I Saw A Miracle!

[marshainpuntagorda]

Hello Martin friends!
While doing a nest check today I had the experience of a lifetime! Our martins are very tolerant of our checking them, so I wasn't surprised when a pair stayed in the housing while we lowered it...after checking a few Super Gourds for egg and young, I moved on to number 4, where the pair were...when I opened it both were still in there, so I closed the access back up and one flew out, I reopened it and the other flew out, allowing me a chance to take a quick check...I counted one young, 1do and four eggs, hey wait a minute what's this? I saw one egg open and witnessed the hatchling come out of it's EGG!!! It was a most beautiful experience!!!! I started yelling excitedly to my husband who records my findings as I climb the ladder to check; the adult Martins (24) came racing back to the housing! I must of sounded the alarm with my yelling! I then quietly finished checking the other gourds and they settled down...What are the chances that I would witness this? I am truly a lucky Martin landlord!!! Unfortunately, my camera was in the house. Marsha

[Bob Rogers]

Good for you---like getting a hole-in-one in golf!

[Emil Pampell-Tx]

The martins probably help the new baby emerge from the eggshell, so the pair was at home, doing its natural thing. Its exciting when you see that. If I see a pair in a gourd, I simply close it and do the checking later so as not to disturb them very much. Sometimes we really don't know what to do, or what is best for the martins.

[marshainpuntagorda]

Thanks for the input, Emil, guess my first instinct, to leave them alone, would have been the most prudent thing to do...you always wonder if you are doing something to interfere with their natural habit. Although I've been a landlord since 1999, I learn more each year and have so many wonderful as well as heartbreaking experiences! Martins are an endless source of education and joy! Marsha

[Kyle Gregoire]

dear marshain, Seeing a chick come out of an egg is a great experience. I raised Ringneck, Red Golden, Yellow Golden, and Reeve Pheaeants for quite a few years and I hatched the eggs as well. It was a lot of fun watching this up close happening time after time. I would not consider that as a miracle though. I think a miracle would be if you witnessed one going back into an egg and dehatching. Godd luck on your future fledging and have fun martining.