2016 Compared To 2017 Kansas Scout Reports

[Kyler]

In 2016 in Kansas by April 2nd we had 98 Scout Reports and as of now in 2017 there are 77 Scout Reports. I'm really hoping something isn't going wrong. In my area we have had Rain for about 3-4 days straight so that might have held them up a little. I took a Trip to Hays Kansas yesterday (April 1st) to look at a used Trio Castle and it rained the whole day there the streets were almost flooding. But then the next day (April 2nd) there was a Scout Reported in Hays.

I'm now noticing that there are little more northern states with Reports now. Maybe they are now on the mission to get home. Might have been taking there time.

Kyler,

[Tim Mangan-Kansas]

Kyler:
Without fail, this topic arises every year. Like so many others this season, my martins were running late to return. I do believe it was the cold rainy weather we had a couple of weeks ago that slowed the early arrivals in our area. This past weekend, I doubled in number of martins spending the night. Went from seven on Friday night to a more normal 17 last night. I have come to the conclusion that, barring any predator problems in the previous season, they will get here when they get here.

[John Miller]

I have wondered if return dates are based on when the martins fledge the previous year -- on average -- and that varies each year by one or two weeks. I thought were a little later last summer, because of a long cool spell in May that slowed things down, and caused some deaths of babies in some of my nests that had gotten started very early. Might be something those who have good records could analyze. I suppose then if we calculate an average fledge dates, we could go back and look at returns, maybe not the average date of when a scout returned, but when colony is observed to get 10 or so martins back. So that gets complicated and is why I have not done it..that and my math skills...but might be something to analyze.

[Archer]

I'm wondering if the die off last spring from the cold weather took out many of the early returning birds. Without their leadership migration has been trimmed back to a more seasonal timing. Just a theory.

[DornCounty]

My guess is it's fewer overall people reporting.

I am nearly full. I've got something in the area of 12 pairs and only 16 cavities.