I remember reading from you in the past that you make a lot of things for your colony to include welding. (smile).
That's a guy that like my step dad was. He did stuff like how you can do. Pretty neat stuff. lots of respect for you guys and the better past generations. There are a good handful of others here like this too.
Hard to believe that at one time, generations of Americans did this. Now, its sadly a minority.
We might need to really pick that brain Vern!

[Emil Pampell-Tx]

About your question if the martins are late this year. The answer is yes, about 10days late for the first martin at our colony. I now have about 25 martins, they have not eaten much in the past 2 days, they were out feeding for about 7 hours today, doubt that they found much at 42deg. Tomorrow its predicted to be 58deg, so that may be enough for them to survive.

Also, some of the neighbors still do not have any martins, they had martins last year and previous years. The martins simply are late.

So many people wish for early martins, that is not good to have real early martins. With real early martins, most years you will be forced to feed them or see them perish. We should be thankful that the martins are late this year with this terrible Feb weather.

[billb]

I don't have any yet, but suspect it's due to some landscaping this winter. Ususally have first pair by Feb 15 and 2 - 3 pair by now, but have not even seen one in my neighborhood.

I was holding out hope that the palm trees installed fairly close to one side of my house would not deter all of my former full colony of 14 pairs, but my mood darkens a little each day. I considered the possibility the trees might put an end to my landlordship, but I at least expected 1 or 2 old tenants to stop and take a look!

Reading this thread gives me a little hope!

[Don Ricketson]

I had a flyby on Feb.10th that just circled around and made a low swipe over my gourd rack but he didn't land. I had about 5 or 6 come on the 18th and have stayed so I have opened and raised my houses and gourds. It has been around 30 degrees ever since Wed.25th They are all huddled up inside and have been since Wed. Today is the 28th so I know they are getting hungry. I have been a landlord since 1999. I only have room for 12 pair but usually have a full house. Last year fledged 51. I am hoping for a warmer Sunday tomorrow.