Female #3 showed up this morning. Counted 5 males. All ASY's. No sign of any subbies yet. They were really going at it, picking on each other. Then the one female decided to attack the female sparrow (have a pair nesting in the house). As soon as they went at it 4 male martins joined in & chased her off. She returned, as she has a nest in the house. They held the male sparrow at bay for a long time later on. He sat patiently waiting to return to his nest with a chunk of insulation in his beak. I've seen the martins going in the sparrow nest. They did the same thing last year.
I watched the martins this morning going to the ground to gather chunks of dry grass the lawn mower kicked out. They were also in the alley eating grit. I don't very often see them on the ground once they get their nests build. We may lower the house this weekend (don't like to disturb them too much) & see what's going on as far as nest building.
They're off right now feeding. Probably over at the river, as there's lots of dragon flies there or maybe at the landfill. They'll return soon & put on a nice show just before dark.
Last night I had taken my dogs out around midnight & one martin was on the side facing my house in a nest hole. He, think it was a male, chirped at me, as the outside light shines over on the house.
So we're still getting more martins here in central PA & hopefully the subbies will arrive soon.
Toy
Have more martins & they're nesting!
-
ToyinPA
- Posts: 2227
- Joined: Mon Apr 10, 2006 6:07 pm
- Location: PA/Avis
- Martin Colony History: The 1972 St. Agnes flood wiped out all the Martins in my area. One day, in 1997-98, 5 or 6 Martins landed on the power wires crossing my back yard. I had no house for them. They kept coming back day after day. We got a martin house a few weeks later & they have been coming back every year since. I average 12-15 pair per year.