Missouri Martins Fledged!

[Guest]

Our last three birds, the late subbie couple's clutch, fledged successfully sometime yesterday and then came back to the house last night to roost. YIPPEEE!

So our season comes to a close with 7 successful fledglings total. Not a very good report, but with the freezing weather early on, then the starlings, then the intense heat, 2 abandoned nests with 4 eggs in each, we feel lucky to have these 7. Quite a contrast to last year, when we fledged 30 something in our first year as landlords an an "inherited" colony. Was that beginners luck, or was this a particularly challenging year? Don't know, but we're already talking about "what we'll do next year," so in any case, we have the fever.

Thanks everyone here for helping us get through this Martin season!

[John Miller]

Ren

So glad those babies fledged. I do wonder if they are not Missouri's last.

Don't worry about the fever. What better fever to have than a desige to help fledge swallows into the heavens! (a little dramatic, but what the heck.)

John Miller,
St. Louis, Mo

[CUL Lou~Mich]

Ren. Could have been a little of both. Or more likely, this was a challanging year, and last year was the result of "Inheriting the colony." I'd personally think next year should be better again, unless of course the weather doesn't co-operate. If the weather was "freezing" and you had some die of cold/starvation, you might think about feeding the early arrivals next spring. CUL Lou