This Is A First For Me

[Tim Mangan-Kansas]

I had a first for me in all the years I have been hosting martins. My adult pair, which the female laid her first of five eggs almost two weeks before the other adult females started to lay, has laid a second clutch of eggs. They successfully fledged all five nestlings and continued to bring them back to the nest to two weeks. After two weeks, both parents started fighting with the recent fledges keeping them from going into the nest at roost time. I have never had a pair to have two clutch's of eggs in the same season. If this adult pair is successful in raising this second clutch, they won't fledge till August 13. Going to be interesting to see what happens.

A second clutch in one season raises all kinds of questions. Why do they attempt to raise a second clutch?
Is it because they were so early in raising their first brood, they feel they have time to raise a second one.
Is it because the weather has been much cooler than normal this year.
Is it because there is a good supply of insects to feed upon.
Is it because they know supplemental feeding is available if necessary. (This is the pair where the male made 31 consecutive trips from the feeding tray to the nest to feed it's young during inclement weather.)
Is it because the drive to reproduce is so strong, if there is a chance for a second brood in one season, they will take it.
Is it a combination of other factors plus any or all of the above.

Don't know the answer, but it is such a rare occurrence, I will be monitoring this nest very closely.

Tim

[pmlover]

that is so remarkable

[DebA]

This is fascinating! I have been wondering the same about my pairs that have already fledged. It does feel like the year to pull that off. I wish mine would attempt it. I do have hatchlings now that are re-nests from that early cold spell and they lost their eggs.
Deb

[BW Fowler]

Tim, Awesome! Hoping you have a double-fledger.
Good luck,
BW

[Matt F.]

Great update Tim!
Like you mentioned, second clutches are such a rare occurrence, I agree with your statement, that there may have to be many of the factors you listed in effect, too see this phenomenon.

[G Saner]

Tim,

Congratulations. You bring up good points on why the martins did this.

I experienced this in 1984 and they raised 4 babies in each brood. I keep records and it was definitely the first pair to arrive but I don't have the exact dates of each brood. I do remember they finished their first batch very early so that is one prerequisite. I would also think that the martins gauge the food supply before they attempt a second set of youngsters.

Enjoy your martins in August.

[Emil Pampell-Tx]

Tim, my only question is about the female (or the male): Is it the same female that raised the previous babies. This question about a second clutch by the same parents has given me doubts for many years. Since you do banding, I am hoping that you can some day give POSTIVE proof that these are the exact same pair that raised the first clutch. I know that many people THINK that it is the exact same pair, and they may be right. Martins look so much alike, its impossible to say that its the exact same pair. The only way that I can ever believe this is if banding can prove it. To date, no one has ever provided this proof. I think it has been proven that the male is the same male. I do want to thank you for your close scrutiny of this. Lastly, I know that it may be possible, I just want the proof. Being that my brief time in this world involved being an engineer, I do not believe people that think that they are right, I want you or hope that you can find find the proof by reading band numbers. I will not accept anything else except band numbers as being proof. Good luck, and I hope that this question can be resolved in my mind.

[Peter D]

Good questions all. I think those kinds of questions require serious and systematic observations to answer. My guess is its a combination of factors and there may be variation between individuals, as with many traits.

Isn't it amazing to be able to cultivate what is actually a fairly intimate (symbiotic) relationship with a species which with we are separated by a few hundred million years? I feel the connection, and though I didn't invent it or cause it, I inherit it, and cultivate it with my interest and will, and feel the rough hand of evolution in the life and survival of us all.

[Tim Mangan-Kansas]

Emil, this pair in question is not banded. Therefore you have every right not to believe me and there is nothing I can present to change your mind about the same pair of martins having a second brood in the same season. If I am not mistaken, I think I have read articles in the "Update" in past years documenting the same pair of "banded" martins having a second brood in the same year. I also seem to recall long time landlord John Barrow documenting second broods at his Texas colony with banded martins. Possibly John will respond.

For all others, let me say I am a skeptic at heart and certainly would not report a pair of martins having a second brood unless I was sure in my own mind. I do not have a large colony with many poles and 100+ pairs of martins. I have one pole with 14 pair of martins located 25' from my back door where I sit everyday and observe the dynamics of my colony. The pair in question are both ASY. I don't name my martins but I do refer to this male as "tuffy" due to the white feathers he has on both legs. I have read about other landlords in the past questioning these white feathers on one of their martins. I just refer to them as "tuffed legs", therefore "tuffy". He is the only martin I have with the pronounced white feathers on his legs. No doubt in my mind this is the same male.

Tuffy's mate is one of two very dark chested ASY females at my colony this year. The other is my alpha female who is still bringing her recent fledges to the nest each night. Tuffy and his mate brought their fledglings back to the nest for almost two weeks. During the last week tuffy and his mate started bringing in new nesting material and eventually green leaves into the nest. This is when I first suspected I might have my first ever second brood from the same pair. Tuffy and his mate eventually started fighting with their returning fledglings each night not allowing all of them back into the nest. I now know it was because she had started laying eggs. There is no doubt in my mind she is the same female.

This is the same pair where 30+ consecutive trips were made from the feeding tray to the nest to feed crickets to their young during a period of bad weather. Both parents were trained to take flipped crickets and using the feeding tray. If this pair stays committed to this second brood, I will provide supplemental food in the feeding tray to help them along during the hot summer days in July and August. I have no doubt they both will use the supplemental feeding to help feed their young and further substantiating it is the same pair.

Tim

[taxidermy lady]

Thanks for sharing your experience Tim. I love following stories like this. Keep us updated! Thanks and good luck!

[Archer]

That's really cool! Thanks for your explanation.

[jedin]

Best of luck with this brood Tim! If all goes well does this mean you will have martins to enjoy and a longer season than ever before as well?

[ky395]

How do you know it was the same Martin? I can't tell one bird from another! The most important thing is that there are more babies on the way.

[Tim Mangan-Kansas]

Jedin:
Yes, if the parents stick it out, their young won't fledge till middle of August. This will extend my season about three weeks longer than normal.

Ky395:
All I can do is refer you back to my above post of July 3.

Tim

[tonyg]

Congrats Tim! I truly feel that same desire to renest after a failed attempt is the same fuel that could lead to a pair raising a second brood, especially when time, food, weather, can permit it....I too will have a few pairs here until the first week of August as I checked a rack that had pairs with eggs on 6/18 and have a few with some "Pinkies".. Good luck and keep us informed..

[John Barrow]

Tim,
This is a neat observation. I hope you will keep us posted on development. In my experience, second broods will be abandoned during egg incubation; however, if the eggs hatch the fledge results will be nearly 100%.

You clearly understand the dynamics of post--fledging, nest-cavity defense--one part of memory stamping martins engage in, along with returning fledges to a safe cavity, [Maybe in an uncrowded scenario (UN-like a huge cluster of gourds on a single pole)] for a certain period that enforces that memory for the youngsters.

I am currently (July, 2015) watching 8 second broods at my colony in Sandia, Tx, and three second broods here in Corpus Christi., and one re-nest. My Sandia colony of 25 pairs experienced a total of 13 ASY second broods in 2013. This observation was also published in the Update.

I attribute the second broods to food availability, timing and mimicry of other nearby nests.

I did, in fact, publish about 3 banded males connected to two successive broods in 2009, and went on to explain in my draft notes (to the same skeptic) why the reporting of banded males would most probably include the same female---not mentioning that females are a much more tenacious defender of nesting cavities than males, in my opinion.

Here is a look from that article my notes of a nestcam observation observed in 2007, which shows what you are seeing from the inside looking out:

In my opinion as a licensed bander, primarily dealing with purple martins, and as an experienced landlord, the failed attempt at my colony in 2007 is as significant as if I had identified banded adults. It involved an ASY pair in a gourd monitored by a nest camera. Louise Chambers, with nest cam monitor right beside her desk, observed this nesting attempt on a continuous basis and I observed it regularly. My notes read as follows:

“Natural horizontal gourd #52 with round entrance and nestcam. Entrance underneath gourd. First brood =five eggs, five hatch, five fledge on 5-28-07. Clutch initiation of second brood on June 11, 2007 (we detect two eggs on June 12 and prioritize this camera). ASY female lays a clutch of four eggs, ending on June 14. ASY male returns with 3 or more banded fledglings (from first brood) that stay (at night) in gourd with him and female until June 19 (five days after clutch complete and while female is incubating.) She stays atop eggs in nestbowl--the other occupants scatter out in mid section of gourd. On June 19 adult male blocks hole and will not let fledglings in. We see no further efforts by them to return to gourd overnight. Female continues to incubate eggs for a total of 3 weeks, until July 3, 2007, when she gives up and abandons the effort.”


Here is the draft article in its entirety:

BANDED MARTINS CONFIRM SECOND BROODS IN SOUTH TEXAS


In the summer of 2006 I coauthored an article called “ Second Broods in Texas” with landlord legend Tony Frederickson of Seguin, TX (UPDATE 15.3). We wanted to share a phenomenon that we both first witnessed in 2004 at each of our home colonies. The existence of a second brood raised by a single pair of martins during the same nesting season.

In 2004, Tony identified 7 such attempts, six of which were successful, and I identified 4 successful attempts. The result of that activity extended the presence of nesting activity at our colonies from early July in to mid August. Since 2004, Tony has identified 5 additional second broods, of which 3 were successful, and I have identified 10 additional second brood attempts, nine of which were successful.

In my opinion as a licensed bander, primarily dealing with purple martins, and as an experienced landlord, the failed attempt at my colony in 2007 is as significant as if I had identified banded adults. It involved an ASY pair in a gourd monitored by a nest camera. Louise Chambers, with nest cam monitor right beside her desk, observed this nesting attempt on a continuous basis and I observed it regularly. My notes read as follows:

“Natural horizontal gourd #52 with round entrance and nestcam. Entrance underneath gourd. First brood =five eggs, five hatch, five fledge on 5-28-07. Clutch initiation of second brood on June 11, 2007 (we detect two eggs on June 12 and prioritize this camera). ASY female lays a clutch of four eggs, ending on June 14. ASY male returns with 3 or more banded fledglings (from first brood) that stay (at night) in gourd with him and female until June 19 (five days after clutch complete and while female is incubating.) She stays atop eggs in nestbowl--the other occupants scatter out in mid section of gourd. On June 19 adult male blocks hole and will not let fledglings in. We see no further efforts by them to return to gourd overnight. Female continues to incubate eggs for a total of 3 weeks, until July 3, 2007, when she gives up and abandons the effort.”

Even though the 2006 Update article was authored by two experienced landlords, both of whom regularly manage their colonies by doing nestchecks, and both of whom participate in Project MartinWatch, collecting the data that supports the visual observations that led them to individually identify birds involved in raising a second brood, there has been some skepticism whether the information is valid because the birds were not banded.

Skeptics overlook references in the 2006 Update article, wherein it is observed that Dr. Charles Brown, an ornithologist with the University of Tulsa, who did authoritative work concerning martins and other swallows, reported in a 1978 issue of Wilson Bulletin, that four pairs of martins raised second broods in 1976 at his study colony in Sherman, Texas. In three cases Brown presented strong evidence based on careful observation of the birds and unique differences in behavior and plumage. In the fourth case, Brown presented incontrovertible evidence–he observed a banded bird raising the first and second brood.

In 2009, during regular PM nestchecks on Friday, June 12, at our colony in Corpus Christi, Louise Chambers and I discovered two second broods in progress--4 eggs each which were being incubated. During Friday, June 19 nestchecks, we observed two more second brood clutch initiations of 4 and 3 eggs. Each cavity fledged nestlings during the last 10 days of May. Three cavities were occupied by a banded male, and band numbers were confirmed during the first nest attempt, and subsequently confirmed and reconfirmed on the second brood attempt.

Gourd 34, color band # TX077E, nestling banded 5/24/03 at my colony, resighted in 06, 07 at my colony-probably missed in 08, is confirmed occupant during both brood attempts. ASY female, unbanded, believed to be first brood female. First brood of four fledged on 5/20; second clutch initiation date (CID)-June 6, 4 eggs, Second brood of 4 fledged on July 20.

Gourd 33, color band # TX706S, nestling banded 5/19/05 at nearby colony, resighted each subsequent year at my colony, is confirmed occupant during both brood attempts. First brood of two fledged on 5/28; second clutch initiation date (CID)-June 11, 4 eggs, second brood of 4 fledged on July 25.

Gourd 36-the last second clutch initiation- color band # TX330X, nestling banded 6/6/04 at nearby colony, resighted in 05 and 06 at my colony, is confirmed occupant during both brood attempts. ASY female, unbanded, believed to be first brood female. First brood of five fledged on 5/29; second clutch initiation date (CID)-June 13, 4 eggs, second brood of 3 fledged on July 27.

Gourd 37- ASY male and female, unbanded, believed to be first and second brood pair. First brood of three fledged on 5/25; second clutch initiation date (CID)-June 9, 3 eggs, second brood of 3 fledged on July 22.

What weight do these 2009 sightings have on the identity of the ASY unbanded female? In response to one skeptic, I concluded:

“Actually this observation also substantiates the presence of brood one female, or I believe it will to the scientific community. I do not know if you ever read the Second Broods in Texas article, but in it Tony Frederickson relates in pretty compelling detail the behavioral observations of the brood one pair leading into the second brood. Behavior such as returning to the nest cavity with fledges, post fledging nest cavity defense, and nest cavity memory stamping--all leading into a second egg laying sequence. You might recall that Louise and I observed in 2007, on nest camera, much post fledging behavior occurring even while the ASY female was incubating brood two eggs, including the nightly return of brood one nestlings for 5 days into incubation. I think both Tony and I, based on many years of doing regular nest checks and relating out-of-cavity behavior with in-cavity activity, are adequately qualified to comment on the initiation of a second brood attempt by the first brood pair.

What the recent observations do, in fact, are substantiate all that we have observed and reported in the past. We know that brood one males are involved in brood two. With respect to their mate, the only alternate possibilities are that another unbanded ASY female from the colony initiated a second brood attempt*1, or that by some miraculous fate, at least 4 unattached ASY females showed up at the colony in mid-June, after SY migration had ended and brood one had fledged, broke up the pair bond, interrupted post fledging cavity defense and memory stamping, and seized the opportunity, cavity and brood one male to begin nesting. The probability of that is about zero.”

Footnotes:
*1 (before reporting the 4th second brood attempt in Gourd 37, I confirmed that the female was not the only unaccounted for ASY female that had not successfully nested at my colony–a female that abandoned her nest after being outfitted with a geolocator unit and hung around for several weeks but did not renest. She was easily identified by the geotag on her back. She was not a female involved in a second brood)

*2 As of August 11, 2009 some of the adult birds and fledged birds from Gourds 33 and 34 were still returning nightly to the cavity with some of the HYs staying overnight in natal gourds.

[Tim Mangan-Kansas]

John:

Thanks for your response and the time involved in preparing your response. I was pretty sure I had seen past articles and posts by you and Louise regarding documented 2nd broods.

I was interested in reading about the actions of your adult pair blocking the entrance not letting their fledged nestlings back in the nest at night to roost. This is exactly what my pair with the 2nd clutch did. I did find it interesting that on several occasions, one or two of their recent fledglings were able to sneak into the nest and the parents did not fight with them forcing them to leave the nest with the 2nd clutch of eggs. This is a dynamic between parents and their fledglings I had never witnessed in the years I have had martins.

The four eggs in the second clutch from this pair is scheduled to hatch on July 15. With all the rain we have had, over 5" in the past two days, I have noticed both the male and female go to the feeding tray to get crickets. This very unusual cool weather we have been having this week hopefully will help them from abandoning their second clutch.

Tim