kamikaze Martins
-
Mary Dawnsong
- Posts: 1685
- Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2003 8:17 pm
- Location: Michigan, Livingston County
A small percentage of martins do this.
If you can spend more time outside working or sitting she may become more comfortable with you. As your colony grows, its members are likely to be more relaxed because martins feel safety in numbers.
My colony usually has a few birds that start dive-bombing when their young are near fledging age. It's as if they want to clear the air space for their fledglings.
A few years ago I had an SY female with a very late brood. Her mate abandoned her in mid-August when the nestlings were only half grown. She was the only bird left in my colony. Now some martins will become very subdued when they are alone, but she became a tigress. For two weeks she attacked anything and everything that came into our yard. All dogs, all squirrels, all other birds... and all people. It was truly extreme behavior.
If you can spend more time outside working or sitting she may become more comfortable with you. As your colony grows, its members are likely to be more relaxed because martins feel safety in numbers.
My colony usually has a few birds that start dive-bombing when their young are near fledging age. It's as if they want to clear the air space for their fledglings.
A few years ago I had an SY female with a very late brood. Her mate abandoned her in mid-August when the nestlings were only half grown. She was the only bird left in my colony. Now some martins will become very subdued when they are alone, but she became a tigress. For two weeks she attacked anything and everything that came into our yard. All dogs, all squirrels, all other birds... and all people. It was truly extreme behavior.
Click here to see my colony
"In Michigan every martin matters"
"In Michigan every martin matters"
-
Guest
"A few years ago I had an SY female with a very late brood. Her mate abandoned her in mid-August when the nestlings were only half grown."
Hehe, so I guess this is the equivalent of a martin divorce, huh?
Actually, that behavior is probably a good one to see in martins. It looks to me like her instinct to protect her young was very strong.
Hehe, so I guess this is the equivalent of a martin divorce, huh?
Actually, that behavior is probably a good one to see in martins. It looks to me like her instinct to protect her young was very strong.
-
The Olsons
- Posts: 3200
- Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 12:57 pm
- Location: North Padre Island, TX
Our martins are very much used to us being outside and around and I think they enjoy our company. We will go outside and talk to them and they will talk back and those are the best conversations of the day.... 
However, when the babies are close to fledging some of the martins, not all of them, will be overprotective and sometimes buzz us as low as a foot above our heads. You can actually hear the sound of their wings....Last year we had an ASY male that had this different behavior. Whenever I would stand on the deck under the gourd rack where my favorite "Arnie" had his nest and talk to him "Aug" would come from a gourd rack 30 feet away, fly around me, hover and look me straight in the eye....He would do that several days in a row and I was not sure if he was trying to tell me "you should not be here, we have babies", or if he was jealous that I spent time with "Arnie"..... 
Either way, if you can spend more time outside with them, just talking to them or whatever needs to be done outside, they usually like that. When it gets really warm I usually shower my martins with the garden hose. I put it on very fine mist and spray it above them on a roosting arm so it comes down like rain just a little more misty. They love it!!!! They make these little sounds that almost sounds like they are ticklish. THey stick their breasts out and flop the wings back. Today when I was refilling a little pond with water with the garden hose, some of the martins all gathered on the perching arm. It took me a moment before I realized they probably remember and I promised them a shower this weekend
Best wishes for this season.
Astrid
However, when the babies are close to fledging some of the martins, not all of them, will be overprotective and sometimes buzz us as low as a foot above our heads. You can actually hear the sound of their wings....Last year we had an ASY male that had this different behavior. Whenever I would stand on the deck under the gourd rack where my favorite "Arnie" had his nest and talk to him "Aug" would come from a gourd rack 30 feet away, fly around me, hover and look me straight in the eye....He would do that several days in a row and I was not sure if he was trying to tell me "you should not be here, we have babies", or if he was jealous that I spent time with "Arnie"..... Either way, if you can spend more time outside with them, just talking to them or whatever needs to be done outside, they usually like that. When it gets really warm I usually shower my martins with the garden hose. I put it on very fine mist and spray it above them on a roosting arm so it comes down like rain just a little more misty. They love it!!!! They make these little sounds that almost sounds like they are ticklish. THey stick their breasts out and flop the wings back. Today when I was refilling a little pond with water with the garden hose, some of the martins all gathered on the perching arm. It took me a moment before I realized they probably remember and I promised them a shower this weekend Best wishes for this season.
Astrid
-
The Olsons
- Posts: 3200
- Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 12:57 pm
- Location: North Padre Island, TX
Julio,
You are a great landlord and your martins LOVE you...
They are being themselves...once in a while..
Astrid
You are a great landlord and your martins LOVE you...
They are being themselves...once in a while..
Astrid
-
The Olsons
- Posts: 3200
- Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 12:57 pm
- Location: North Padre Island, TX
Julio,
Astrid
Astrid
-
TreeGreenwood
- Posts: 362
- Joined: Thu Apr 15, 2004 9:27 pm
- Location: Virginia/Catlett
Watching how birds react is fun. When the first ASYs arrive, alarm calls go out whenever I get close. Then, jst when the ASYs get used to me and just watch as I walk under the rigs, the SYs arrive and scream alarm calls when I show up. ALL of the birds take off and circle. If one decides to dive bomb me, a couple dozen follow. I actually like the close-up views as they ruffle my hair.
My favorite isn't a Martin but a little Tree Swallow. When I mow out back, he sits on top of his box and watches the mechanical monster approach. When he realizes that it's headed right for his box, he launches himself right at the eyes (headlights) of the monster and dive bombs it until it leaves (goes past). Then he sits up there with his little chest puffed up and brags to his mate about how he ran off the noisy mechanical monster to protect her.
I've never had a Martin or Swallow make contact wit me. Two summers ago, I tried to photograph hatching Mockingbirds. Momma Mockingbird jumped on my head, clutched what little hair I have left, and pecked at my bald spot until I left. She drew blood!
I like that the birds are protective. Ideally, I want them to be used to me so I can do yard and garden work with relative calm. When I hear alarm calls, I want the reason to be something other then me to help me protect my little colony.
My favorite isn't a Martin but a little Tree Swallow. When I mow out back, he sits on top of his box and watches the mechanical monster approach. When he realizes that it's headed right for his box, he launches himself right at the eyes (headlights) of the monster and dive bombs it until it leaves (goes past). Then he sits up there with his little chest puffed up and brags to his mate about how he ran off the noisy mechanical monster to protect her.
I've never had a Martin or Swallow make contact wit me. Two summers ago, I tried to photograph hatching Mockingbirds. Momma Mockingbird jumped on my head, clutched what little hair I have left, and pecked at my bald spot until I left. She drew blood!
I like that the birds are protective. Ideally, I want them to be used to me so I can do yard and garden work with relative calm. When I hear alarm calls, I want the reason to be something other then me to help me protect my little colony.