Season Two of the PMCA's Nest Cam is now live!

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Forum Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 339
Joined: Thu Oct 30, 2003 1:16 pm
Location: Erie, PA

Watch along with the PMCA as a pair of Purple Martins try to successfully raise a brood at a PMCA colony site on Presque Isle State Park in Erie, PA.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/live_stre ... jM0eRg0snQ
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Purple Martin Conservation Association - Please consider becoming a member of the PMCA.
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handyman315
Posts: 300
Joined: Thu May 12, 2016 11:03 am
Location: SW Ohio
Martin Colony History: Colony established May 20, 2017 after three unsuccessful years. Persistent and aggressive Tree Swallows plagued the site, but beyond learning - and practicing - to control them, was the return in 2017 of a 2016-SY-M previously unable to find a mate. As a handsome ASY-M, he brought along two females and a swagger that soon put the Tree Swallow issue to rest. As the anchor pair, he and his mate hatched all six of their eggs into fat and healthy babies into what settled in to be a three-pair, flourishing new colony with up to 11 birds total, including 3 SY-M trouble makers.

Awesome! Great quality video . . . can't pull myself away, always wanted to learn more about what actually happens in the gourd. Been leaving it running full-screen, and watch every time I walk by.

Being not too far away (Ohio), it's possible to "compare" in real time what your PMs are doing with what mine might be doing at the same time. :shock:

Michael (a First-Year Newbie Landlord)
2023-42 Nests, 197 Eggs/Babies
2022-48 Nests Fledged 203
2021-43 Nests Fledged 185
2020-31 Nests Fledged 133, three early deaths due to cold & rain
2019-19 Nests Fledged 84
2018-11 Nests Fledged 48, ASY-M Arrived April 6, Despite Snow & Cold, Joined Soon by Mate & Two Adult Pairs
2017-3 Nests Fledged 13, FIRST-YEAR LANDLORD! Resident SY-M from 2016 Returned (as ASY-M) on May 20. At Least 11 Adult Residents
2016 Late-Arriving SYs, Resident Lone SY-M
2015-14 Many Visits
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BioJoe
Posts: 188
Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2015 12:18 pm
Location: PA/Erie

Seem to have finally got the audio up and running. The new camera is impressively better than the old one. Definitely a blessing in disguise that it burned out on Monday.

We need to post a warning that the PMCA Nestcam reduces any work that you hoped to get done in the day....very addictive.

J
PMCA Pres/CEO
Erie, PA
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bwenger
Posts: 1057
Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2005 7:24 pm
Location: Pennsylvania/Espyville/Pymatuning Reservoir Area
Martin Colony History: Taking care of 11 active public colonies and trying to start two more in northwestern PA. Also attempting to restart another one in southwestern PA, in Collier Township's Hilltop Park. In 2017, not sure what happened but the ASY male returned and then a couple of weeks later he was gone. It could have been weather related. No other birds showed up. I had a starling nesting at the Public site that I had trouble getting rid of.
In 2018, we fledged 629 martins at all of the sites.

Nest cams can be habit forming. Thanks for getting it set up.

Bill
Bill Wenger

Building the Purple Martin population one bird at a time!
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Matt F.
Posts: 3978
Joined: Mon Feb 28, 2005 9:48 am
Location: Houston, TX

Great stream Joe!
Exponentially better than mine (Mine has about the same video quality as the live video feeds from the moon landings in the late 1960s and early 1970s.... :lol: )
Are you able to mention what kind of camera you're using, and possibly show how you have it mounted?
Image
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[email protected]
Posts: 93
Joined: Sun Mar 05, 2017 10:35 am
Location: Raynham MA. 02767
Martin Colony History: 2016, put Troyer pole with 6 units Horizontal with Conley 11 Tunnels.
Had some visits (two sittings) last year. A visit this year 2017.

Forum Admin wrote:Watch along with the PMCA as a pair of Purple Martins try to successfully raise a brood at a PMCA colony site on Presque Isle State Park in Erie, PA.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eFUbvCCslo
Very cool. I'm sure many folks on this forum will spending lots of time watching this.
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BioJoe
Posts: 188
Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2015 12:18 pm
Location: PA/Erie

Matt F. wrote:Great stream Joe!
Exponentially better than mine (Mine has about the same video quality as the live video feeds from the moon landings in the late 1960s and early 1970s.... :lol: )
Are you able to mention what kind of camera you're using, and possibly show how you have it mounted?
Its a Reolink RLC-410S. The mounting and wireless networking is a bit of a MacGyver job. I had to rig it frantically over the last day and a half and didn't devote any energy to documenting. Will take some pics in the next week or so to share.

J
PMCA Pres/CEO
Erie, PA
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Matt F.
Posts: 3978
Joined: Mon Feb 28, 2005 9:48 am
Location: Houston, TX

Thanks so much Joe!
Image
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Matt F.
Posts: 3978
Joined: Mon Feb 28, 2005 9:48 am
Location: Houston, TX

Matt F. wrote:Exponentially better than mine (Mine has about the same video quality as the live video feeds from the moon landings in the late 1960s and early 1970s.... :lol: )
It warrants clarifying - on our setup, the little nest camera itself is great.
The thing that is causing the poor video quality for us, is the video server/encoder, which is going to soon be replaced.
Image
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philsergeant
Posts: 18
Joined: Sat May 27, 2017 7:16 pm
Location: Florida
Martin Colony History: 2017 first year, 8 pairs, 32 Hatchings, 27 Fledged
2018 second year, 8 pairs, 44 hatchings, 44 Fledged
2019... has already started...

Thank you so much for gathering and sharing these special moments in such quality..... Kinda horrible to admit how much more special nature's creatures are than nature's theoretical leader.....
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AndyShutterbug
Posts: 31
Joined: Mon May 18, 2015 10:58 am
Location: Midland, MI
Martin Colony History: 2013 Heath hexagon 12 cavity...no birds
2014 T14 added. Couple of visitors only.
2015 Four birds? At least one pair? 5 eggs in three different cavities! Abandoned.
2016 Heath house not put up. Only visitors.
2017 Only visitors
2018 No activity
2019 Visitors 20May only
2020 Visitor 22May, 3 birds suddenly 20Jun!?
2021 Nothing
2022 Sudden flurry 04Jun. Pair hanging out. High hopes!
2023 Few visitors. Disappointing...then moved from this house.

Thanks for sharing. What terrific images inside that white gourd! Good lighting (when the sun isn't reflecting on the entrance). But the sound is awesome! I configured the sound drivers on my computer to allow for recording to a file off of the audio card inputs. Then I went back through the 3 hour buffer and found when the martins were in the nest and the cam working. I then started grabbing sound bites. I was surprised that they are quiet for so long between "discussions". And the chatter doesn't sound quite like the songbird magnet. I haven't listened to the daytime chatter CD enough to know if it is significantly different. I'm thinking that I may splice and loop some of these together and turn it into a "single nest chatter" mp3. Next year I might load it onto a small MP3 player and battery speaker setup. I've got one of those portable phone charger battery packs which would probably drive the setup for a while. This would be the perfect accessory to one of Taxidermy Lady's nest decoys. I'd use the songbird magnet to pull them in and this thing to split their interest with the T14 & gourds instead of just the magnet. If I can just get some more visitors!! Stubborn birds. :wink:
AndyShutterbug
Central Michigan
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Dan G
Posts: 446
Joined: Thu Jun 12, 2014 7:52 pm
Location: PA/Bellefonte
Martin Colony History: Several colonies with in 6 mile radius.
Have had visitor every year 2014-24.
Two large trees removed in fall 2024 and moved T-14 to a more open location.
2025- 1 SY pair. Fledged 2.

Very nice. I checked this out for the first time today, and witnessed a nest check!! She cleaned the camera lens too. A little commentary would be a cool addition. Thank you. Looking forward to the pinkies.
Bellefonte PA
2014, 1st year-a few lookers, no nests
2015-23. Visitors each year. But no pairs.
2024- most active year. 2-4 SY male’s hang out most days.
2025, 1 SY pair. 2 eggs, 2 fledged!! Other martins visited daily.
Still eliminating starlings and sparrows.
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Bcorbs1217
Posts: 121
Joined: Tue Apr 26, 2016 6:22 am
Location: Silver Spring, Maryland
Martin Colony History: Active colony since 2005.

Sounds like there's a rollercoaster or something similar nearby. :grin:
Becky Corbett. PM landlord since 2005; 12 supergourds.
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handyman315
Posts: 300
Joined: Thu May 12, 2016 11:03 am
Location: SW Ohio
Martin Colony History: Colony established May 20, 2017 after three unsuccessful years. Persistent and aggressive Tree Swallows plagued the site, but beyond learning - and practicing - to control them, was the return in 2017 of a 2016-SY-M previously unable to find a mate. As a handsome ASY-M, he brought along two females and a swagger that soon put the Tree Swallow issue to rest. As the anchor pair, he and his mate hatched all six of their eggs into fat and healthy babies into what settled in to be a three-pair, flourishing new colony with up to 11 birds total, including 3 SY-M trouble makers.

I just "drove" around Presque Isle State Park via Google Maps Satellite view . . . found you! And there is the roller coaster too. :shock:

https://www.purplemartin.org/about/71/t ... tate-park/
Attachments
Tom Ridge Environmental Center - Erie, PA-Sm.jpg
Tom Ridge Environmental Center - Erie, PA-Sm.jpg (123.02 KiB) Viewed 16022 times
2023-42 Nests, 197 Eggs/Babies
2022-48 Nests Fledged 203
2021-43 Nests Fledged 185
2020-31 Nests Fledged 133, three early deaths due to cold & rain
2019-19 Nests Fledged 84
2018-11 Nests Fledged 48, ASY-M Arrived April 6, Despite Snow & Cold, Joined Soon by Mate & Two Adult Pairs
2017-3 Nests Fledged 13, FIRST-YEAR LANDLORD! Resident SY-M from 2016 Returned (as ASY-M) on May 20. At Least 11 Adult Residents
2016 Late-Arriving SYs, Resident Lone SY-M
2015-14 Many Visits
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Bcorbs1217
Posts: 121
Joined: Tue Apr 26, 2016 6:22 am
Location: Silver Spring, Maryland
Martin Colony History: Active colony since 2005.

I noticed the inner porches are shorter than the ones I have from PMCA. Do you find this a beneficial modification?
Becky Corbett. PM landlord since 2005; 12 supergourds.
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Kyler
Posts: 899
Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2016 10:15 pm
Location: Colby, Kansas
Martin Colony History: PMCA Member - Project MartinWatch - Enlarged Compartments - SREH - S&S Control - Mite Control - Predator Guards - Heat Control ( Vents and Insulation ) - Supplemental Feeding -

Manage 7 different colonies in Colby Kansas.

Becky,
If I remember last year it was kinda blocking the Camera View so they made it shorter so the camera can veiw the whole gourd.

Kyler,
Purple Martin Landlords of Northwest KS
https://m.youtube.com/channel/UC9HDLGlbCmSYcSExIySwUQA

2013 - 0 Pair -
2014 - 1 Pair -
2015 - 0 Pair -
2016 - 5 Pair -
2017 - 18 Pair -
2018 - 22 Pair -
2019 - 28 Pair -
2020 - 40 Pair -
2021 - 40 Pair -
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Bcorbs1217
Posts: 121
Joined: Tue Apr 26, 2016 6:22 am
Location: Silver Spring, Maryland
Martin Colony History: Active colony since 2005.

Thanks, Kyler. I'll hold off chopping my porches in half since my martins aren't on tv. :wink:
Becky Corbett. PM landlord since 2005; 12 supergourds.
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BioJoe
Posts: 188
Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2015 12:18 pm
Location: PA/Erie

we originally had only the outer porches mounted. but, the adults were having a lot of trouble exiting the gourds...a lot of jumping and failing. it was excruciating to watch with the adults jumping all over the eggs and pinkies. it definitely gave us an appreciation on how difficult the startling resistant entrances are to navigate.

we added a half porch as a compromise on visibility.
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BioJoe
Posts: 188
Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2015 12:18 pm
Location: PA/Erie

YouTube keeps changing the stream address on us. The latest one is: https://www.youtube.com/embed/live_stre ... jM0eRg0snQ

Sorry for the confusion!
PMCA Pres/CEO
Erie, PA
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handyman315
Posts: 300
Joined: Thu May 12, 2016 11:03 am
Location: SW Ohio
Martin Colony History: Colony established May 20, 2017 after three unsuccessful years. Persistent and aggressive Tree Swallows plagued the site, but beyond learning - and practicing - to control them, was the return in 2017 of a 2016-SY-M previously unable to find a mate. As a handsome ASY-M, he brought along two females and a swagger that soon put the Tree Swallow issue to rest. As the anchor pair, he and his mate hatched all six of their eggs into fat and healthy babies into what settled in to be a three-pair, flourishing new colony with up to 11 birds total, including 3 SY-M trouble makers.

Waiting to learn what the pros use on mites and crawling critters . . . I see some on the birds, especially the female, thanks to this crystal clear camera. Researching the Forum makes this newbie think that a half teaspoon of 5% Sevin sprinkled around the edge of the nest is safe. What say you Erie nest cam folks?
2023-42 Nests, 197 Eggs/Babies
2022-48 Nests Fledged 203
2021-43 Nests Fledged 185
2020-31 Nests Fledged 133, three early deaths due to cold & rain
2019-19 Nests Fledged 84
2018-11 Nests Fledged 48, ASY-M Arrived April 6, Despite Snow & Cold, Joined Soon by Mate & Two Adult Pairs
2017-3 Nests Fledged 13, FIRST-YEAR LANDLORD! Resident SY-M from 2016 Returned (as ASY-M) on May 20. At Least 11 Adult Residents
2016 Late-Arriving SYs, Resident Lone SY-M
2015-14 Many Visits
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