a little input from the pros please
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Paul Stein
- Posts: 52
- Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2004 7:28 am
- Location: Georgia/LaGrange
I will try to keep this short. I have been trying(hoping) to attract pms for several years now with no success. Have had visitors but none to stay. For the past 4 days there have been two males and a female "around". The first day they came and hung around most of the day -according to my wife- but were gone when I got home from work. Now they have been staying at night for the past 3 nights(one male and female in one gourd and the other male in the adjacent gourd)However, we have been closely watching and they come out in the am and leave and stay gone all day and just before dark return.The female just goes straight into the gourd and her gourdmate will make a few cirlces and then go in and thats it.Once they leave in the morning they DO NOT return till bedtime. Any guesses 1-where they go all day 2 why are they not hanging around during the day and 3 the big question Do ya think they will make this home sweet home??? Thanks in advance for any input.I am hoping they will stay but just not counting my martins before they hatch-so to speak.
Paul,
Mine did that, too, but have been here for a month now and are just now beginning to spend a lot of time on the housing. If they are recent arrivals, they're probably spending the day stocking up on insects after the long migration. It's been my experience that the closer they get to actual nest-building, the more they'll stay around. If they've been staying the night for several nights, I'd say you have a good chance they're here to stay. Best of luck. I know you're excited.
Patrick
Mine did that, too, but have been here for a month now and are just now beginning to spend a lot of time on the housing. If they are recent arrivals, they're probably spending the day stocking up on insects after the long migration. It's been my experience that the closer they get to actual nest-building, the more they'll stay around. If they've been staying the night for several nights, I'd say you have a good chance they're here to stay. Best of luck. I know you're excited.
Patrick
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Emil Pampell-Tx
- Posts: 6743
- Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 1:26 pm
- Location: Tx, Richmond (SW of Houston)
- Martin Colony History: First started in Gretna, La in 1969 with a small homemade house, have had martins ever since at 2 different homes in Texas
1)they go where they can find food
2) when they are gone all day, insects are scarce and they are feeding
3)most probably they will make that their home..If the weather is good, they would move on if they do not plan on making that their home..If the weather is bad, they may be staying at your place until the weather gets better..
2) when they are gone all day, insects are scarce and they are feeding
3)most probably they will make that their home..If the weather is good, they would move on if they do not plan on making that their home..If the weather is bad, they may be staying at your place until the weather gets better..
PMCA Member, 250 gourds, 6 poles, 2traps
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John Miller
- Posts: 4866
- Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2004 9:11 pm
- Location: St. Louis, MO
One of the unique things about martins compared to many birds is that they rear a single brood per season. This seems to give them a lot of down time in early spring, waiting for insects to become numerous enough to raise a family. Right now martins must spend more time foraging to keep themselves fed.
Because your martin pair has begun roosting in the compartment, I'm hopeful they have bonded to the site and, barring no tragedies, will begin nest building in a few weeks. They also will spend more time socializing at the site at this time. You'll notice they'll get kind of quite again (small colonies anyway) when incubation of the eggs begins, and when feeding very young nestings, with the adults coming and going quickly. Socializing at the site picks up again as the nestlings near time of fledging.
John Miller
Because your martin pair has begun roosting in the compartment, I'm hopeful they have bonded to the site and, barring no tragedies, will begin nest building in a few weeks. They also will spend more time socializing at the site at this time. You'll notice they'll get kind of quite again (small colonies anyway) when incubation of the eggs begins, and when feeding very young nestings, with the adults coming and going quickly. Socializing at the site picks up again as the nestlings near time of fledging.
John Miller
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TreeGreenwood
- Posts: 362
- Joined: Thu Apr 15, 2004 9:27 pm
- Location: Virginia/Catlett
I'm a relatively new landlord, definitely not a 'pro'. But I saw the same behavior when I got started. My nesting Martins flew to the long-established colony up the road a bit to socialize and preen. Later in the summer, they brought dozens of Martins from that colony over to my place for socializing and preening. I got to enjoy the antics of dozens of Martins even though only five pair nested in my PM housing. As the season ended, more adult and HY Martins spent time on my housing, giving me hope of doubling my nesting pairs this year.
That a pair is staying overnight in the same cavity for more than a night indicates that they are probably going to stay. Leave them alone until they're committed, actively building a nest, before you do your first nest checks. Nest building will be obvious with the female making lots of trips and the male following her around. When you see that, it's time to change your profile from 'trying' to 'landlord.' Won't be long now.
Take care,
Tree
That a pair is staying overnight in the same cavity for more than a night indicates that they are probably going to stay. Leave them alone until they're committed, actively building a nest, before you do your first nest checks. Nest building will be obvious with the female making lots of trips and the male following her around. When you see that, it's time to change your profile from 'trying' to 'landlord.' Won't be long now.
Take care,
Tree
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Emil Pampell-Tx
- Posts: 6743
- Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 1:26 pm
- Location: Tx, Richmond (SW of Houston)
- Martin Colony History: First started in Gretna, La in 1969 with a small homemade house, have had martins ever since at 2 different homes in Texas
Tree, I have a large colony, and they were gone for 6 hours yesterday afternoon, and today when it got to about 50deg, they all left again and stayed gone until dark...I don't think they were socializing because I have about a 100 pair now...The socializing part at small colonies occurs also when bugs are abundant so you are right on that part, as often my neighbors birds come here to visit..
PMCA Member, 250 gourds, 6 poles, 2traps
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roblrich
Maybe I shouldn't answer here as I am no "pro" at anything but upsetting the wife. I am quite good at that, as I work hard at it.
Until the subbies arrive, my ASY's get up in the morning, quite late when it's cold, go on their poop flight, then come back briefly to their rack. Then shortly after, they leave for the day and will not return until they are done feeding for the day. They don't return until 3 hours to 30 minutes prior to dusk, depending on the weather and their success at feeding. Once back, they are in their gourds for the night. They are gone up to 6-7 hours as they have nothing to do at the colony at this time.
So Paul, it sure does sound to me like you have a pair of martins that plan on staying at your site. They are acting the same as mine are.
When subbies start to arrive, the ASY's spend a little more time at the colony, and then when nest building starts, obviously they spend a lot of time at home. But then it's warmer so they can feed and get more calories in a shorter period of time, giving them time for socializing and nest building.
Until the subbies arrive, my ASY's get up in the morning, quite late when it's cold, go on their poop flight, then come back briefly to their rack. Then shortly after, they leave for the day and will not return until they are done feeding for the day. They don't return until 3 hours to 30 minutes prior to dusk, depending on the weather and their success at feeding. Once back, they are in their gourds for the night. They are gone up to 6-7 hours as they have nothing to do at the colony at this time.
So Paul, it sure does sound to me like you have a pair of martins that plan on staying at your site. They are acting the same as mine are.
When subbies start to arrive, the ASY's spend a little more time at the colony, and then when nest building starts, obviously they spend a lot of time at home. But then it's warmer so they can feed and get more calories in a shorter period of time, giving them time for socializing and nest building.
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Paul Stein
- Posts: 52
- Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2004 7:28 am
- Location: Georgia/LaGrange
Thanks all for the input. That sounds like what I hoped to hear.We have enjoyed watching them take turns looking out of the hole of the gourd in the morning for about a hour to hour and a half as if saying "dang I wish it would warm up." Its been in the mid 30's in Ga. the last few nights.Then about 10:00am they take off and return at dark. I would think insects are few and far between cool as it is now.Anyway thanks again everyone.
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CUL Lou~Mich
Paul. Are you close to a fair sized lake?? If so, they are probably going there. The North and East sides of lakes (same sides with banks on the roads, etc) will thaw out first. If there's any black mucky mud in the North or East sides of the lake, that's for sure where they'll be, since these areas warm up to "Hatching" temps first. Otherwise, they may have found a spot over some mucky land that has insects hatching. As for them staying the night. I'm guessing you're about due for a big ole YaaaHooo. The fact they've stayed several nights is real incouraging. You may have to change your status for sure. Good Luck. CUL Lou