feeding baby martin

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Harold Green
Posts: 44
Joined: Tue Jan 27, 2004 3:30 pm
Location: Georgia/excited

I've had an experience like never before with baby martins . I have had martin gourds up for about twelve years and have always had about twenty to thirty pairs. BTW I live in Ga. This year they came in about three weeks late and by the time they all got here i had about twenty two pairs. About two weeks ago most all of my gourds had fledged with only two left with young birds in them, it had been about a week since I lowered the gourds to check them and one morning I saw a young bird try and fly but couldn't go far without falling. I lowered the rack and the other babies were dead, with the jumper only one left, evidently something had happened to the mother and daddy. I caught the one that couldn't fly and brought him in and started feeding it meal worms and crickets, and in the next few days all the other birds had left and didn't return at night, this has been about two weeks ago. I finally made a pet out of the baby and he begged for food all the time. Now comes the thing that blew my mind. I haven't seen a martin around here for about two weeks and was a little concerned about turning my pet out,but this morning I set him on the window sill outside my sun room and he took off just like he knew what he was doing, he made about three circles above the gourd racks and flew out of sight, I sat there about five minutes and here he came back with four more martins with him, I couldn't believe what I was seeing I thought they were all gone because I hadn't seen anything for over two weeks. So the little birds does a good job of communicating, glad I could save him for another time.
Last edited by Harold Green on Wed Jul 20, 2016 4:42 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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KathyF
Posts: 3522
Joined: Thu May 24, 2007 1:57 pm
Location: Missouri/Licking
Martin Colony History: Colony started - 2007 with one pair
As of 2018 - 84 cavities offered, max # of pairs hosted - 82.

Harold, sorry about the parents, but congratulations on saving the one! That's quite an accomplishment - they can sometimes be difficult to rehab / feed! So happy to hear he can fly and how very cool that he returned with friends - maybe expressing gratitude?
I try to not get too attached to them as it hurts too much when they die then, but your's is a heartwarming story!

Thanks for sharing.
"Sometimes", said Pooh, "the smallest things take up the most room in your heart."
2023 - 82 pair
2022 - 80 pair
2021 - 75 pair
2020 - 78 pair
2019 - 80 pair
http://kathyfreeze.blogspot.com
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4th Gen Martin Fan
Posts: 1498
Joined: Thu Jul 04, 2013 1:19 pm
Location: TN/Collierville
Martin Colony History: I have been exposed to purple martin sounds in utero when my mother went out to get my father away from his martin colony.
I played around the martin colony every summer and watched as my father maintained his colony. In the late 50's until the 70's he did not notice European Starlings in south Texas.
When old enough, I helped maintain his colony. My primary task was eliminating English House Sparrows with a 1956 Benjamin 317 .177 air rifle.
When I settled into my own home, I started my first colony with an original Trio Castle and Trio Grandpa. When I moved again, I did not put up any martin houses. Frustration with European Starlings in the Southeast US was overwhelming.
Found PMCA Forum and learned about modern enlarged compartments and SREHs.
Inherited my father's last martin house, a Trio Grandma, modified it to modern specifications and have had good results since then.

Harold,
That story was very uplifting. It gives us hope for a straggler.
Mark.
Mark.
Firm believer in HOSP/EUST Control, Enlarged Compartments, SREHs, Pole Predator Guards, Owl/Hawk Guards, Mite/Parasite Control, Housing Insulation, and Vents for Compartment Cooling.
PMCA Member.
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