A whole lot of subbies

[Emil Pampell-Tx]

I don't recall ever seeing so many young birds this late in the season, it is 8:15 PM and there must be 40 SY birds looking for a place to go, they seem so deperate to find an empty cavity, and there are only about 8 empty at my place, but they can't find them. Best I can tell they are all SY birds. I thought last night there were quite a few, but they left right before dark, but tonight they want to stay.

This is good news for some people N of here, they seem to be so abundant this year, so good luck to all of you that want more martins. I am posting this to say that new subbies are still coming to my place, and they probably will move on soon...

[Guest]

Emil, This has been a strange year. We received the 1st 'wave' of ASY birds on the 12th of April and only 2 additional since. Should have 40-50 birds flying around by now (not . Most of the birds are from long established (10years +) colonies.
I wonder what the SY migration will look like.

[Donna - TX]

Hi Emil,

I have the same thing happening at my place. Last night I had 15 - 20 and today there was even more. They are trying desperately to find a nest but my birds won?t let them. All my birds have at least to cavities each. Only 2 pairs have been able to get a nest. The fighting is unreal......

[Emil Pampell-Tx]

Donna, those young subbie males are real tough, they chose some of the choice gourds on my new rack, and they will not hesitate for a second to defend them. I bet they will be really good defenders next year also...

Donna, isn't it fun to watch all the activity?

[Donna - TX]

YES, I love it.... Today was the first time the martins were able to stay at the house all day. No Hawk Today...For the first time since they have been here. The hawks haven't gotten any of my birds so maybe they have given up.. We have eggs in three nest as of Wednesday and doing another nest check tomorrow. Oh... and I really love to watch them dive in my pool. The pool is about 10ft. away from the houses and is 44ft long so they have plenty of gliding room. I'm so hooked my husband calls my T.V. the PMC (Purple Martin Channel) since I only have the camera channel on now.
Except at night, I let him watch T.V. when he gets home, but that is only because it is not night vision...

[Emil Pampell-Tx]

Donna, I don't have the TV but I bet you enjoying it, I didn't get one because I probably would not get anything else done, I would be watching it..

We had a Coopers Hawk 2 days ago, he only stayed near our place for 1 day. He chased one of my martins and he was only about 1 foot behind it, he chased it for a good distance, and then they went over the trees so I don't know if he caught it, but he martins all came back, and seemed relaxed, so I bet the martin escaped. That was the only hawk I saw in about 5 days, so the martins are very relaxed, fighting all the time!

[bbillyc]

Please send some to Canada....lots of vacancies

[Jim Ray]

Send some of those up to the Panhandle. I need SY females for five ASY males, and then I'll take all the SY pairs I can get.

[Rich Jewell In]

Emil

Give them a map to NW Indiana. I had my first pair last year that fledged five. I have yet to see a martin this year. Evidently mom and dad didn't make it back. It's a little early for the subbies ye.

Rich

[jmrogers-TX]

Emil,
I also have a bunch of SY females that arrived about two days ago and are making a lot of noise around my Trio Grandpa. Lots of fights for compartments.

I'm thinking of cleaning out the sparrow nest that I put a sticky trap in, since I have had no luck catching the little suckers, and it will providing another compartment for the Martins.

The cedar box trap you gave me at the Wed. night meeting has still not attracked any sparrows no matter what bait I have used.

Since you suggested to move it higher and off the cedar fence. I now have it hanging under the eves of my home. No sparrows yet, but I also have not seen any around here for a week, since I started shooting at them with my pellet rifle. Notice I said shooting AT them! I don't know if I killed any but they flew and have not returned.

Jack

[Sparky]

Yea, Emil I noticed increasing numbers of Subbies as well. I'm having fun trying to trap the HOSP's as well. They seem to know when I put a trap into their compartment even with their nesting material surrounding the trap. Smart buggers they are! The HOSP's haven't been picky either taking over compartments in the house as well as the gourds.

Hope the folks North get some of these. I have had to put the "No Vacancy" sign up.

[Fred Kaluza~MI]

Yes Emil, nothing warms the cockles of a northerner's heart like a report of lots of subbies to the south of us! Here's to hoping the cost of jet fuel doesn't deter them from proceding with a little more range expansion! Rich Jewel, that has got to be very worrisome. To think you've gone "over-the-hump" and SHOULD get some returns and see none yet. Good luck to you. Hopefully there was plenty of activity around your place last season. I think just getting Martins to know where your place is is a big leap. Once you get "discovered" and visited regularly, your chances for success should be much better. But, for all I know, you may have a neighbor with a thriving colony just next-door. I read somehwere that to ensure you have returnees each year, the minimum recommended number of breeding pairs at your site is about 24. This allows for bad weather and other mortalityas well as subbie dispersal.

[Sharon - Central TX]

Emil,
I have sent you a PM.
Sharon

[Guest]

Emil, a few made to east TX. Yesterday it rained most of the morning, I went out to see if the martins were around they were all on the gourd rack plus four new SY. They are still here today fighting over nests.

Henry

[Al Denton]

Hey Emil, Looking forward to the subs getting here, and I hope there's lots of them this year. The chimney swallows arrived last week so it won't be long. Al

[Guest]

Friday night I was at my post watching the sky a little after 8:00 PM( nearly dark). There were eight or so martins circling overhead as usual just before winding it up for the night. Most of the martins were already in.
Suddenly I looked up to see the darkening sky filled with a large swirl of martins. They were circling. I did a rough counting, and it came to 50 to 60. In a little while half were gone and it was too dark to tell which way they went. Then half the remaining martins swarmed into our housing. They were sitting around on the houses and perches. The rest of the martins that were flying then also moved off to the northeast. Then it looked like most of the ones that had landed took off after them and disappeared, all heading off to the northeast. That was really exciting to see. We've only had martins for this is the third season, but this is the most martins flying together that I have seen, and it was DARK.

[~Patrick~]

I had quite a few new subbies show up this morning, most seem to be females. My normally tranquil colony has been in an uproar! My biggest problem is that I don't think I have any unattached ASY males to lure the females in. I did see one obvious subbie male. Maybe he'll find an empty cavity and convince one of his travelling companions to stay. I'm doing a nest check in a bit so I'll see how many unoccupied cavities there are.

Patrick

[klcretired]

Emil,
as always thanks for the Heads up report, I had some subbies show up here at my site on the 21st of april.

[Guest]

I think it's fascinating that there are so many birds in Texas! Is that a narrow point in the migration flow? must be.

will the birds in Texas fly back northeast to the carolinas and ohio? are there birds that go straight across the gulf and then on to carolinas?

By the way, I saw a ASY pair around my house a few days ago - the dawnsong attracted them, maybe.

I haven't seen any SY's yet, but since they are bountiful in Texas, they'll be on their way here soon.

Appreciate the 'progress report'.

Ken