A couple of firsts

Welcome to the internet's gathering place for Purple Martin enthusiasts
Post Reply
DeeCee
Posts: 52
Joined: Fri Jul 26, 2019 2:59 pm
Location: Brandon, Manitoba
Martin Colony History: 2019 1 pair 4 fledged
2020 4 pairs 11 fledged
2021 7 pairs 33 fledged
2022 9 pairs 35 fledged
2023 9 pairs 37 fledged
2024 8 pairs 34 fledged

On July 25, my husband and I were watching TV when all of a sudden we heard martins screeching at the top of their lungs. We looked out the window to see this young golden eagle, I believe, eating a martin, most likely a fledgling. This was a first, had never seen this before. Dang. I guess it's a bird eat bird world. Another first was watching the martins in the snow. It had snowed back in early May.
Attachments
20240725_163404.jpg
(1.73 MiB) Not downloaded yet
Les Frampton
Posts: 10
Joined: Sun Jul 30, 2017 8:45 pm
Location: Michigan
Martin Colony History: My wife and I have been passive purple martin landlords for about 25 years
and decided to become active this past winter. We usually have about 14-15 nests. This year we have 15 nests with 59 live and 8 eggs yet from later arrivals.

Yes that is a young eagle, they get white heads/tail about 4 1/2- 5 years old. Beautiful bird and we see them quite regularly here in “thumb” of Michigan.
flyin-lowe
Posts: 3612
Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2006 8:49 am
Location: Indiana/Henry Co.

If it was a martin it would have had to have been a early fledge that was on the ground and couldn't fly or injured by some other means. It's crazy how martins know which birds can catch them and which ones cant. If a large buzzard, eagle, etc. fly over my house the martins pay no attention. If a coopers hawk gets within 500 yards they go crazy.
2024 HOSP count-43
2023 60+ pair, HOSP count-8
2022 60 nests with 262 eggs, HOSP count-14
2021 62 nest fledged aprox. 230, HOSP count-9
2020 42 nest, Fledged 164, HOSP count-8
2019- 31 Pair over 100 fledged
2018- 15 pair 49 fledged
2017 3 SY pair nested, 12 eggs total, fledged 10. 4 additional lone SY's
2016 1 pair fledged 4
2015 Visitors
2014 Visitors
2013 Moved 6 miles away, 1 pair fledged 2.
2012 30 pair fledged 100.
2011 12 pair 43 fledged.
2010 5 pair 14 fledged.
Dave Reynolds
Posts: 2327
Joined: Mon Jan 31, 2011 4:35 pm
Location: Little Hocking, Oh.
Martin Colony History: 2017 Visitors
Satellite Site “Oxbow Golf Course”..
2018 - 15 Pair, 58 Eggs, 36 Fledged
2019 - 26 Pair, 128 Eggs, 97 Fledged
2020 - 30 Pair, 156 Eggs, 137 Fledged
2021 - 30 Pair, 162 Eggs, 144 Fledged
2022 - 27 Pair, 146 Eggs, 125 Fledged
2023 - 31 Pair, 157 Eggs, 130 Fledged
2024 - 41 Pair, 212 Eggs, 198 Fledged

Home Site "Little Hocking, Ohio".
2019 - 1 Pair, 5 Eggs, 5 Fledged
2020 - 1 Pair, 4 Eggs, 4 Fledged
2021 - 8 Pair, 39 Eggs, 36 Fledged
2022 - 13 Pair 64 Eggs, 46 Fledged
2023 - 16 Pair, 89 Eggs, 84 Fledged
2024 - 22 Pair, 111 Eggs, 104 Fledged

DeeCee …. Hate to hear about that.. It’s hard to watch sometimes…. It’s a dog eat dog world out there..

Dave
PMCA Member
Little Hocking, Ohio
Post Reply