Purple Martin Tidal Wave
Purple martins are pouring into northwest Louisiana! As of March 4, 2006 I believe I have about 35 to 40 ASY males in residence and probably around 20 to 25 females. I had 81 pairs of martins for my first season in 2005. Bob probably has more than that at this times and he had around 176 pairs of martins in 2005. Our satellite martin colonies are doing well, too. March tends to be a BIG month for the arrival of ASY martins in my area, so there is plenty of time for more martins to colonize our sites. Then in April through May comes the SY martin tidal wave! If the current rate of martin arrivals continue, then I believe that Hurricanes Katrina and Rita probably did not severely adverse the martin population in our area.
In 2006, it is possible that there will be two super purple martin colonies side by side, each with well over 100 pairs a piece! Our colonies are about 100 yards a part and separated by an open space. The martins at each site can easily the others. Often martins will go from one colony to the other, seeking cavities and mates.
Stay tuned for more martin updates from northwest Louisiana.
Steve
Purple Martin Tidal Wave
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roblrich
I reread my post and I didn't even understand my question. So I have re-asked it with an edit.Steve Kroenke wrote:Purple Martin Tidal Wave
If the current rate of martin arrivals continue, then I believe that Hurricanes Katrina and Rita probably did not severely adverse the martin population in our area.
Steve
Steve, these hurricanes were very late in the martin season, especially in your area. I know that my martins usually leave by mid-August. And Katrina hit on Aug 29th I believe. So my question is how many areas of martins could have actually been affected by these storms? It seems to me that martins from your south location all the way to martins from the midwest and eastern parts of the USA could have been caught up in these storms as they migrated. Now I'm a little worried about my own colony and these storms.
Last edited by roblrich on Sat Mar 04, 2006 10:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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John Atteberry
Hello Steve, It's good to hear from you again!!! Great to hear things are looking up at your colony and getting purple there!!!
You are right about the tidal wave coming in! I had 9 ASY martins, 6 males and 3 females yesterday and woke up this morning with 13 martins, all are ASY birds!!! Then tonight I counted 15 ASY martins but couldn't get a chance to see how many were staying the night, but they all came down until a Cooper's Hawk scared them away! Hopefully he didn't catch one! My neighbor Dan was feeding the catfish in the our lake when out of nowhere he came down to the dock where all the splashing was going on like he was going to catch a duck or fish!!! Do they eat fish or ducks that are grown? Maybe he was after a martin but I didn't think so being that close to the dock or water! My question is where did all the other martins go when only 2 males came back to the site? I hope they are coming back and OK! I scared the hawk away out of the trees across the lake by throwing rocks near him and it scared him away! Do they come back at night to stay in the houses or gourds or will they show up in the morning? Thanks Steve for your great reading and advice!!! John!
You are right about the tidal wave coming in! I had 9 ASY martins, 6 males and 3 females yesterday and woke up this morning with 13 martins, all are ASY birds!!! Then tonight I counted 15 ASY martins but couldn't get a chance to see how many were staying the night, but they all came down until a Cooper's Hawk scared them away! Hopefully he didn't catch one! My neighbor Dan was feeding the catfish in the our lake when out of nowhere he came down to the dock where all the splashing was going on like he was going to catch a duck or fish!!! Do they eat fish or ducks that are grown? Maybe he was after a martin but I didn't think so being that close to the dock or water! My question is where did all the other martins go when only 2 males came back to the site? I hope they are coming back and OK! I scared the hawk away out of the trees across the lake by throwing rocks near him and it scared him away! Do they come back at night to stay in the houses or gourds or will they show up in the morning? Thanks Steve for your great reading and advice!!! John!
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Steve Kroenke
- Posts: 4342
- Joined: Fri Nov 28, 2003 6:49 pm
- Location: Louisiana/Logansport
Robert,
I am hoping that most of the martins from our area had already made their trans-gulf flight prior to Katrina hitting. But no one knows for sure.
There are a lot of mysteries relative to the duration of the martin migration behavior back to their wintering grounds. I am assuming that martins migrate in a ?staggered fashion? rather than as large flocks. This would minimize the chances that large numbers of martins would be lost over the gulf during hurricanes. The New Orleans area around Lake Ponchartrain has a huge pre-migratory martin roost. It is probably used by martins all over the USA including Canada during summer and into fall. I don?t know about the composition of these pre-migratory flocks relative to their breeding ground status. Probably the southern martins congregate earlier and depart earlier since they finish nesting before the northern birds. But probably no one knows which martins and how many were in the New Orleans area when Katrina hit.
Probably the greatest damage was to martin housing in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. These martins will have to find other housing.
Hope all our martins survived Katrina and Rita.
Steve
Hey John,
I am so happy for you! I thought you and other landlords in your area may have had a chance to attract more martins in 2006 as a result of the 2005 hurricanes which no doubt destroyed many martin houses to the west of you. Perhaps that is what you are seeing now. If you are seeing many martins in the mornings, then these birds are probably looking for territory and apparently like your colony site. Lake front property is perhaps the best you can offer to martins as they love to nest near water.
Not all ?new? martins will return back to roost at a colony site. They may hang around in the daytime, fight each other, and establish territory. When you see the males battling that is a ?good sign? that the martins are interested in your housing and are beginning to establish territory! However, some may still go to a larger colony to roost initially. But if they are truly interested, they will usually start roosting at their new colony site soon. This is particularly true when the males succeed in attracting mates. Before that, they may just hang around during the mornings.
Cooper?s hawks and sharpies are becoming big problems for more and more purple martin colonies. I talked with two martin landlords that live near me and both have hawk problems. One colony was destroyed and the other barely survived. These are just small colonies. These hawks are learning to associate martin houses/gourds with food and are targeting martin colonies more frequently.
Big female Cooper?s hawk can take a small duck and may be attracted to ducks which could have ducklings. I saw a female Cooper?s hawk eating a male wood duck once; wood ducks are not large. These hawks probably would not catch fish.
These hawks will often try to catch martins in the mornings or in the evenings when the martins come in to roost. The hawks use the dim light to get close and try to surprise the martins around the colony. You may want to watch the martins in the evening at roosting time and maintain a visible presence. Sometimes that will keep the Cooper?s or sharp-shinned hawks away.
I hope all your martins and more return tomorrow. Sounds like you are off to a great start. Just keep that Cooper?s hawk away if you can!
Steve
I am hoping that most of the martins from our area had already made their trans-gulf flight prior to Katrina hitting. But no one knows for sure.
There are a lot of mysteries relative to the duration of the martin migration behavior back to their wintering grounds. I am assuming that martins migrate in a ?staggered fashion? rather than as large flocks. This would minimize the chances that large numbers of martins would be lost over the gulf during hurricanes. The New Orleans area around Lake Ponchartrain has a huge pre-migratory martin roost. It is probably used by martins all over the USA including Canada during summer and into fall. I don?t know about the composition of these pre-migratory flocks relative to their breeding ground status. Probably the southern martins congregate earlier and depart earlier since they finish nesting before the northern birds. But probably no one knows which martins and how many were in the New Orleans area when Katrina hit.
Probably the greatest damage was to martin housing in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. These martins will have to find other housing.
Hope all our martins survived Katrina and Rita.
Steve
Hey John,
I am so happy for you! I thought you and other landlords in your area may have had a chance to attract more martins in 2006 as a result of the 2005 hurricanes which no doubt destroyed many martin houses to the west of you. Perhaps that is what you are seeing now. If you are seeing many martins in the mornings, then these birds are probably looking for territory and apparently like your colony site. Lake front property is perhaps the best you can offer to martins as they love to nest near water.
Not all ?new? martins will return back to roost at a colony site. They may hang around in the daytime, fight each other, and establish territory. When you see the males battling that is a ?good sign? that the martins are interested in your housing and are beginning to establish territory! However, some may still go to a larger colony to roost initially. But if they are truly interested, they will usually start roosting at their new colony site soon. This is particularly true when the males succeed in attracting mates. Before that, they may just hang around during the mornings.
Cooper?s hawks and sharpies are becoming big problems for more and more purple martin colonies. I talked with two martin landlords that live near me and both have hawk problems. One colony was destroyed and the other barely survived. These are just small colonies. These hawks are learning to associate martin houses/gourds with food and are targeting martin colonies more frequently.
Big female Cooper?s hawk can take a small duck and may be attracted to ducks which could have ducklings. I saw a female Cooper?s hawk eating a male wood duck once; wood ducks are not large. These hawks probably would not catch fish.
These hawks will often try to catch martins in the mornings or in the evenings when the martins come in to roost. The hawks use the dim light to get close and try to surprise the martins around the colony. You may want to watch the martins in the evening at roosting time and maintain a visible presence. Sometimes that will keep the Cooper?s or sharp-shinned hawks away.
I hope all your martins and more return tomorrow. Sounds like you are off to a great start. Just keep that Cooper?s hawk away if you can!
Steve
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John Atteberry
Hello Steve,
Those martins were staying all night until the hawk showed up and that is why they all left like crazy! I had 9 that were staying the night and all 15 were on the way until the grim reaper showed like you named them!! HA! That's why I wondered where they went and if they will show back up! Only 2 males came back to stay! All the others went somewhere! I was wondering if this is normal at the last minute if a hawk showed up? I don't see too many hawks except the redtails! I think he was passing thru! I know why he came to investigate or hunt because when all those 15 martins were flying around the site, they were very loud! They do this in the morning too! I will stand out there for sure in the morning and at dusk!!! I will put my game face on!! HA! Thanks Steve! John!
Those martins were staying all night until the hawk showed up and that is why they all left like crazy! I had 9 that were staying the night and all 15 were on the way until the grim reaper showed like you named them!! HA! That's why I wondered where they went and if they will show back up! Only 2 males came back to stay! All the others went somewhere! I was wondering if this is normal at the last minute if a hawk showed up? I don't see too many hawks except the redtails! I think he was passing thru! I know why he came to investigate or hunt because when all those 15 martins were flying around the site, they were very loud! They do this in the morning too! I will stand out there for sure in the morning and at dusk!!! I will put my game face on!! HA! Thanks Steve! John!
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Guest
Hi Steve, here in Denison,TX we jumped from 30 martins the first of this week to over 50 now. Take care Keith