Hello All. Maybe somebody on this forum can answer my question.
Some of my martins here in southern Il. are just setting out in the middle of the gravel road. Only two cars a day come down the road so no problem there. I would like to know why they are setting in the road in the rain? Anybody else experienced this? It has been raining here and in the middle to high fifties all week and is forecast this through Friday. Thanks in advance Jon.
What is going on at my site?
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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
There may be other weather related reasons, but they sit on gravel roads to eat the small gravel, to aid digestion with lime. Egg shells or oyster shells help them. The need the calcium for their eggs to develop the shell
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Guest
Jon,
Sounds as if your martins have been stressed from the cold rainy weather, and may be starving. If you see them just sitting there, they may be too weak to fly. I believe John Barrow posted some pictures last year of some martins that were too weak and were sitting on the ground.
If you have had a week of cold, rainy weather, your martins may not have been able to feed.
I don't know if there is any way you could offer some supplemental feeding?
That is definately not normal martin behavior if they are just sitting there.
Sounds as if your martins have been stressed from the cold rainy weather, and may be starving. If you see them just sitting there, they may be too weak to fly. I believe John Barrow posted some pictures last year of some martins that were too weak and were sitting on the ground.
If you have had a week of cold, rainy weather, your martins may not have been able to feed.
I don't know if there is any way you could offer some supplemental feeding?
That is definately not normal martin behavior if they are just sitting there.
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Guest
Jon,
Along the lines of the responses from Angela and Emil, the section "Medical Trouble" or "Vulnerability on the Ground" from the article "Martin Mishaps" may apply:
www.purplemartin.org/update/10(1)mishaps.html
Tony
Along the lines of the responses from Angela and Emil, the section "Medical Trouble" or "Vulnerability on the Ground" from the article "Martin Mishaps" may apply:
www.purplemartin.org/update/10(1)mishaps.html
Tony