The Martins are starting to move northward fast! I wish they wouldn't but we can't control nature can we? We just have to work with it! A report has been confirmed on the PMCA Scout Report site for a purple martin spotted in East Prairie, Missouri. This is one to two weeks earlier than reported in past years by this experienced landlord.
PMCA Scout Report
Last year, my first martin arrived on March 9th, so it makes me a little nervous to see these early reports. I had to supplemental feed them through the first week of May last year and I'm hoping I won't have go through that again this Spring. Since there are now 2 scout reports in Indiana I decided to take advantage of the warm weather this weekend and start preparing my own housing for their impending arrival.
My oldest martins always take up residence in my Trendsetter house first, so I started by preparing the nest box trays for the house. These trays make it easier to pull the nestlings out during nest checks and they make it easier to clean the house out at the end of the season. I have thought about buying some nice, wooden trays for my Trendsetter, but frankly, I'm a tight wad and for now, prefer to make my own. I usually create my own for several reasons; 1) I don't have to clean these trays at the end of the season - I just throw them in the fire; 2) if they get wet during the nesting season, I can quickly make another out of my extra cardboard and replace the tray; and 3) it's a cheap alternative!
I usually keep some good, quality cardboard during the year from various shipments I receive. The nest cavities in the Trendsetter are 6" x 11", so I size my trays to 5 1/2" x 10" to ensure that I can easily slide them in and out. The back edge is 3" high and the side edge is 2" high.
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| Tools needed: Cardboard, Razor knife, Sharpie, Duct Tape and a stiff ruler (you'll use it to measure and also to help make the creases in the cardboard. |
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| Securing the tab to the back of the tray with Duct Tape. |
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| 8 nest trays for the right-opening entrances and 4 for the left-opening entrances. The mesh tray in this picture comes with the Trendsetter and helps hold the pine needles in place so that your nestlings don't develop "leg-splay". |
Do you think the colder weather we have had has affected the migration?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment, Aya! The spring cold fronts do hold them back from migrating further north. Apparently, it's like hitting a wall for them and costs them a lot of energy to try to push through. Not to mention that there are no flying insects for them to eat when the temps drop below 50 degrees. The problem is that they are no better at predicting the weather than our "professionals" are, so as soon as it warms and the winds are favorable (usually from the south), they start their push northward. Competition for suitable nest sites is extremely high.
DeletePer the PMCA, here's a recent comment on this topic at their site: "Return time seems to be related to age and to departure time, plus weather, which can slow or speed northern migration. Other triggers are hormonal changes in the birds, and increasing hours of daylight (or diminishing hours of daylight for southern migration.)
Part of the geolocator research is looking at migration timing factors - we are learning so much from the geo projects."
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Kathy, I like your blog! I do have a question... The cardboard trays are a wonderful idea; do you have any problems with them getting wet during our wonderful (Grrr) spring thunderstorms? I would suppose they would be simple and cheap to change out... MamaBruff
ReplyDeleteHi Mama,
ReplyDeleteSince I only use them in the Trendsetter, no I haven't had any issues with them getting wet from the thunderstorms. The birds do bring in some wetness with them, but nothing significant enough to soak the cardboard. I suppose it's because the cavity entrances on the Trendsetter are set back behind the porch, so not much rain can blow into the entrances. It might be a problem with other housing that doesn't have that kind of shelter, but that could be remedied too, by making the trays shorter. But as you say, with nest checks, a landlord could quickly identify the need to change them out and replace them easily. The wooden trays would have the same issue of getting wet, I think. Either way, I have more wet-nest issues in my gourds that cause me to do frequent nest changes every year!