Hey Ohio landlords, looking rough for our birds for possibly 7 consecutive days
40 and rain today, lows in the 20’s forecasted for 2 nights.
Crossing fingers that the 53 forecasted for tomorrow holds true with no biting winds!
No chance of insects flying on Tuesday, and Wednesday through Friday are iffy.
Bought some dried mealworms we are going to put on the bed and breakfast platform and hope they recognize as food.
I HATE this, as we’ve experienced starvation in our birds often in the last 28 years
Martin Colony History: 9 years of trying hard...finally in 2017 I had 3 pair w/ 11 babies. T-14 +4 w/ 4 Troyer horiz. gourds. Troyer Super System 24. Fast forward to 2020... 64 fledged.
Some landlords also warm their birds at night. I plan on putting hand warmers in two of my compartments late this afternoon. Temperature is expected to be below freezing tonight. So far only 4 have returned here so it's an easy task. I have to wonder if the supplemental feeding early in the season only encourages birds to return earlier and earlier. It may circumvent natural selection. Birds that migrate too early survive where nature would've culled them.. That said, I supplement feed meal worms as well.
We don’t normally supplement feed so I don’t think ours are coming early for that reason. Actually, only 2 days earlier than normal arrival date. We have about 16-20 adults back and I just think since ours is a well established colony, ours that arrive early just want to be first to claim a nesting cavity.
This week I will be a basket case worrying.
Hopefully I won’t find any on the ground that are near starvation.
Hopefully everyone has a great season
.. border …. I hear ya.. The cool weather can be hard on the birds…. Our Martins came about 3 weeks early this year down here in Little Hocking, Ohio.. And I sure hope they survive. Two days ok, Three days starts to look bad.. Good Luck and hope you don’t lose any this year…
Martin Colony History: First pair in 2009 after 28 years of trying. 3 pairs 2010, 17 pairs 2011 and 35-45 pairs since. Many additional colonies are now springing up around mine in an area once completely void of Martins. I offer 50 compartments at my site consisting of primarily Excluder II gourds on Gemini racks. Also a wooden T-14. I utilize electric fence type predator guards on the base of the poles. Supplemental feeding is crucial in maintaining my colony. I platform feed throughout the season as needed. My site tends to be a stop over point for additional birds as they migrate further north.
Call it Pennsylvania weather too lol Snow again today here. About a week of "almost no flying insects" here too.
I have a lot of birds here. Probably 20 or 25. It's a pain to keep them fed.
I main rely on soaked mealworms topped with "Nekton I tonic" powder supplement for insect eating birds. I soak the mealworms in cold water for about 10-15 minutes sprinkle on the powder and mix well and serve on the bed and breakfast trays. I buy 11 pound bags at a time. They eat it well and stay very fit. PS: Don't soak in warm or hot water or you will "extract" what little nutrition is in freeze dried worms. That is why I add the supplement.
However I do have a couple of birds with drooping wings. (as usual) They are migrating though and staying here. Sometimes these travellers refuse to supplemental feed. There is not much I can do about that. Some will die and others will finally give in and eat. I try to toss these guys crickets too but.....they just stare blankly. Even good old Buddy tries his best to help the migrators. He is always the first to the feeder.
Throw in some hawk attacks and this is the part of the hobby that I really don't care for. But it is what it is.
My birds know the bad weather routine and will survive as usual. They were out eating snowflakes this morning. Some really enjoy that.
Best of luck to all!
Doug
Supplemental feeding plays a major role in Western Pennsylvania. Finally got my 1st pair in 2009 after 28 years of effort. The colony has grown quickly to 45 pairs that I care for. Many new colonies have now sprung up around me in the past few years as well. Where there was none.... there is many.
