Randy:
Amazing job. So glad you supplement feed & your martins know it. It sure proves it can get them thru very bad weather conditions. You went above & beyond to save him. He would have perished otherwise. Hopefully this will be your last bad storm to deal with.
To anyone reading this thread.....supplement feeding can save them. If your area gets these cold temps, snow, freezing rain, high winds, etc., or even a lot of rain, then please learn how to do it & teach your martins. It only takes 2 -3 days in bad weather for them to become too weak to search for food. Many martins in northern states not only have to battle thru southern storms during migration, but then they get home to cold, snow, freezing rain, etc. Many have used up their reserves & may need supplement food right away. They require food to stay warm, & they require heat so they can be warm & digest food. Pocket warmers, light bulbs, whatever in their cavity really helps to get them thru a bad night. In Randy's case a blizzard required a bit more. Several years back I had 11 extra martins come in about an hour before dark with my colony. It was cold & raining. They were in bad shape. Wings hanging down, thin, feathers a mess & they were soaked. There had been bad storms south. They all looked like they had been in a war. I supplement fed & most ate. Sadly 2 females perished, but 9 survived & pushed on north the next morning. I've fed many that migrated on north over the years.
Our area was lucky. They were calling for 5 inches of snow & high winds, but all we got was maybe 2 inches & half of that melted right away. North & east of me was to get a lot more tho.
Great job saving them Randy
.
Toy in PA
