Nest check #3 - Palm City, FL 4/7/24

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mjfog
Posts: 366
Joined: Sat Dec 30, 2017 3:40 pm
Location: Palm City, FL
Martin Colony History: 2018 will be my first try. 6 S&K B09s. 29 eggs - 8 fledged
2019 - 12 Troyer Horizontals with tunnels, 6 S&K B09s and 12 B011s all with tunnels. 43 eggs - 36 fledged
2020 - Rack 1 - 6 B011s, Rack 2 - 24 B011s, and Rack 3 - 24 Troyer Horizontals. All gourds have tunnels, porches and crescent/Conley 11 entrances; racks have predator guards. 161 eggs - 88 fledged.
2021 - 54 gourds-214 eggs, 184 hatched, 168 fledged.
2022 - 3 racks of 24 gourds. 363 eggs, 294 hatched, 278 fledged.
2023 - 3 racks of 24 gourds. 321 eggs, 276 hatched, 246 fledged.

Hello to all,
Dropped my 3 racks of 24 gourds each this AM. Rack 1 - 17 nests, 6 maybes, 1 empty (nothing but plastic) and 51 eggs, Rack 2 - 13 nests, 10 maybes, 1 empty and 48 eggs. Rack 3 - 14 nests, 6 maybes, 4 empty and 44 eggs. Totals this check are 44 nests, 22 maybes (I hope these turn into full nests with eggs!), 6 zips (just like the gourds came out of the box from the supplier) and 143 eggs.
Gourds Upper 5 and Upper 7 on Rack 2 each had a single adult that remained in their gourds while I made my very gentle nest checks.
No hawk, owl, nor snake excitement thus far. I have inverted 15 gallon plastic nursery containers attached to the bases of my racks. These eliminate ground predators pretty much; snakes and raccoons. This is my 7th or 8th year (I'll have to check) of land lording and have had one very small corn snake penetrate my nursery container barrier and devour a clutch of eggs. P.S. The female laid a second and successful clutch. I caught the snake and released it a mile or so away. Have a pair of Great Horned Owls that are quite vocal in November and December just before nesting. I see them occasionally when I hike the pines on the west side of my property. Have seen great horns fly over my colony but they always seem to have something else in their plans and show no interest in the colony.
Only kill I witnessed was a Coopers Hawk taking a ASY female a few years ago. Also see red-shouldered hawks every season but they always seem to show utter frustration at the martin's flight skills. I really don't consider them much of a threat at least at my colony. Same goes for swallow-tail kites. These beauties will dance high above my colony in the spring (now) until the martins get frisky and run them off. Fun to watch.
Happy Martining, Mike, Palm City, Florida





















































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