Concerned
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avesrun
- Posts: 1127
- Joined: Tue Apr 30, 2013 1:10 pm
- Location: Iowa/West Des Moines
- Martin Colony History: Home Site: 2017- 0
2016 - 1st pair, fledged 5
Satellite Site: 2017 (3rd season)
34 pair
Fledged- 102
Holy Hannah phlDave sure hope the martins are still hanging at your site. Just got your update and was very happy that you've had some action. I left home last Sunday in the snow for turkey hunting in Southern Iowa and didn't get back till Thursday afternoon. Fed the Martins real well at the public site in the snow storm before I left and had a volunteer do the same while I was gone. Just checked the housing today and didn't find any dead Martins. I was very relieved.
Several years ago when I first put up a T14 at my home site the first season I had 4 asy males come and stay for 4 days during very nasty icy cold weather in April. They eventually left and did not come back I hope that is NOT the case at your site! Either way you should feel good to know you are providing protection for purple martins and probably saved their lives. That was a very nasty storm system this week. Not to mention the subsequent cold days that followed. Weather around here is still not ideal as you know. During spring storms such as the one we just experienced migrating birds will literally fallout of the sky in onto areas to take refuge. At the state park when I left Sunday it was amazing the Campground roadway was covered with hermit thrushes something I had never seen before. With Martin's it is truly amazing how in such storms they are able to locate housing wherever they are at in their migration for Refuge. Any update on the Martins at your site? Best of season to you!
TimG
Several years ago when I first put up a T14 at my home site the first season I had 4 asy males come and stay for 4 days during very nasty icy cold weather in April. They eventually left and did not come back I hope that is NOT the case at your site! Either way you should feel good to know you are providing protection for purple martins and probably saved their lives. That was a very nasty storm system this week. Not to mention the subsequent cold days that followed. Weather around here is still not ideal as you know. During spring storms such as the one we just experienced migrating birds will literally fallout of the sky in onto areas to take refuge. At the state park when I left Sunday it was amazing the Campground roadway was covered with hermit thrushes something I had never seen before. With Martin's it is truly amazing how in such storms they are able to locate housing wherever they are at in their migration for Refuge. Any update on the Martins at your site? Best of season to you!
TimG
PMCA Member
Home Site: 2012-15 visitors
2016 - 1st pair, fledged 5
2017-18 Zero
2019- 3 Successful Pr
2020- 21pr, fledged 76
Satellite Site: 2014 - visitors
2015 - 2 pair fledged 9
2016 - 13 pair fledged 44
2017 - 31 pair fledged 118
2018 - 44 pair 163 fledged
2019- 49 pr 219 fledged
2020- 47 pr 209 fledged
Home Site: 2012-15 visitors
2016 - 1st pair, fledged 5
2017-18 Zero
2019- 3 Successful Pr
2020- 21pr, fledged 76
Satellite Site: 2014 - visitors
2015 - 2 pair fledged 9
2016 - 13 pair fledged 44
2017 - 31 pair fledged 118
2018 - 44 pair 163 fledged
2019- 49 pr 219 fledged
2020- 47 pr 209 fledged
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pmartinlover2
- Posts: 521
- Joined: Mon Mar 24, 2014 6:37 pm
- Location: IL/Hillsboro
- Martin Colony History: 2011 Home site--1 SY pair--2 fledged
2016 Satellite Site---4 pair--19 eggs laid--17 hatched--16 fledged
2017 Satellite Site--8 pair--37 eggs laid--34 hatched--34 fledged
2018 11 pair--fledged 60
2019 20 pair-fledged 94
2020 23pair-fledged 108
I’ve got my fingers crossed, Dave!
Jody in Central Illinois
Landlord in 2016
2016—4 pr fledged 16
2017—8 pr fledged 34
2018—11 pr fledged 60
Landlord in 2016
2016—4 pr fledged 16
2017—8 pr fledged 34
2018—11 pr fledged 60
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phldave
- Posts: 528
- Joined: Fri Jun 15, 2012 2:44 pm
- Location: Iowa/Pleasant Hill
- Martin Colony History: Started trying in 2012 and still trying
Tim,
So good to hear from you. The last I saw of the group that was hanging out here was Thursday just before sunset. I play dawnsong morning, mid day and evening and like you said I think I provided refuge for them when they got trapped by that storm. I’m sure the vocals directed them to safety. They were all pretty wet when they showed up. Never did get them to except scrambled eggs. They packed into one gourd and a compartment. Once they got their belly full, rested up I guess they moved. How depressing I sure enjoyed them.
Dave
So good to hear from you. The last I saw of the group that was hanging out here was Thursday just before sunset. I play dawnsong morning, mid day and evening and like you said I think I provided refuge for them when they got trapped by that storm. I’m sure the vocals directed them to safety. They were all pretty wet when they showed up. Never did get them to except scrambled eggs. They packed into one gourd and a compartment. Once they got their belly full, rested up I guess they moved. How depressing I sure enjoyed them.
Dave
2012 late start
2013 nothing yet, lots a lookers
2014 Bust again
2015 Bust again
2016 Bust again
2017 Bust again
2018 April 14 a group joined me, but moved on after a week
2019 Had SY male seriously check me out but didn't stay
2013 nothing yet, lots a lookers
2014 Bust again
2015 Bust again
2016 Bust again
2017 Bust again
2018 April 14 a group joined me, but moved on after a week
2019 Had SY male seriously check me out but didn't stay
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Dave Duit
- Posts: 2145
- Joined: Tue Nov 25, 2003 2:02 pm
- Location: Iowa / Nevada
- Martin Colony History: In 2024, 82 pair with 350 fledged youngsters. 110 total cavities available, 82 Troyer Horizontal gourds and a homemade PVC / metal 28 compartment unit, 1 fallout shelter. Hawk and owl guards included. Martin educator and speaker. President and founder of the Iowa Purple Martin Organization. Please visit Iowa Purple Martin Organization on Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1627283871068161 Emails send to [email protected]. Subject line include Iowa Purple Martin.
I wish you the best this season. You have waited a long time for martins.
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mwren
- Posts: 174
- Joined: Tue Mar 17, 2015 2:43 pm
- Location: OH/Athens
- Martin Colony History: I have had my martin colony on the dam of one of my ponds for nine years. The colony has grown each year, but I am now concentrating on helping friends and acquaintances who have shown interests in martins. My colony consists of three T-14's with 8 Troyer gourds attatched to each T-14, a Troyer gourd rack with 12 gourds, and another gourd rack with 18 Troyer gourds for a total of 96 nest cavities. I am having serious predation issues with hawks and owls and am experimenting with various hawk guards and "screens". Established successful supplemental feeding the last few seasons and have had a blast flipping mostly meal worms and some crickets. Faculty from Ohio University are using my colony as a research site to study parasites that target cavity nesting birds. In exchange for access to my bird trail nest boxes and martin housing, they are banding all birds involved in their study.
phldave,
During our very cold weather last week, I finally had success getting my birds "trained" to catch flipped crickets and/or large meal worms, so I understand what you are going through. I have been trying to provide supplemental feeding to distressed early spring arrivals for the last few years with very limited success. Last week, my birds finally figured out what I was trying to do for them! Their condition was distressed enough that they were in bad shape, but they were still able to fly well enough to catch the "flippings" I was offering. It was truly an amazing afternoon at my colony! I fed them heavily for the next 3 days as the weather finally began to get better. Their condition has improved and they have been able to feed on their own for the past few days so I think we are "out of the woods" this season. Now, if they can just keep an eye out for the Sharp Shins and Coopers that call my farm home also !
Mike Wren
P.S. If you are trying to train your birds to chase down flipped crickets and/or meal worms during severe weather problems at your colony, I urge you to not give up ! Keep trying! Timing is everything. "Don't give up, don't ever give up !!"
During our very cold weather last week, I finally had success getting my birds "trained" to catch flipped crickets and/or large meal worms, so I understand what you are going through. I have been trying to provide supplemental feeding to distressed early spring arrivals for the last few years with very limited success. Last week, my birds finally figured out what I was trying to do for them! Their condition was distressed enough that they were in bad shape, but they were still able to fly well enough to catch the "flippings" I was offering. It was truly an amazing afternoon at my colony! I fed them heavily for the next 3 days as the weather finally began to get better. Their condition has improved and they have been able to feed on their own for the past few days so I think we are "out of the woods" this season. Now, if they can just keep an eye out for the Sharp Shins and Coopers that call my farm home also !
Mike Wren
P.S. If you are trying to train your birds to chase down flipped crickets and/or meal worms during severe weather problems at your colony, I urge you to not give up ! Keep trying! Timing is everything. "Don't give up, don't ever give up !!"
Mike "Bird" Wren