"I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief. For a time I rest in the grace of the world, and am free." ~Wendell Berry
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Green Leaf Gathering - You Know What That Means
As I stood on my porch this morning, I noticed a flurry of activity on the poplar trees. As the weather has warmed significantly this week, that can only mean one thing. There's going to be an egg-splosion here in a few days. These poplar trees are 4-5 years old and even though there are numerous plum and cherry trees around that leaf out much earlier, the purple martins put off egg-laying until the poplars are fully leafed out with fresh, young, tender leaves. My husband wonders why these trees do not get much bigger each year. I probably shouldn't show this video to him.
My first sub-adult male knows exactly how to charm his sweet, little lady.
See what I brought home? Take it!
See, just take it right in there. Take it, please!
Well, it's not from Jared's, but for purple martins, love is giving your mate a green leaf!
How tall are your poplars? Mine have multiplied since I moved here. Every time we were late mowing the grass, a new one sprang up.
Do poplar leaves have any special beneficial properties for purple martins? Or is that just their way of gauging that the time is right for laying eggs?
Hi Aya - thanks for the comment! They are maybe 14-16' high now. There is some speculation that green leaves in general may either provide the needed moisture that they need to properly incubate their eggs, or may even have some insecticidal use in the nest. It's one of those things that is a mystery and sometimes, I kind of enjoy not knowing all their secrets.
How tall are your poplars? Mine have multiplied since I moved here. Every time we were late mowing the grass, a new one sprang up.
ReplyDeleteDo poplar leaves have any special beneficial properties for purple martins? Or is that just their way of gauging that the time is right for laying eggs?
Hi Aya - thanks for the comment! They are maybe 14-16' high now. There is some speculation that green leaves in general may either provide the needed moisture that they need to properly incubate their eggs, or may even have some insecticidal use in the nest. It's one of those things that is a mystery and sometimes, I kind of enjoy not knowing all their secrets.
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