Sub-adults

Guest · Wed Mar 01, 2006 9:32 pm

In looking at the scout report, isn't it early for the sub-adults to be in Texas?

Thanks,

Lanell

Dale Hrncirik · Wed Mar 01, 2006 9:57 pm

Lanell,

It's very early to have 2 sightings in the DFW area. I've seen male subbies only as early as April 8th in 9 years of martineering. I'd really like to see a pic for proof. I would provide one if I ever reported a male subbie more than one month before they are due. I guess I'm just a skeptic.

Dale

Guest · Wed Mar 01, 2006 11:04 pm

That makes two of us that are skeptics, Dale. I too would like to see a picture of one.

Have a great season

lanelll

apundt-TX · Thu Mar 02, 2006 7:51 pm

I think the admin just has not had the time to clean them up.

A.P.

Dale Hrncirik · Thu Mar 02, 2006 8:23 pm

Here's my test on reported SY males or even ASYs that appear much earlier than normal. Click on the name of the individual reporting the sighting and see how many times they have made scout reports. On each of the 3 recent SY male sightings in the DFW area, the names all show only up once on the scout report. That in and of itself causes me to be even more skeptical of the reported sighting. I believe that a few 'rookie landlords' will see a martin with a light colored breast and calls it a subbie...kinda like many wannabee landlords think their starlings are martins

You might call it wishful thinking

Dale

Guest · Fri Mar 03, 2006 12:24 am

We put up two PM houses last year, but don't think they were up early enough to attract PMs. This year, we have added a supergourd setup near one of the PM houses to, hopefully, attract some subadults this year. I've never seen a PM in our area, though it is just a block off the lake. We've been playing the dawnsong as well in the early mornings (is it too soon to be playing it for subadults?), but now I'm really worried about attracting new PMs after reading about the dangers of owls on PM colonies. I've not seen an owl, but have heard them in the nearby woods, so I know they are nearby. We have the gourds on the EZ Lift pole and the owl guards I saw for purchase through the PM Society wouldn't work on our supergourds...or so my husband thinks. Can anyone offer any advice?

apundt-TX · Fri Mar 03, 2006 7:01 am

Way to early for sub-adults. they do not start to show up in Texas until around April 1st.

A.P.

Guest · Fri Mar 03, 2006 12:38 pm

I agree on the doubts regarding early subbie sightings. I saw what I thought might have been a subbie (about 3 weeks ago) but really debated on my sighting (see previous posts on mystery bird). The little mystery bird left a week after the sighting so who knows....the reason I did not make a report or additional reports on the little mystery bird!

Sue
City by the Sea, TX

Guest · Fri Mar 03, 2006 5:35 pm

I've been watching closely and ,sorry, I haven't seen any in Seguin, Texas

Austin Martin

Guest · Fri Mar 03, 2006 9:08 pm

Well, then....think we'll hold off on playing the Dawnsong for a couple of weeks or so....in the meantime, maybe we can come up with some owl guards that will work on those Supergourds.

Guest · Fri Mar 03, 2006 9:12 pm

North Carolina piedmont but similar sighting.

My first scout have arrived about a week early on March 1. Now today my second bird arrived, but it is not an adult male. It's a male subadult---white, bright breast. Very unusual for my colony of 14 or so pairs to have a subadult as second bird. What's going on? WRG

Dale Hrncirik · Fri Mar 03, 2006 9:30 pm

wrgnc,

You are more than likely seeing an adult female. Some have lighter breasts than others. SY males should begin to show up in the Dallas area around the 10th of April...about the same for you or a little later if your latitude is north of DFW.

Try and take a pic of that bird if it has purple or dark splotches on it's chest or purple under the chin. That's a good sign of an SY male.
Good luck,

Dale

rdhd · Sat Mar 04, 2006 12:11 pm