Purple Martin 'birth' day! 4 photos

15 years ago

July 10, 2008

The three chicks are one day old. They hatched on the 9th. When I looked in on the 10th, one of the two remaining eggs had just started to pip.

I had to run in and get the camera. When I got back out, it was already this far along.

Here's it's turned a bit in the cracked egg.

I called the neighbor's over to "see" and an "arm" was already reaching out of the egg.

I didn't wait to take any more photos. I didn't want to stress the female any more than necessary.

July 11, 2008

Five chicks! You can't "see" them all in this photo, but they are there! Fat and sassy. Look at the toenail on the big boy at the upper right! In about five weeks those tiny wings will be taking them to Brazil.

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Comments (14)

glenda_al
15 years ago
Ahhhhh nature at its best!
grammahony
15 years ago
Love it Caroline. They look like little aliens. All eyeballs.
Leslie
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Vicki How cool!!! Where do you live? I love your Bouganvilla (sp) in the picture too !
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Hey Leslie; this is my latest year ever. They didn't even return until Mother's Day this year. They didn't bother making nests and just used the comfy pre-nests I made them. They were late pairing up, and they're late laying eggs. The eggs I have are big and heavy, well, big and heavy for the size of the birds. I've been hosting PMs since 2004. This is the latest, coldest, oddest season yet. Also, starting the new colony was hard. I'm 15-20 miles west and north from the base where I had to turn dozens of pairs away; I simply couldn't afford to put up more than the two racks I offered there. I think I've "stolen" three colonies here, and I still don't have a full house. I'm going to try to do another nest check tomorrow and take photos. I might have a pinkie or two by now! I've had a mystery illness this spring and then had an MRI last week. It knocked me for a loop. The iodine dye gave me a bad reaaction; I was covered in hives from scalp to my toes and all points between. I "watch" the birds; but I've not been too interactive with them this spring. I will do the nest changes when the chicks are 10 days old even if I have to hire a neighbor to help me.
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Congratulations on your "grandbaby BBs," Lisa. Are the adults renesting? Yes, I make pre-nests in the gourds before I hang them in April. They are filled level to the bottom of the opening with wood shavings, pine needles, or chopped straw. The PMs don't care which. I add a scant teaspoon of Sevin dust and mix it into the top of the nesting material. When the adults arrive back from Brazil, tired, hungry, ragged, and often covered in mites, they go in their gourds, get comfy, and in a day or two the mites are gone. They also have more time to concentrate on feeding and building up to prime reproductive condition rather than trying to start nest building immediately. They will add sticks and mud dams to the nests, or not, to suit themselves. Some make elaborate nests, some barely add a leaf before laying eggs. They start adding green leaves right before laying eggs and continue to add them, at different rates, depending on each pair. When I do the nest change at 10-12 days after hatching I replace the nesting material, but don't add leaves. Some adults will add more leaves, some don't. Again! Congratulations on your blue birds. I'm having great success (thank the Lord!) with my Purple Martins but I can't seem to attract a bluebird for love or money. I have boxes up; I've read the blue bird association's, and others, info until I think I can recite it backwards, and I've seen blue birds the past two years...but still no takers. Someday! Here is a link that might be useful: Purple Martin Conservation Association
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Caroline's experience may differ from mine; she's so good about writing summaries on her colony. I'm a laid back landlord and can only check a few of my poles (I have 9 poles with a total of 108 compartments). My martins don't bother me too much. They hover around but don't really complain terribly. I've had a couple females stay in the cavity during a check. They do get used to it. I get swooped more if I'm just hanging out in the yard close to the racks. I talk to them every time I'm outside so they know my voice. Some even come over just to make sure it's me, greeting me with a chirp or click. The Barn Swallows are far worse. I have a couple nests in my front entry way and when there are babies, even going out to get the mail is an adventure. They're not going to hit but they do get close!
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mcmann
15 years ago
5 chicks - that seems like a rather large brood. Is that normal? And 5 weeks - that's all? They'll be leaving that soon? No wonder you're so excited.
socks
15 years ago
Amazing. They are so helpless.
alisande
15 years ago
That's wonderful, Caroline. Remarkable little creatures.

Will they really migrate to Brazil? And will they leave that soon?
lydia1959
15 years ago
Faces only a mother (and Caroline lol) could love!

Thanks for sharing... I too am surprised that they will be flying all that way at such a young age!
caroline94535
Original Author
15 years ago
McMann...Purple Martins will lay from 4-8 eggs; 5-6 being the norm. The bigger and better their nesting cavity, the more eggs they'll lay and the more chicks they'll fledge.

I offer "Supergourds" from the PMCA. They're 10-inches in diameter.

Yes, they'll fledge at about 28 days old. They may, or may not, hang around for a week or so and then they'll prepare for the migration. They fly along with their parents and join large "roosts" of other PMs. They'll form larger and larger colonies until they're ready to set off for some serious travel.

Purple Martins in Florida, Texas, and other southern areas have already started their migration.

Each fall they fly back to Brazil where they overwinter, molt, eat, and generally just "be birds." They do not breed or nest there. In the spring they'll migrate back to the area close to where they hatched and start a new breeding season.

My little guys will go to Brazil and back by next spring. I hope to get them banded so I'll know if they come back to this same spot. It's a complicated process and so far I've not found a licensed bander.

Here is a link that might be useful: Learn more about Purple Martin conservation here!
okwriter
15 years ago
How cute -- well, sorta. LOL!

We have baby bluebirds hatched in a bluebird box in the back yard, but we didn't get pictures. We think they are too close to leaving the next to disturb them now.
grammahony
15 years ago
Rita, after they're 13 days old you shouldn't disturb them. They may leave the nestbox to soon. But until then, they encourage checking on them.
Leslie
summer_tx
15 years ago
Awww how delicate they are. They almost remind me of Marilyn's Vernon. :) Amazing to think of them going all the way to Brazil and back. Thanks for the pics and tutorial Caroline.
justlinda
15 years ago
Absolutely fascinating, thanks for sharing your knowledge with us Caroline.
nodakgal
15 years ago
Whooooo nekkid babies! Summers right, they look like they could be related to Vernon right now! LOL I would think that claw could be hard on little naked bodies in that nest...

I always enjoy the posts on PM's Caroline! I'm so glad you got some to come to your new house with you! You're dedicated and obviously know what you're doing! So thumbs up to you!
lisa11310
15 years ago
WOW, I had to look to see where you are as the Purple Martins are long gone from Michigan by now. I have toyed with the idea of hosting them. I have had great success with my other cavity nesters (Blues, Dees, Tree Swallows)in my 5 nest boxes. My concern is the Owls that visit in the winter, I have no idea if they stick around and would be a threat. I have my first ever BB nest in a nest cam box and have been able to watch nature happen before my eyes! Congrats on your babies and little birdy prayers for a safe trip to them.
caroline94535
Original Author
15 years ago
Lisa, if you use natural, or man-made Supergourds, with tunnel entrances or owl guards, the owls will not pose a threat to your Purple Martins.

They are such a joy, and once you get a system set up, they aren't much trouble at all. I love hosting them.

If you want to email me, I'll share they ideas that have worked for me. I do very strongly suggest you use gourds, unless you can swing the expense of a wench-driven T-14 set up. The plastic "barns" and houses can be death traps unless you do lots of modifications and watch them like a hawk.

"Hawk" pun inteneded. I've watched hawks pull nestlings out of the 6x6x6 house cavities and munch them like candy.

I have Tree Swallows and wrens in my BB houses. I've not had a BB yet, but someday. I had a chickadee-dee-dee looking at his special box, but he didn't take it this year.

Purple Martin 'birth' day! 4 photos

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Purple Martin 'birth' day! 4 photos

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