Very unusual martin nest intruder

Guest · Thu Jul 28, 2005 8:56 pm

My sister in Stuarts Draft, VA has some friends who are avid martineers and they found an unusual nestling in an active martin nest. They were going to kill it because they thought it was a cowbird, but it looked a bit different so they gave it to my sister. They raised it from a nestling, and it did well on moistened dog food. It turns out that it is a yellowbellied sapsucker judging from the picture that they sent us. I don't know if I have ever heard of that kind of bird in a martin nest...Anyone else heard of that...?
Jon Yoder

robndebby · Thu Jul 28, 2005 11:19 pm

No, that's a new one on me. However, nature does strange things. If it had to be a different bird than a Martin, couldn't get much better than a Yellow Bellied Sap-Sucker! Glad they raised it successfully. Tell your sister hi from me, I'm from Staunton, VA and lived in Stuarts Draft for a while. Actually went to school in the 4th grade in Stuarts Draft. Sure has changed since I was there in the 4th grade back in, oh no, I don't want to say, gives my age away, but back in 1960! My uncle died last year, the cemetery is at a church in Stuarts Draft that all my kin-folk are buried in. Really eerie to see every tombstone with your family name on them!

Debby

Guest · Fri Jul 29, 2005 5:43 pm

Hi Debby,
Don't feel bad about your age--we are not that much different. My sister has been worried about the bird--it is now able to get food for itself, but it is so tame that they worry that something will happen to it...We shall see. Jon

RC Moser · Fri Jul 29, 2005 7:20 pm

take it out for training sessions IMO Nature will eventually take it's course. But, you might see him/or her at the dog bowl chowing down somewhere!?!?

robndebby · Fri Jul 29, 2005 7:55 pm

My mother found 2 abandoned baby birds (don't remember what they were now) and she fed them, kept them in a cage until they were ready to fly and while they hung around her for a while (landing on her back every time she bent over to pick vegetables) they eventually followed Mother Nature and went on their way. I'm sure the same will happen with your sister's friend's bird.

Tell her to tell them good luck and they did a good thing!

Debby