pmc colony records

Housing type:

Self made Troyer T-14 (14 compartments with 4 additional hanging "Super-gourds"). Note: nest checks are done every 5 days until end of season. To see live pictures of the T-14 and martins click here

Arrival date April 16, 2004

4/16- They're here! Cool weather with no problems. So far about 5-6 are staying around the house on a regular bases. I filled all the nest compartments with ground corn shucks so the martins would have an easy time of nest building.
5/8- First nest check of the season. Looks like the martins like the corn shucks and have gotten busy arranging the nests. One nest looked like the martins had brought in some green leaves, seems too early but, ya never know, maybe they are ready to start their family soon? There are around 16 martins flying about and working on getting together. About two new martins a day showed up for the last 3-4 days. Two sets of sparrows tried to set up nests and one sparrow will not be back, the new scope on Diana is working well. All else is well and the martins are around, off and on, all day. Plenty of good pictures with the cam set-up. Binoculars are working good for close up views with the cam but, I am still working on a better set-up.
5/15- Compartments 1,2, and 3 all look like they have some green leaves in them, the martins are not messing around this year. On top of that, all of the other compartments look lived in, as if nests were slowly taking shape, although it seems, again, too soon. Had one gourd with a starling nest and three eggs, ack! Goes to show that the SERH doors work on the main house. Top count of martins remains at 16 so far and they are hanging around all day long, unusual from previous years. The new cam set-up has been a whole lot of fun even though I'm just learning the tricks on how to best use it. The pictures have sure improved and the project continues to develop. Soon, pan tilt and zoom from behind my PC and better close-ups of the martins. In a week or so I hope to also have a cam in the nest! Here are two interesting pictures of a starling bothering the martins.

The picture on the left is before he makes his pronouncement and the pic on the right is during his shenanigans.

You can tell the martins basically ignore his cocky half wing spread with flutter and his vocalizations.

5/21- Checking today, live cam shots! Lots of activity around the martin house. On the last check it was a question whether or not some of the nest had green leaves? No questions today, six nests have green leaves! Boxes 1, 2, 4, 6, 11, and 13. I found another starling nest in gourd #4 and I think it was the starling pictured above, he is no longer around? I believe I clipped him with a pellet yesterday but am not sure. He landed hard after the shot and flew off. There was also a sparrow nest on the back side of the house where I cannot see in box 12, got rid of it and the egg.

5/27- Still lots of activity around the martin house, unusual to see them about all day long. On the last check, six nest boxes had green leaves! Boxes 1, 2, 4, 6, 11, and 13. Now, boxes 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, and 10 have green leaves. We added boxes 8, 9, and 10 and lost boxes 1 and 11. Box 13 now has the first egg and it was laid today! The martins must be shifting or unsure of their choices? Again, there was another sparrow nest on the back side of the house where I cannot see in box 12, got rid of it and the 5 eggs. The same this week as it was last week for the gourd rack, activity in the compartments but seems the group is happy next door in the t-14 and there is space yet.

5/31- It was an exciting day to check the nests because I got the new nest box cam installed! The couples are settling in together and starting to lay eggs. Box 1 has 2 eggs, box 9 has 1, 11 has 1, and box 13 has 4. There are green leaves in boxes 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 14. Box 13 was also the best choice for the cam. In my next 5 day nest check report I'll include a snapshot of the nest so you can see the progress and if you want even more detail you can see time lapse pictures over the period from now until the babies fledge.

6/04- The couples are still working at getting together, seems like there is a real battle for love these days. Box 1 has 6 eggs now, box 9 has 3, 11 has the same egg but it is hollow, and box 13 has 4 yet and the nest cam, and box 14 has 2 eggs total, with one of those hollow. There are green leaves in boxes 2, 3, and 7. A partial sparrows' nest was removed from box 5. And I believe the sparrows are making it a problem for couples to couple. I'm having a very tough time with Diana trying to nail them, because the wind has been bad and the distance is about 30 yards. My new scope for Diana is not quite feeling good yet, hopefully soon though.

6/09- The couples have been busy laying eggs! Box 1 has 6 eggs still, box 9 now has 4, 11 has 2, and box 13 holds on 4. Box 14 went from 2 eggs to 5. There were green leaves in boxes 3 and 7, now box 3 has 4 eggs and box 7 has 2 with box 6 coming in with 2 eggs and box 10 filling out with 1 egg. We have 9 families and 30 eggs total, not to bad, about double the families from last year but not as productive. A partial sparrows' nest was removed again from box 5 and box 4, they think they are going to settle in and they are quite wrong. The poor house is getting riddled with pellets, I wish I could get a closer shot. At least the sparrows are not making it a problem for couples to couple as I had thought.
Here's the picture for this week and of course not much has changed with the eggs in box 13, mother is still very busy incubating them. They do look like they are getting bigger. And as usual, I'll add a new picture in my next 5 day nest check report. More detail? You can see time lapse pictures over the period from now until the babies fledge.

6/16- There were some more nice surprises this week. The eggs in box 13 all hatched healthy babies and the events have been recorded with still video shots. The actual hatching of the egg was missed however because of work and scheduling difficulties and lack of software knowledge. Also, another thought- it may be an event that happens at night, in total darkness, and couldn't be captured by video anyway. Next year we will have better luck. There are now 11 pairs with eggs. Box 1 has 6, 3 has 4, 6 has 5, 7 has 5, 9 has 4, 10 has 4, 11 has 2, 14 has 5, 13 has 4 chicks, and gourd 4 has 3, gourd 1 on the gourd rack has 1, a total surprise for the rack! That's a count of 43 offspring if all fledge. In five days 13 eggs were laid, so the martins were busy again this week. Boxes 4 and 5 were still under the control of sparrows. Not anymore. Last week was windy and I could not hit the side of a barn if I were ten foot away. This week, three sparrows in about 3 minutes checked out of the martin hotel for good.
Another picture for this week- mother and father are very busy feeding the young. The little hatchlings get big quickly. And as usual, I'll add a new picture in my next 5 day nest check report. More detail? You can see time lapse pictures over the period from now until the babies fledge.

6/26- There are now 9 active nests with hatchlings and eggs. This dropped from last check by two families. Box 1 has 5 hatchlings (lost one egg), 3 has 4 abandoned eggs, 6 has 4 eggs and 1 hatchling, 7 has 4 eggs and 1 hatchling, 9 has 1 hatchling left from 4 eggs, 10 has 4 eggs yet, 11 has 2 hatchlings, 14 has 5 hatchlings, 13 has 4 healthy hatchlings, and gourd 4 has 4 eggs (up 1 egg from last check), gourd 1 on the gourd rack not checked, had 1 egg on last check. That's a count of 20 hatchlings and 16 eggs yet to hatch for a total of 36, if all fledge. That's a loss of seven from last week.
Another picture for this week- The hatchlings are now able to see the world. I'll add a new picture in my next nest check report. More detail? You can see time lapse pictures over the period from now until the babies fledge.

7/3- There are now 8 active nests with hatchlings. This dropped from last check by one family. Box 1 has 5 hatchlings, 6 has 5 hatchlings, 7 has 5 hatchlings, 9 has 1 hatchling, 10 has hatchlings, 11 has 2 hatchlings, 13 has 4 hatchlings, 14 has 5 hatchlings, and gourd 4 had 4 eggs that are gone now, gourd 1 on the gourd rack not checked, abandoned. Final count of 31 hatchlings in 8 families. The nest boxes were all treated for mites and blow flies and there will be no more nest checks for this season so as not to make the hatchlings fledge prematurely.
Last picture for this season- The hatchlings are doing well and should enjoy flight in their new world, in about 6 more days. More detail? Click here to see time lapse pictures.

7/31- A nice discovery today while removing the nest cam, found three hatchlings in gourd 4. I obviously missed something on the last nest check, don't ask me how :-) So, final total for the season is updated to nine families with 34 successful hatchlings.

Copyright © 1998-2008 Jeffry Blair.