Man the Midwest is just getting weather worse this year than I have even seen it. Just blow after blow. Had all my houses at about 4' up (low as I can go) and the last storm that came through this past weekend broke one of my poles in half. Like the actual metal broke- supposedly sheer winds in the 80mph-100mph range. I mean... what can I do but pray at that point you know?
Anyway, that specific pole had 6 gourds on it and flipped over. 4 birds stuck in it sheltering and all eggs were of course broken (I counted 19 total). I put the pole back up and tied it to the other half... but seriously, what do you guys do here? I can't take the gourds completely off...
Thankfully I have two 3-level Heath houses that by some stroke of dumb luck survived with just losing the top and getting spun a little out of whack at the different levels- I have dozens and dozens of eggs in those guys. I think the best count of birds I have gotten is 60. So there will be more, just hate it for the ones there won't be more of.
Soothing Mother Nature
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C.C.Martins
- Posts: 2879
- Joined: Fri Apr 14, 2017 11:15 am
- Location: Corpus Christi Tx
- Martin Colony History: 2016- Visitors.
2017- 5 pair. 15 fledged
2018- 18 pair. 85 fledged
2019- 17 pair. 81 fledged
2020- 25 pair. 111 fledged
2021- 28 pair. 118 fledged
2022- 33 pair. 151 fledged
2023- 33 pair. 165 fledged
2024- 40 pair.
HOSP: 52 Starlings: 29
Home colony: mix natural, super, Troyer and excluder gourds, enlarged compartment house. All SREH.
Satellite colony: Oso Bay Preserve: 36 PMCA excluder gourds, 6 room trio mini castle with troyer tunnels and enlarged compartments.
2019: Visitors
2020: 3 pair, 11 fledged
2021: 10 pair, 30 fledged
2022: 11 pair, 35 fledged
2023: 18 pair, 101 fledged
2024: 39 pair,
PMCA member
Man that terrible, so sorry to hear that devastation. All you can do is do what you did, lower as far as you dare and pray. Those are hurricane force winds. A 3 inch pole, cemented in with a 4x4 inch post, and even then it may not make it.
That encompasses my hurricane plan...lower and pray.
Sorry to hear this, I'm sure there are martins and LLs going through hell the last few crazy weeks of storm after storm.
Mother nature takes its course.
That encompasses my hurricane plan...lower and pray.
Sorry to hear this, I'm sure there are martins and LLs going through hell the last few crazy weeks of storm after storm.
Mother nature takes its course.
A good house sparrow is a dead house sparrow.
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Jones4381
- Posts: 723
- Joined: Sat Apr 25, 2020 10:54 pm
- Location: Rocky Mount VA
- Martin Colony History: 60 gourds
2020- visitors
2021- 1 pair-5
2022- 5 pair-20
2023 34 pair-44
2024 39 pair-TBD
Sorry to hear of your dilemma and loss. I wish I had advice to give. Good luck and wishing you the best.
"Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you." - Lao Tzu
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Martintown33
- Posts: 1029
- Joined: Tue Jun 01, 2021 6:21 pm
- Location: Laplace,La
- Martin Colony History: Colony started in 1998. 2 s&k modified houses and gourd rack
That is a hard loss… very sorry to hear this.. 4 feet.. one more can you do…
Best of luck for the future..
Rob
Best of luck for the future..
Rob
PMCA member
Laplace, La
Laplace, La