Newbie with question for landlords with houses over water
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Tim Mangan-Kansas
- Posts: 1728
- Joined: Wed Mar 15, 2006 7:25 am
- Location: Kansas, Pittsburg
- Martin Colony History: 2016 - 22 Pair
Over the winter, I installed my martin house at the end of my boat dock. My question, if I get martins to use my house, is concering fledgings taking flight for the first time. How oftern do fledgings fall to the ground on their first attempt to fly. Obviously, in my case, if they fall on their first attempt, they will fall into the water and a sure death.
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Guest
Hi Tim, Last year my houses were in the water due to our hurricanes. Several times I saw my fledlings swimming for shore and I rescued several tired young birds and placed them in the trees to dry off and to be safe from preditors on the ground. I also had four or five dead fledglings which I do not know if they did drown or if they died in the boxes. Since I did see them swim with the incouragement of their parents It could be that they died from something else.
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Guest
One of our 7 martin houses (all m12k's) is on a boat dock. Tree swallows have taken that house on the boat dock every year, and martins are in all of our other houses. Some years when martins came by, the tree swallows fussed at them until the martins left. For only one year (in the past 8 that we've had the houses) did a persistent martin family successfully nest in the same house as the tree swallows.
And these tree swallows are so possessive that they won't allow other tree swallows to nest in the same martin house
The tree swallow babies have had no truoble learning to fly without falling into the water. They seem excellent fliers. In only one year was one of the babies hesitant. It took him a week or so longer to learn than his siblings. but when he finally got the confidence to try, he was OK. Not strong at first, but he never did fall.
The m12k houses have good porches with guard rails all around that perhaps help prevent babies from falling off. Also, we have the MHPA perches just below the houses, which gives another place for them to land. And those allow the birds move room for landing without interference with spread out wings. The MHPA perches are the ones that look like old style aluminum TV roof antennas. (Am I jogging anyone's memories?)
And these tree swallows are so possessive that they won't allow other tree swallows to nest in the same martin house
The tree swallow babies have had no truoble learning to fly without falling into the water. They seem excellent fliers. In only one year was one of the babies hesitant. It took him a week or so longer to learn than his siblings. but when he finally got the confidence to try, he was OK. Not strong at first, but he never did fall.
The m12k houses have good porches with guard rails all around that perhaps help prevent babies from falling off. Also, we have the MHPA perches just below the houses, which gives another place for them to land. And those allow the birds move room for landing without interference with spread out wings. The MHPA perches are the ones that look like old style aluminum TV roof antennas. (Am I jogging anyone's memories?)