What has happened to the female?
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birdy girl
- Posts: 1179
- Joined: Wed Apr 19, 2006 9:09 am
- Location: Mississippi/Dumas
I posted several days ago that my pair successfully fledged 1 baby on July 27th, so tomorrow will be two weeks that they have returned every night. All three have returned every night until tonight. Tonight only 2 if them returned, the male and baby. THe mother never showed up. What do you think has happened: has she gone on to a roost or a possible misfortune may have occured. (I have no idea if one of them would leave to go to a roost without the others or if they would all go together.) We only saw two leave the gourds this morning but we just figured that one of the parents had probably already flown out before we went outside to see them leave for the morning. I think we will check the gourds in the morning to see if she may have died and still be in one of them. I hope nothing bad has happened to her. Does anyone have any thoughts on this?
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Steven Spencer
- Posts: 118
- Joined: Mon Apr 24, 2006 10:53 am
- Location: Jasper. Texas
Birdy girl,
I had four fledge about the same time as your birds. For the first week all would return about 7-7:30 every evening, except the male. This past week has been spotty. Sometimes the female and all babies return and then it may be just the mom or mom and 2 babies. I know all are still alive because I occasionally see them up in a nearby tree. I like you would like to know where the heck they go in the meantime!
Spencer
I had four fledge about the same time as your birds. For the first week all would return about 7-7:30 every evening, except the male. This past week has been spotty. Sometimes the female and all babies return and then it may be just the mom or mom and 2 babies. I know all are still alive because I occasionally see them up in a nearby tree. I like you would like to know where the heck they go in the meantime!
Spencer
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Guest
Hi Birdy girl,
I had 6 babies fledge and return for 12 consecutive days. The female stopped roosting in the house just before the young fledged, but she was there every morning. The male was really the primary care giver once returning to the house in the evenings. He would slowly guide the young in to the cavity. As time went on fewer babies came back to roost.
My second pair fledged 5 babies and returned for 18 consecutive nights with their young. This female roosted with the male up until the last few nights where one night she would return and the next she would not. Again this male played the primary parent role during the evening return to roost.
Your female has probably just started roosting in trees as her job is basically done. I believe some birds just have a stronger instinct to roost in trees sooner than others. You will soon find that they are all very unique and what happens in one colony may be quite different from others. Emil appropriately told me that these birds do what they do and we will never really understand why because there are no set rules in nature. We just have to enjoy them while they are here. Good advice I'd say!
AJ
I had 6 babies fledge and return for 12 consecutive days. The female stopped roosting in the house just before the young fledged, but she was there every morning. The male was really the primary care giver once returning to the house in the evenings. He would slowly guide the young in to the cavity. As time went on fewer babies came back to roost.
My second pair fledged 5 babies and returned for 18 consecutive nights with their young. This female roosted with the male up until the last few nights where one night she would return and the next she would not. Again this male played the primary parent role during the evening return to roost.
Your female has probably just started roosting in trees as her job is basically done. I believe some birds just have a stronger instinct to roost in trees sooner than others. You will soon find that they are all very unique and what happens in one colony may be quite different from others. Emil appropriately told me that these birds do what they do and we will never really understand why because there are no set rules in nature. We just have to enjoy them while they are here. Good advice I'd say!
AJ
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Guest
Birdy Girl, mine also fledged the 27th & returned for 14 days but only 3 out of the six did so yesterday. Late this evening I saw one on the power line but stayed briefly. I believe they are gone for good. In this neck of the woods everyone that I know that had Martins told me all where gone by the 9th of August. Looks like their correct!!
Hope us & everyone will have a better season next year.
Ron, from WV
Hope us & everyone will have a better season next year.
Ron, from WV
Thank you all for your thoughts on this. I feel a little less worried now that I know she might not stay the night at the gourds even though the male and baby does. I watch every evening and have seen them coming home every night and not seeing her last night just scared me. I know they must leave and would wonder each night before they arrived if they would return for the night. I hope they make it back next year.