Ground feeding
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Thomas Maddox
- Posts: 443
- Joined: Fri Jun 25, 2021 5:23 pm
- Location: Sulphur, Louisiana
Yesterday, for the first time, I witnessed 4 purple martins hopping around my neighbors yard. I got my binoculars for a closer look. They were definitely eating insects off of the ground. Not sure which insects, but definitely eating. Not sure why they werent eating on the ground under their house as there were hundreds dead ones. Lol. Temperatures were around 40, so probably no flying insects. They looked ok as I couldn't see wing drooping. Maybe a last ditch effort? Hopefully they got enough to make it to today as the rain just stopped here and Temperatures are nearing 50. It's very cloudy, but hopefully they can feed today. Tomorrow looks even better.
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Thomas Maddox
- Posts: 443
- Joined: Fri Jun 25, 2021 5:23 pm
- Location: Sulphur, Louisiana
First time I've seen it and saw it again yesterday. 3 ASY males and 1 ASY female. They would peck once or twice at the ground and then fly 10 feet or so and do it again. I think they were in desperation mode because several days had passed without flying insects available due to the cold.
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C.C.Martins
- Posts: 3190
- Joined: Fri Apr 14, 2017 11:15 am
- Location: Corpus Christi Tx
- Martin Colony History: 2016- Visitors.
2017- 5 pair. 15 fledged
2018- 18 pair. 85 fledged
2019- 17 pair. 81 fledged
2020- 25 pair. 111 fledged
2021- 28 pair. 118 fledged
2022- 33 pair. 151 fledged
2023- 33 pair. 165 fledged
2024- 40 pair. 185 fledged
2025:
HOSP: 12 Starlings: 10
Home colony: mix natural, super, Troyer and excluder gourds, enlarged compartment house. All SREH.
Satellite colony: Oso Bay Preserve: 36 PMCA excluder gourds, 4 natural gourds; 16 room Lonestar Goliad with Modified Excluder entrances.
2019: Visitors
2020: 3 pair, 11 fledged
2021: 10 pair, 30 fledged
2022: 11 pair, 35 fledged
2023: 18 pair, 101 fledged
2024: 39 pair, 181 fledged
2025:
PMCA member
No kidding. Well they see something that is sure. Dont think they would just forage hoping to run across something. Well, ok...that is a new one. Didnt believe your eyes did you? Wonder what it was?
A good house sparrow is a dead house sparrow.
Hello All
Well --well
My cogs are turning with a question here
And that is
Dose any one here feed them off of a flat type
surface low ground feeder
I have a concrete bird water a few feet from my bird houses
And never once have I seen them there
I always thought they got there water on the fly dip
Am I correct in my thinking
[ Later
Well --well
My cogs are turning with a question here
And that is
Dose any one here feed them off of a flat type
surface low ground feeder
I have a concrete bird water a few feet from my bird houses
And never once have I seen them there
I always thought they got there water on the fly dip
Am I correct in my thinking
[ Later
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Thomas Maddox
- Posts: 443
- Joined: Fri Jun 25, 2021 5:23 pm
- Location: Sulphur, Louisiana
Right! I didn't believe it at first. I wasn't close enough to see what they were picking up, but they kept doing it over and over again moving throughout the yard. Maybe the ground temperature was slightly higher and those bugs were moving more?C.C.Martins wrote: ↑Mon Feb 24, 2025 3:56 pmNo kidding. Well they see something that is sure. Dont think they would just forage hoping to run across something. Well, ok...that is a new one. Didnt believe your eyes did you? Wonder what it was?