Subadults Destroying Eggs

[cheryls]

I have learned so much from reading this forum over the past few years. Guess I am a lurker. Here is my question or issue:
I have 72 gourds and one modified house with 6 cavities. All but 4 gourds have nests and two nests in the house (I closed off the other 4 holes after I did nest check to hopefully keep the sparrows at bay). Woot Woot. I have repeating sparrow traps and a pellet gun so I don't have a problem +with the sparrows.

Last year I noticed a subadult carrying out a newly born baby and dropping it in the yard. At first I thought I must have seen a starling but I don't have a starling problem, when another baby (from the same nest) was dropped to the ground. I immediately searched on here about subbies doing this. I hadn't seen any wrens or sparrows. Later I found a couple of eggs and that was it for the damage of last year.

I always check around the gourds early in the morning and midday and noticed no eggs on the ground. When I returned later today from town I heard the martins carrying on and figured a hawk was in area when I spotted an egg (ended up being 7 eggs) on the ground (all from 2 nests). I opened the other 4 holes in the martin house hoping this may help but I am not sure what more I can do at this point. Any suggestions would be awesome.

First year - 1 pair
2013 - 5 pair
2014 - 15 pair
2015 - 30 pair
2016 - 50 pair
2017 - 70 pair (I am excited)

[C.C.Martins]

Unfortunately, thats something they are quite capable of and there isnt much you can do. I almost lost a chick last year to just that (put it back after finding the poor guy). They are hoping to disrupt the nest and mate with the female. The pair will learn to guard the nest better or that subbie will settle down...its unfortunate, they are set on all sides by predators and well, Martins will be Martins.

Iv got lots of chicks now and a few loose subbie males, iv gone out under the gourds after watching one of them attempt to enter a cavity and try to shoo him off but they just look at me now...he knew he was guilty and went on an upper perch but theres not much else to do.

[cheryls]

Hard to see but I guess mother nature at work.

Thanks for your response.

[phldave]

hopefully the adults will attack the little stinker and take him down to the ground and give him a good spanking. I have a vacant site and the subbies can move right in. Sure wish they would. I consider myself a patient man but this is nuts.