Hello,
We have an 18 gourd, 4th year in existence, colony located in a public park in Austin Texas. We found a male PM dead in #5 from an attack. Not sure what kind of attack but there were a pair of sparrows trying to build a nest in #11 but we kept removing it and now they have moved on (hopefully). They have not tried to rebuild in the past week - 10 days.
There are 3 eggs in the gourd the day the dead PM was found and there are still 3 eggs. Our volunteers have been observing the gourd before nest checks but we have not seen a female PM or any PM enter the gourd for the past few days. If we don't see any signs of incubation by a female, could we move them to another gourd with similar aged eggs?
thank you,
-m
Dead Martin in Gourd with Eggs
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C.C.Martins
- Posts: 3206
- 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. 185 fledged
2025:
HOSP: 26 Starlings: 20
Home colony: mix natural, super, Troyer and excluder gourds, enlarged compartment house. All SREH.
Satellite colony: Oso Bay Preserve: 36 PMCA excluder gourds, 4 natural gourds; 16 room Lonestar Goliad with Modified Excluder entrances.
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, 181 fledged
2025:
PMCA member
Sorry to hear that! Its a terrible thing. Suggest (if you have not done it already), remove the dead one, and eggs. Re nest.
Guess the first question is did the sparrow nest have eggs when it was removed? If so, there may be your culprit.
If not, then its almost impossible to determine, may be a bound egg, or just an ill bird at a bad time.
Tom
Guess the first question is did the sparrow nest have eggs when it was removed? If so, there may be your culprit.
If not, then its almost impossible to determine, may be a bound egg, or just an ill bird at a bad time.
Tom
A good house sparrow is a dead house sparrow.
probably starlings, the have beak like sword and are natural born killers? If kill by starling should be able to see damage? PMs IMO can fight off sparrow but sparrow will sneak in and fill cavity with grass so PM can enter. at least that what I observed at my colony.