TX News Station, how heat has affected martins
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Sharon - Central TX
- Posts: 696
- Joined: Sun Feb 08, 2004 9:20 pm
- Location: Central TX
- Martin Colony History: All Troyer Horizontal Gourds with Conley Entrances
PMCA Member since 2004
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alfie
- Posts: 103
- Joined: Sun Oct 18, 2020 2:54 pm
- Location: Cedar Creek, Texas
- Martin Colony History: None as of Oct 2020, hoping to become a landlord in 2021
2021 - 1 pair, 5 eggs, all disappeared I think a snake got them
2022 - 1 pair, 4 fledged, 4 HOSP, 1 Rat Snake, again many visitors
2023 - 2 pair, 10 fledged, 2 HOSP, starting to get visitors as they migrate
2024 - 0 - Did not show up this year
Hi Sharon - I watched it on kxan also but It would not work out here. It looks like the pole they have the hose on is too close to the gourds and a raccoon could easily jump over and get the Martins. Plus a snake could probably get up it also. I believe a raccoon can jump 5 feet. I’ve already killed 4 snakes, 5 raccoons and 2 foxes. They have a good idea but they must not have a raccoon or snake problem.
2021: 1 Pair 5 eggs No Fledglings
2022: 1 Pair 5 eggs, 4 Fledged, 4 HOSP, 1 Rat Snake
2022: 1 Pair 5 eggs, 4 Fledged, 4 HOSP, 1 Rat Snake
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Sharon - Central TX
- Posts: 696
- Joined: Sun Feb 08, 2004 9:20 pm
- Location: Central TX
- Martin Colony History: All Troyer Horizontal Gourds with Conley Entrances
PMCA Member since 2004
Alfie,
I only read it on the KXAN app so didn’t actually see their setup on TV. Since I live in GT, I can definitely attest to the fact we have rat snakes, raccoons and other predators. We live in a semi rural area though with a lot of wildlife and maybe this couple is more in the city where there isn’t as much activity. I have wondered how people set up misters without the possibility of a snake getting up a hose but then I don’t really know what types are available.
I’m glad it worked for them but doubt it would where we live. We added shade cloth plus had already put vents in the backs and on the caps of our gourds. We still lost several babies early on. Currently one nest left which is due to fledge any time and another late one not due until the middle of July. Ug, hate when that happens
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I only read it on the KXAN app so didn’t actually see their setup on TV. Since I live in GT, I can definitely attest to the fact we have rat snakes, raccoons and other predators. We live in a semi rural area though with a lot of wildlife and maybe this couple is more in the city where there isn’t as much activity. I have wondered how people set up misters without the possibility of a snake getting up a hose but then I don’t really know what types are available.
I’m glad it worked for them but doubt it would where we live. We added shade cloth plus had already put vents in the backs and on the caps of our gourds. We still lost several babies early on. Currently one nest left which is due to fledge any time and another late one not due until the middle of July. Ug, hate when that happens
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alfie
- Posts: 103
- Joined: Sun Oct 18, 2020 2:54 pm
- Location: Cedar Creek, Texas
- Martin Colony History: None as of Oct 2020, hoping to become a landlord in 2021
2021 - 1 pair, 5 eggs, all disappeared I think a snake got them
2022 - 1 pair, 4 fledged, 4 HOSP, 1 Rat Snake, again many visitors
2023 - 2 pair, 10 fledged, 2 HOSP, starting to get visitors as they migrate
2024 - 0 - Did not show up this year
Hi Sharon - it looked like they lived in a very populated neighborhood. I could see their wooded fence and some houses. If you are interested Home Depot sells traps that you can use to capture them alive. But then you have the problem of getting rid of them. There is a company that will come get it. I had them come get it once but they charged too much. So I found on YouTube a device called Conibear that is an instant kill. But you still have a problem of getting rid of it. I have a backhoe so I just bury it. I actually caught one this morning.
2021: 1 Pair 5 eggs No Fledglings
2022: 1 Pair 5 eggs, 4 Fledged, 4 HOSP, 1 Rat Snake
2022: 1 Pair 5 eggs, 4 Fledged, 4 HOSP, 1 Rat Snake
It looks like she takes good care of her colony and the mister pole is a good idea. Funny she does not mention the drought. Georgetown is not that far from South Austin and Buda, Kyle, San Marcos area Hay County either. Either they did not get hit as hard with drought north of Austin or she is not aware of it.
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Sharon - Central TX
- Posts: 696
- Joined: Sun Feb 08, 2004 9:20 pm
- Location: Central TX
- Martin Colony History: All Troyer Horizontal Gourds with Conley Entrances
PMCA Member since 2004
TXMatt,
Georgetown has been hit hard as well. I don’t know if the weather has been as hot as Buda but we are definitely experiencing a drought. We have had several 100 deg. plus days since May. We lost a lot of babies this season due to the heat.
BTW what did you eventually do with all the babies you nursed to fledging age? I remember you were trying to find an active colony to take them to. Or did you take them to the roost? You were a great example of a dedicated landlord. You went above and beyond what a lot of people would do.
Georgetown has been hit hard as well. I don’t know if the weather has been as hot as Buda but we are definitely experiencing a drought. We have had several 100 deg. plus days since May. We lost a lot of babies this season due to the heat.
BTW what did you eventually do with all the babies you nursed to fledging age? I remember you were trying to find an active colony to take them to. Or did you take them to the roost? You were a great example of a dedicated landlord. You went above and beyond what a lot of people would do.
Hi Sharon,
We had from 12 to 20 birds last week that were coming to the colony in the morning. Some would stay most of the day. Last Thursday, between 10:00am- 12:00pm, I released 14 of them to this group. All that left could fly well and did not go to the ground at any time. They had practiced flying in mom's bathroom for a few days. Many of the adults took after them as they do fledgings and followed them around.
My quess is that they were released ultimately to their deaths. My desperate hope would be that they would stay with this group and/or some of the adults from the group with pick them up and they could follow the group out. Its their only hope . The 14 were very good fliers and ready physically so it could be done by the them but with no parents, more then likely a death sentence. I saw some of them on power lines and top of trees with other martins nearly 25 feet off the ground. We were able to rehabilitate 14 sucessfully up to this piont only. They took alot of food willingly from the hand as much as hourly if you had the time. Without the key which is a clutch with attending parents that might pick them up with thier own babies, chances are very slim to none for all of them.
I had no other choice except the hurricane of bird swarms at the big roost in Austin which is a definite death sentence without training from parents so I elected to let them go to the smaller group at the colony were it is alot less chaotic and quiet.
I have 3 left from the group that would not eat voraciously from the hand since we found them on the ground. 2 are not well and will die soon.
However, my last one may still have a chance if I can find a person that has a 1 clutch that will fledge martins within 1- 1.5 weeks.
If you know anyone on this forum and or in our general region of central Texas that may have atleast 1 nest of martins ready to fledge in a week or little more with attending parents to fledge them that would been willing to let me drive to them and plug this 1 bird into their gourd, please let me know. I may post on Purple Martins of Texas on FB as well.
I will drive to them or meet them were they chose and give them the bird to put in their nest if they feel better about that.... As long as know they are PM keepers with birds.. hahahaha
We had from 12 to 20 birds last week that were coming to the colony in the morning. Some would stay most of the day. Last Thursday, between 10:00am- 12:00pm, I released 14 of them to this group. All that left could fly well and did not go to the ground at any time. They had practiced flying in mom's bathroom for a few days. Many of the adults took after them as they do fledgings and followed them around.
My quess is that they were released ultimately to their deaths. My desperate hope would be that they would stay with this group and/or some of the adults from the group with pick them up and they could follow the group out. Its their only hope . The 14 were very good fliers and ready physically so it could be done by the them but with no parents, more then likely a death sentence. I saw some of them on power lines and top of trees with other martins nearly 25 feet off the ground. We were able to rehabilitate 14 sucessfully up to this piont only. They took alot of food willingly from the hand as much as hourly if you had the time. Without the key which is a clutch with attending parents that might pick them up with thier own babies, chances are very slim to none for all of them.
I had no other choice except the hurricane of bird swarms at the big roost in Austin which is a definite death sentence without training from parents so I elected to let them go to the smaller group at the colony were it is alot less chaotic and quiet.
I have 3 left from the group that would not eat voraciously from the hand since we found them on the ground. 2 are not well and will die soon.
However, my last one may still have a chance if I can find a person that has a 1 clutch that will fledge martins within 1- 1.5 weeks.
If you know anyone on this forum and or in our general region of central Texas that may have atleast 1 nest of martins ready to fledge in a week or little more with attending parents to fledge them that would been willing to let me drive to them and plug this 1 bird into their gourd, please let me know. I may post on Purple Martins of Texas on FB as well.
I will drive to them or meet them were they chose and give them the bird to put in their nest if they feel better about that.... As long as know they are PM keepers with birds.. hahahaha