Martin update in upstate NY
Well, I'm up to 18 Martin's now, 16 male and two female. The weather this afternoon should get to at least 50. High of 40 the next 2 days.What has really work good for me this year it's putting the Crickets on The Ledges of the gourds and on The Ledges of the T14 houses. I have gone through 2,000 crickets already. I have been supplementing feeding the Martin since 2005. As the weather breaks this weekend, I'm sure some of these Martin's will be moving on further North. I hope other New Yorkers are supplementing feeding their Martins. Keep up the good work down there Toy and Doug.
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ToyinPA
- Posts: 2227
- Joined: Mon Apr 10, 2006 6:07 pm
- Location: PA/Avis
- Martin Colony History: The 1972 St. Agnes flood wiped out all the Martins in my area. One day, in 1997-98, 5 or 6 Martins landed on the power wires crossing my back yard. I had no house for them. They kept coming back day after day. We got a martin house a few weeks later & they have been coming back every year since. I average 12-15 pair per year.
Good to hear yours are doing well. Keep up the good work. As many of us know they wouldn't survive without supplemental feeding.
I have 5 ASY Males & 1 ASY Female. A 2nd ASY Female has visited several times, but hasn't decided to stay yet. Lots of cricket flipping here too. Also using hand warmers on the really cold nights.
I've been feeding 3 times a day between the rain & snow & high winds. We had many snow squalls pass thru yesterday & of course the darn cold wind that refuses to give up. I've gone thru about 1400 crickets so far with just my 6 martins. 2 more days of this crappy weather & then it should turn around & finally be decent for them to feed naturally.
Toy in PA
I have 5 ASY Males & 1 ASY Female. A 2nd ASY Female has visited several times, but hasn't decided to stay yet. Lots of cricket flipping here too. Also using hand warmers on the really cold nights.
I've been feeding 3 times a day between the rain & snow & high winds. We had many snow squalls pass thru yesterday & of course the darn cold wind that refuses to give up. I've gone thru about 1400 crickets so far with just my 6 martins. 2 more days of this crappy weather & then it should turn around & finally be decent for them to feed naturally.
Toy in PA
PMCA Member
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Doug Martin - PA
- Posts: 1988
- Joined: Thu Mar 25, 2004 10:47 am
- Location: Pennsylvania/Fombell
- Martin Colony History: First pair in 2009 after 28 years of trying. 3 pairs 2010, 17 pairs 2011 and 35-45 pairs since. Many additional colonies are now springing up around mine in an area once completely void of Martins. I offer 50 compartments at my site consisting of primarily Excluder II gourds on Gemini racks. Also a wooden T-14. I utilize electric fence type predator guards on the base of the poles. Supplemental feeding is crucial in maintaining my colony. I platform feed throughout the season as needed. My site tends to be a stop over point for additional birds as they migrate further north.
I have way too many to count. There is not much room for the ones coming in to stay a night. I have 50 cavities. I was watching one trying to find a vacancy the other evening without much luck.
Most all my males have females now. So there are a bunch of them. Would guess there are about 50-60 birds here right now. Snow yesterday and tomorrow again. Then the weather should improve for good this time.
Today they will get some live insects with some sun and 50. I keep filling the trays and they keep emptying them.
Doug
Most all my males have females now. So there are a bunch of them. Would guess there are about 50-60 birds here right now. Snow yesterday and tomorrow again. Then the weather should improve for good this time.
Today they will get some live insects with some sun and 50. I keep filling the trays and they keep emptying them.
Doug
Supplemental feeding plays a major role in Western Pennsylvania. Finally got my 1st pair in 2009 after 28 years of effort. The colony has grown quickly to 45 pairs that I care for. Many new colonies have now sprung up around me in the past few years as well. Where there was none.... there is many.
Hi Cransy I'm glad you've got so many birds are they all supplemental feeding or just a large percentage of them?
This weather is getting to be too much I'm afraid we're gonna lose a lot of birds in this area if it doesn't change real soon. I pulled my rack down this evening to put handwarmers and their nests and I have nine birds back of which four or five are supplemental feeding . A few are starting to look kind of bad I figure I only have a day or two more to get those feeding with the rest of them. Good luck on the rest of your season. Ed.
This weather is getting to be too much I'm afraid we're gonna lose a lot of birds in this area if it doesn't change real soon. I pulled my rack down this evening to put handwarmers and their nests and I have nine birds back of which four or five are supplemental feeding . A few are starting to look kind of bad I figure I only have a day or two more to get those feeding with the rest of them. Good luck on the rest of your season. Ed.
Ed, I'm pretty sure that they're all still alive but I won't know for sure until I check the nest on a warm day. Somebody had to be feeding these birds in order for them to make it here with this bad weather. We're lucky we got good landlords in Pennsylvania. Keep trying to feed them and usually the other ones will pick it up from the other ones. Good luck!