Subbies tearing it up

[birdman in buckhead]

Yes, it's very hard to deal with after all the work we put into getting the little ones to the point of flying off on their own, then to have them "murdered" by one of their own!

My wife saw me doing something with the house lowered - I was taking care of the remains..... She knew something was wrong by my attitude and that we usually do nest checks together, but I would not tell her what had happened because she would have been extremely upset. Then I would have had to deal with an upset wife for a few days. She gets ticked if tell her I saw a hawk. I stopped telling her about hawk attacks a few years ago. I can't imagine how she would react to hearing about an adolescent PM killing chicks! Like they say, a happy wife means a happy life! She would probably insist on me taking out the bad guy, but there's 4 or 5 of them here now, and besides that I wouldn't do it anyway. Maybe the "bad guy" will be here next year and have 5 or 6 chicks of his own!

[C.C.Martins]

You know Terry, your right. I sit with my binoculars maybe 30 feet from the gourds and watch these subbies just raising cane. Think like you, they will be back and older.
Yeah agree, happy wife, happy life for sure. I don't mention the dead ones to her either...unless are walks into my "range" er...bedroom and an open window, I don't mention shot sparrows or starlings either.

[Birdiegirl]

I re-read this thread, and I’m so glad folks are weighing in. Newer landlord, but I’m definitely seeing the same thing. Our ratio of males to females is definitely skewed this year, way in favor of the males. For the first time, the males in my colony are almost entirely adults, so it’s easy to pick out the one or two subbies here causing trouble. So far I’ve lost eggs and nestlings. Don’t get me wrong, I’m indebted to the subbie that started my colony, but wow, they are destructive when they want to be. I think Tom once said here that it makes the nestlings that survive tougher, and makes the parents better parents- Trying to focus on that!

[C.C.Martins]

I re-read this thread, and I’m so glad folks are weighing in. Newer landlord, but I’m definitely seeing the same thing. Our ratio of males to females is definitely skewed this year, way in favor of the males. For the first time, the males in my colony are almost entirely adults, so it’s easy to pick out the one or two subbies here causing trouble. So far I’ve lost eggs and nestlings. Don’t get me wrong, I’m indebted to the subbie that started my colony, but wow, they are destructive when they want to be. I think Tom once said here that it makes the nestlings that survive tougher, and makes the parents better parents- Trying to focus on that!

Wow, that ratio sure adds pressure! Your watching close too!
It is tough, wish they would cooperate! Our worst offender is a SY male that looks like a female, no spots, no nothing but he sings and gives himself away. He is the worst. Id like to box him up and send him to San antonio.
One of our racks has fledged just about all, 2 nests are very young still, 7 days old. 3 have some hold outs, two chicks came out onto the porch this morning, one took off other went right back in, then both came out and went right back in! Adults couldn't believe it, both looked at each other then peered in at them like "dude really?"
Adults with youngest stay in the gourd now while one goes gets food. Found a broken egg under the gourds this morning, hoping its one that adults removed. BUT it looked quite new so don't know. I'm not doing any checks until these older birds fledge. I don't see any evidence of new nesting. So who the heck knows.
I too don't hold a grudge...much...these subbies will be back full adults and carry on. Its good to have homes for them.
Every year I plan on keeping gourds plugged until subbies show up but every year relent and ASYs take them.