Lost an ASY Female :(....UPDATE

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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.

UPDATE: We just found a 2nd dead Female (SY). She has been here awhile & paired with a ASY Male. No injury visable. Feathers beautiful. Keelbone was sharp. They are starving :(. Too much cold/wet/windy weather since they arrived & no insects.
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Days of cool wet weather & many Martins arriving all at once. I went from 22 Martins yesterday morning to 33 or 34 last night. We had a pouring thunderstorm around 6 AM this morning. I flipped 350 crickets yesterday & the day before & the day before....you get the picture. I noticed most of the females hang back, as the males seem to be very aggressive right now. So most of the females did not get to eat. Many have droopy wings.

Sadly this morning my Husband found an ASY Female sitting on the wood frame around our flower garden just below one of the houses. He picked her up & we tried to warm her, but she did not make it.

This morning I was able to get some crickets to a few of the females. Last night I had an SY Female on the ground twice & on our basement roof. She was very hungry, but only got 1 cricket for all her efforts.

The rain has stopped & many have gone off to try to find food. I know they'll be back hungry. I have gone thru about 2500 crickets & have about 2000 crickets left. I just ordered 5000 more.

Toy in PA
Last edited by ToyinPA on Mon May 02, 2016 4:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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DebA
Posts: 1941
Joined: Tue May 04, 2010 7:43 am
Location: Pratt County/Kansas
Martin Colony History: Start 2009 with one pair. Upgraded from S&K houses to two Trendsetter 12's with gourds beneath in 2013. I have experienced job, pet, and parental losses since '13. The Purple Martins lift my spirits and remind me how life continues forward by flying their little selves from Brazil back to my yard. As one forum person once told me, chin up DebA, look at the martins. Danger all around but yet they soar in the sky without a care in the world.

That's too bad, Toy. Rough to see. But just imagine how awful things would be without you guys supplementing. I just flipped to my 40 or so birds and they are hungry. We aren't in dire circumstances it will warm enough later and no more rain throughout this week. But they were so happy for the boost. I went through about 300 crickets too and then scrambled 4 eggs. Also ordered more crickets.
Deb
PMCA MEMBER
Pratt County, Kansas
2016 34 PAIR
2015 27 PAIR
2014 23 PAIR
2013 13 PAIR
2012 6 PAIR
2011 4 PAIR
2010 2 PAIR
2009 1 PAIR
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Okie
Posts: 541
Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2016 3:26 pm
Location: Claremore, OK
Martin Colony History: 2016 Informed landlord now Have 2 pair returning from 2015 That is a miracle. Hoping for a very successful year, sparrow population on decline.
First house was plastic with crescent holes Had martins within a few days. Ignorant landlord gradually lost them
Then got Trio House and still lost most of them. Lots of sparrows

So sad for you :cry: :cry: :cry:
Sure it is frustrating that she was not saved. Just focus on the living & how grateful they are that you are there & you really care about them to spend the money & time & discomfort for them. Kudos to you :wink: :) :grin:
Okie
Okie
PMCA member
2016 Started with 2 pair, 1 pair abandoned after HOSP destroyed eggs
1 pair= 6 eggs, 6 fledged
2017 1 pair so far, But they abandoned before nest complete for ?reason? Now Bridless and joined the Wannabes
2018 One pair ASY male SY female 5 eggs, 5 fledged
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Larry A Kronemeyer
Posts: 500
Joined: Mon May 22, 2006 5:27 pm
Location: Illinois/Millstadt

Toy,
Sorry for your loss. We fight hard to help our birds and it's hard to lose even one. Supplemental feeding helps but not all birds accept it. I know how hard you work at it. A lot of time , money and heartache. Praying for you and your martins.
Judy
Larry and Judy Kronemeyer
est. 1999
1-12 compartment Trendsetter and 8 gourds(crescents)
12 gourd rack (crescents)
Member PMCA
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Clayton
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun Apr 03, 2016 9:58 pm
Location: Texas Panhandle

First time to post so I hope its ok. I also lost a female today. Two days ago we went from 6 to 14 birds then it started raining with cold winds. I was not prepared with crickets or anything. We found some dried meal worms and I cooked some eggs for them yest but did not have any takers. Must have flipped for and hour or two. I then put eggs and meal worms on the porches and again did not have any takers. Today temps are in the 60s but I have not seen any of the birds before or after work. Hopefully they are out feeding. Moral of the story is: order your crickets or whatever you plan to use to help your Martins now before you need it again.

Clayton in the TX Panhandle
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Larry A Kronemeyer
Posts: 500
Joined: Mon May 22, 2006 5:27 pm
Location: Illinois/Millstadt

Clayton
So sorry for your loss. This weather is so crazy it's hard to prepare for it. The dried mealworms (soak em a bit first) and scrambled eggs were actually pretty good choices. I offered thawed crickets and soaked dried mealworms today and they cleaned the feeding tray. But my old timers know what the tray is for and show the younger birds how it's done. Still, not all partake. Either they just don't get it or maybe just not hungry.
Your did good by trying. It's sometimes hard to get that first hungry bird to eat. Keep up your efforts if you can. Let us know how it goes.
Judy
Larry and Judy Kronemeyer
est. 1999
1-12 compartment Trendsetter and 8 gourds(crescents)
12 gourd rack (crescents)
Member PMCA
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Ruthie
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2016 7:18 pm
Location: Pa

I have also lost 2 ASY males & 1ASY female. We have had 2 wks of rainy weather & even though temps are 50 to 55 I know they are starving. I have tried flipping crickets & eggs with no luck. This is so sad.
Ruthie
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Matt F.
Posts: 3978
Joined: Mon Feb 28, 2005 9:48 am
Location: Houston, TX

So sorry Toy.
You are doing so much for your Martins.
They are so fortunate to have you taking such wonderful care of them.
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williamn
Posts: 65
Joined: Tue Apr 28, 2015 7:01 pm
Location: TN/Shelbyville

I to have lost 1 ASY males and 2 ASY females in the last two days. Don't know if it is starvation or something else.
2014 1 pair,5 eggs,5 hatched & fledged
2015 9 pair, 43 eggs, 41 hatched & fledged
2016 Bad year 9 pair died after laying eggs
2017 rebuilding year, 15 nests with 53 hatched and fledged
2018 28 gourds,22 occupied,112 eggs
2020 28 gourds, 27 occupied, 87 eggs



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D Little
Posts: 76
Joined: Fri Dec 05, 2014 5:31 pm
Location: PA/Felton
Martin Colony History: 3 T14 houses and 12 gourd...gourd rack.
2019 52 nesting pairs

It's been a tough week here too, I checked my houses and gourds yesterday and found two dead ASY males, this past week was rainy and cool almost all week, I have mine that they will take platform food but some just won't go to it and eat, the week ahead looks a little better thank God.

Donnie
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