This might be a long post, but I thought I'd take this opportunity to update you all on the status of our colony, how some modifications have turned out, and some observations on PM behavior I've made.
We've got plenty of PMs in the area. At least, they're here when it's warmer and the weather is clear. The Martins don't seem to be terribly put off by the proximity of some of our bigger trees, on the other hand, even though we've got a group of birds, they haven't entered any of the nesting chambers yet. Sure, they climb all over the old Trio house, and one particular male likes to sit on the roof of our new housing complex and watch me while I work on the Trio... but they haven't made any moves to set up shop in either house for the season.
This doesn't really concern me anymore. The way I figure it: I've done everything in my power to provide them good, safe housing. I cannot trim or remove any of the nearby trees. If the PMs set up shop, as they've done many seasons in the past, that's great. If not, oh well.
Also, this is my first season as "acting landlord" for our colony. The original landlord (my father) was totally hands-off when it came to the safety of our PMs. Now that I've stepped in for the season, I've implemented active HOSP control measures, which are working...but more on that later. It may be that our birds, are late-arrivers. I can't be sure, since my father never really took note of when the PMs began nest building.
In the South, particularly in Texas, what is the time span for nest building? I don't know, and am curious to find out.
There are some days when the PMs just up and vanish. I always think, "well, there goes the season." But then the weather turns bad, and for a few days the bugs aren't there. Then the weather clears, and our PMs come back. How do they know the weather is changing? This most recent time they disappeared a full two days early, just before a weather front moved through, bringing wind, rain and cooler weather. I fully expect to see them again either tomorrow or the day after.
I guess, when it comes to the PMs, they go where there are bugs. Especially when they haven't established a nesting site.
I've been doing some experimenting with these new SREH "spoofed" doors. These are SREH door panels that I've painted a black shadow of the same shape and size as the ORH doors. They really do look like ORHs from a distance...and the starlings seem to be fooled by them also. I saw one come zipping up to the house, get ready to land, and then hover in mid-air as it realized it'd been fooled. The starling flew off, without ever having landed. The PMs seem intrigued with the approach. They land on the porch and walk from entrance to entrance, but never go in. I've placed small squares of griptape on the porch in front of the entrances, so that the PMs can get better traction without having their feet slide around when they try to get inside the compartments.
About the HOSP. I trap them and trim their feathers. We've got lots and lots of ground cover for them to hide in, once they've been trimmed. Oh, boy, did I ever catch a HOSP the other day. A male. I called him "Ahnuld" because, man, did he put up a fight! Scratching and pecking, pinching with his beak. He wasn't going down without inflicting some pain, even though I held him inverted to space him out and make it easier to work on his feathers. Took care of him, though. He won't be bothering the PMs this season.
Anyway. That's about it from this end. I'm hoping that our resident drifters settle down, get their freak on, and make little birdies.
Trying to decrypt local PM behavior
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Guest
Hi,
Just wondering, when you "trim" the feathers, can they still fly? I did one the other day(my wife was home!!) and he barley cleared the fence.. no more squaking for awhile.
Chuck
Just wondering, when you "trim" the feathers, can they still fly? I did one the other day(my wife was home!!) and he barley cleared the fence.. no more squaking for awhile.
Chuck
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Guest
AggieMEEN, I have a spare stray cat I'd be happy to send you to take up residence in said bushes. 
About PMs disappearing before weather fronts come over, while looking for PMs the past two seasons I've developed the habit of sky-watching. I'd hear PMs before I spotted them. I assume they were fairly local because this happened during the nesting season--groups of 15-20 PMs at a time riding the wind currents of an approaching T-storm, letting it push them along before it. They looked like they were playing--diving down and swooping up--their version of surfing? Maybe they were feeding? Later, after the storms had passed over, I'd see the group fly back overhead on their way home....
About PMs disappearing before weather fronts come over, while looking for PMs the past two seasons I've developed the habit of sky-watching. I'd hear PMs before I spotted them. I assume they were fairly local because this happened during the nesting season--groups of 15-20 PMs at a time riding the wind currents of an approaching T-storm, letting it push them along before it. They looked like they were playing--diving down and swooping up--their version of surfing? Maybe they were feeding? Later, after the storms had passed over, I'd see the group fly back overhead on their way home....
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Guest
Hi, Chuck.c_chambersll wrote:Hi,
Just wondering, when you "trim" the feathers, can they still fly? I did one the other day(my wife was home!!) and he barley cleared the fence.. no more squaking for awhile.
Yes, HOSP can still fly after they've been trimmed. They make quite a show at first, flopping around. This is normal, as they're accustomed to flying with a full set of feathers, and it takes time for them to adapt to the loss of some lifting surface on their wings. When they're trimmed, they have to work overtime to fly with the rest of their buddies, consuming a lot of energy, and so focus more on survival, and forget about the mating game. Also, it may be that the loss of those primaries makes them less attractive to mates.