Nest checks during fledging

[glmcvickers]

I tried to do a nest check yesterday and stopped because of the chaos I was causing being close to the housing. I guess some of the young are fledging and the adults don't want me around. I lowered one pole and needed to replace a nest but a baby next door jumped out. I checked quickly for mites and found none but the nest was very wet and it looked like there was a dead one and it really smelled. I retrieved the baby off the ground and put him back in the gourd and covered the opening for a while. I raised the pole back in and watched for a while. He came back out and jumped again...this time he wasn't close to the ground and managed to take flight...clumsily...but made it back to his gourd. First fledgling I've ever seen take flight. But back to my problem. Should I continue to check and replace nests? This is the first year I have participated in nest checks and want to do it right. Thanks!

[DornCounty]

.a

[Louise Chambers]

Doing nest checks when young are 22 days or older can be done safely, but you need to have some plugs & strings ready for each cavity with nestlings 22 days or older. As soon as those cavities can be reached, place a plug in each one. Don't reach into those cavities, or touch the nestlings. Take a quick peek, count heads, and plug closed again. Raise system, leave plugs in place a few minutes, then gently tug loose.

You can safely continue nest checks if you've been doing them all along - let's you keep tab on mites, younger nestlings, etc.

Here's a step by step how to: http://www.purplemartin.org/forumarchiv ... eckold.htm

[glmcvickers]

Thanks for the advice. I haven't been touching any of the older ones...just carefully putting a couple handfuls of new shavings over the wet nests and treating mites on the outside which seems to work well. I had two DY on the ground under one of the wet nets and one DY in the nest last week and felt like I had to do something. The nest mates seem to be doing okay; I see their heads at the entrance. They were 23 days old from my records and six in the nest. Now there are three. I wasn't sure if you leave the wet nest alone and let the rest of them die or take a chance and replace the nest. That was before they started fledging. I need to make some plugs..I've been holding my hand over the entrance for a minute or so. I know it is a sensitive time for them and don't want to cause them any distress. I've been checking nests all season but they don't like me around now that fledging has started and I still have some very young ones in some of the other gourds.

[Louise Chambers]

I should have mentioned - foam pipe insulation makes a good plug, then attach long string, with weight on end if it's windy. But you can use whatever's handy, an old sock works fine too.

Changing wet nests is very dicey with older nestlings - if they are 23 or older, I might just leave the wet nests alone. You can do mite treatment without opening the compartment, or opening it very briefly.

The problem with replacing nests when young are 23 or older, you've almost got to handle them or remove them, and that makes them really jumpy. It would almost be easier to remove the nest material completely, if you could pull most of it out with a tool with a long handle, without pushing the nestlings around. Use your best judgement - you can see how your birds are reacting. Leaving the plugs in 5-10 minutes, even 15, won't hurt a thing. Place them loosely so you can get them out with just a light tug or steady pressure - no yanking around.

[glmcvickers]

Thanks for the info on the plugs.

[pmlover]

Louise on the sock plugs to how long are the strings? if they are 18 inches how do u reach them from the ground? I don't usually do nest checks on a ladder? thanks Dick