Supplemental feeding & Purple Martins
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CraigMo.
- Posts: 1480
- Joined: Mon Jan 05, 2004 12:30 pm
- Location: Missouri/Lone Jack
- Martin Colony History: Active since 2003
I don't know. I would bet not though. I think they come by instinct with a little help from Mother Nature . I think feeding is each landlords choice. I think any house/gourd is a little better than nothing at all. IMO
Craig
Craig
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Doug Martin - PA
- Posts: 1988
- Joined: Thu Mar 25, 2004 10:47 am
- Location: Pennsylvania/Fombell
- Martin Colony History: First pair in 2009 after 28 years of trying. 3 pairs 2010, 17 pairs 2011 and 35-45 pairs since. Many additional colonies are now springing up around mine in an area once completely void of Martins. I offer 50 compartments at my site consisting of primarily Excluder II gourds on Gemini racks. Also a wooden T-14. I utilize electric fence type predator guards on the base of the poles. Supplemental feeding is crucial in maintaining my colony. I platform feed throughout the season as needed. My site tends to be a stop over point for additional birds as they migrate further north.
There are no facts to support an exact answer.
My thought is that supplemental feeding only prevents poor health & starvation. It has no bearing on their arrival date. Birds aren't logical to that point when choosing when to migrate. Temperature, hours of sunlight, and wind shifts would have more bearing. Martins don't prefer to supplemental feed, they do it to stay alive when necessary.
Last year at this time there were more than a dozen scout reports in PA. This year none so far. It is too cold. Last year we had 80s already. We all feed up here when needed. We found it has greatly improved the population.
It would make no sense in my opinion to avoid feeding them so they don't come too early. But if you don't feed them.... when they are starving to death.... I guarantee they wont come back at all when they are dead. I have seen sad landlords fill shopping bags full of dead ones years ago. They lost 30 pair colonies. I never want to experience that at my site.
Have a great Martin season.
My thought is that supplemental feeding only prevents poor health & starvation. It has no bearing on their arrival date. Birds aren't logical to that point when choosing when to migrate. Temperature, hours of sunlight, and wind shifts would have more bearing. Martins don't prefer to supplemental feed, they do it to stay alive when necessary.
Last year at this time there were more than a dozen scout reports in PA. This year none so far. It is too cold. Last year we had 80s already. We all feed up here when needed. We found it has greatly improved the population.
It would make no sense in my opinion to avoid feeding them so they don't come too early. But if you don't feed them.... when they are starving to death.... I guarantee they wont come back at all when they are dead. I have seen sad landlords fill shopping bags full of dead ones years ago. They lost 30 pair colonies. I never want to experience that at my site.
Have a great Martin season.
Supplemental feeding plays a major role in Western Pennsylvania. Finally got my 1st pair in 2009 after 28 years of effort. The colony has grown quickly to 45 pairs that I care for. Many new colonies have now sprung up around me in the past few years as well. Where there was none.... there is many.
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KathyF
- Posts: 3522
- Joined: Thu May 24, 2007 1:57 pm
- Location: Missouri/Licking
- Martin Colony History: Colony started - 2007 with one pair
As of 2018 - 84 cavities offered, max # of pairs hosted - 82.
If that were true, PA would have them back in January. 
It's really a simple choice for me.
Choose not to feed: take a bucket around and pick up dead martins in my yard.
Choose to feed: my martins survive.
I'm also a psychic - I predict this thread will have the same arguments posted by the same posters (both for & against) as it has for the last 5 years about this very same question....as Doug and I just did.....in 3, 2, 1....
It's really a simple choice for me.
Choose not to feed: take a bucket around and pick up dead martins in my yard.
Choose to feed: my martins survive.
I'm also a psychic - I predict this thread will have the same arguments posted by the same posters (both for & against) as it has for the last 5 years about this very same question....as Doug and I just did.....in 3, 2, 1....
"Sometimes", said Pooh, "the smallest things take up the most room in your heart."
2023 - 82 pair
2022 - 80 pair
2021 - 75 pair
2020 - 78 pair
2019 - 80 pair
http://kathyfreeze.blogspot.com
2023 - 82 pair
2022 - 80 pair
2021 - 75 pair
2020 - 78 pair
2019 - 80 pair
http://kathyfreeze.blogspot.com
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John Miller
- Posts: 4867
- Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2004 9:11 pm
- Location: St. Louis, MO
I had my earliest two ever -- March 4 -- and did no supplemental feeding the prior year as last spring was so warm. I suspect they return based on when they complete nesting. last year they were about two weeks early as there was no down time.
The worst losses for martins actually occur later into April and early May when more are here and long rainy spells can kill them by the bucketfuls, and yet those martins likely did not arrive early.
Sometimes a biologist will jump in and cite studies to the contrary..but best not to assume anyone with a degree is right, or any hard-headed guy with a keyboard. Just make your own observations.
John
The worst losses for martins actually occur later into April and early May when more are here and long rainy spells can kill them by the bucketfuls, and yet those martins likely did not arrive early.
Sometimes a biologist will jump in and cite studies to the contrary..but best not to assume anyone with a degree is right, or any hard-headed guy with a keyboard. Just make your own observations.
John
Many good points have been brought up, I totally agree with supplemental feeding. I have been personally involved in having to throw out hundreds of baby martins because a carrying landlord just didn't know about supplemental feeding. After he realized the importance he has hardly lost any youngsters even though those same weather conditions that caused his losses have reaccured several times since. Some people think nature needs to take its on course no matter what, but there are times when humans need to step in on rare occasions. Its not only in helping the birds for a few day in unusual weather but also protecting them against predators as well. Sure if no one stepped in, martins would probably still exist but in much fewer numbers.
I guess it all depends on what kind of person you are and how much time you have for your birds.
Ed
I guess it all depends on what kind of person you are and how much time you have for your birds.
Ed
Last edited by Ed Pace on Fri Mar 22, 2013 10:22 pm, edited 2 times in total.
my martins left,have not seen since the cold weather came back,hopefully went south for awhile,with two weeks of sub freezing nights and all this snow i wonder if you could feed enough,hopefully so. the end of the month looks like it might warm a little here but thats two weeks off,good luck to all.
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Dave Duit
- Posts: 2146
- Joined: Tue Nov 25, 2003 2:02 pm
- Location: Iowa / Nevada
- Martin Colony History: In 2026, 88 pair with 333 fledged youngsters. 110 total cavities available, 82 Troyer Horizontal gourds and a homemade PVC / metal 28 compartment unit, 1 fallout shelter. Hawk and owl guards included. Martin educator and speaker. President and founder of the Iowa Purple Martin Organization. Please visit Iowa Purple Martin Organization on Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1627283871068161 Emails send to [email protected]. Subject line include Iowa Purple Martin.
Since martin populations have declined over the years, I feel that any martin that can survive with supplimental feeding is another viable breeding martin and therefore could increase the overall population. Minnesota has seen a huge hit in martin populations for a variety of reasons.
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Craig Haddox
- Posts: 444
- Joined: Sun Mar 14, 2004 5:13 pm
- Location: Missouri Washington
I feed my martins and I don't believe my martins arrive earlier because of it. Here it is March 24th and I don't have any martins yet. In 2011 I didn't get my first martin until April 2nd and my colony is over 20 years old. When they arrive they know they will be taken care of.
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KathyF
- Posts: 3522
- Joined: Thu May 24, 2007 1:57 pm
- Location: Missouri/Licking
- Martin Colony History: Colony started - 2007 with one pair
As of 2018 - 84 cavities offered, max # of pairs hosted - 82.
It's a personal decision that each of us has to make. Just like the HOSP & starling elimination topic. We all have to deal with the consequences of our actions. Me - I'm liking the consequences of feeding in that my martins are surviving.
You can't enter into such a topic and expect to not get push-back & opinions that differ from your own.
You can't enter into such a topic and expect to not get push-back & opinions that differ from your own.
"Sometimes", said Pooh, "the smallest things take up the most room in your heart."
2023 - 82 pair
2022 - 80 pair
2021 - 75 pair
2020 - 78 pair
2019 - 80 pair
http://kathyfreeze.blogspot.com
2023 - 82 pair
2022 - 80 pair
2021 - 75 pair
2020 - 78 pair
2019 - 80 pair
http://kathyfreeze.blogspot.com
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ljd-kc
- Posts: 162
- Joined: Thu Jul 03, 2008 9:05 am
- Location: Kansas City, Mo.
- Martin Colony History: Started my Colony in 2008 with 32 gourds and one ASY pair. As of 2017 I had 106 cavities with 106 pair.
Kathy, I agree with you and most of the other posters on this topic. With that said I believe the information this forum makes available to potential as well as us active landlords is invaluable. If not for this forum I have no doubt my journey to have a colony might have been paved with many more hurdles than I could overcome. I believe sometimes our love for these birds may get in the way of our etiquette on this forum. The knowledge and experience that our everyday responders have is invaluable, and to let that love alienate a forum member, in my opinion, will not help our martins in the long run. We all love our Martins, or we wouldn't be here. With that said I hope I didn't step on any toes, but I would hate to lose a forum member because I might disagree with him or her and am unable to respond with an open mind and heart. Best of luck to everyone this year and thanks to all who have made my colony as successful as it is.
Jack.
Jack.
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tonyg
- Posts: 1520
- Joined: Fri Feb 27, 2009 4:16 pm
- Location: Olpe, KS
- Martin Colony History: 22 year landlord, 14 at current residence..offering 9 racks and a homemade T-8 for 166 total cavities. 160 Pair in 2018 Racks consist of a Deluxe 12, AAA 16, Starburst 16, 2 K-18 Series, Super 24, 2 Gemini, Multi-purpose/two trio’s/4gourds and a T-8..Great hobby to be involved in..
I choose to feed..I flipped crickets for the first time two years ago.if I hadn't, my 15 martins would have starved as temps were in the 30's for a week or so.. Last year they arrived a week earlier than the previous, but didn't have to supplement feed..this year they were a week earlier from last year, and I have the same weather pattern as two years ago..so, as I said, I'm feeding to keep them alive..I figured they flew all this way to give me enjoyment, so the least I could do is help them survive.. 
22 year landlord..9 Rack Systems for 2018 and my home built T-8 for a total of 166 cavities..160 pair in 2018 ..SUPER COLONY!!! Love You Bev... Fan of those St. Louis Cardinals!!!!!