It's Death Weather for Martins!

[Terry Suchma]

Dear Landlords,

By now, I hope that those of you that have martins arrived are thinking about the adverse weather pattern for much of the US.

It is a very serious situation for martins. Those martins affected will not be able to eat even those that are able to forage watershed areas. With daytime temps in the 30's and 40's, there will not be much even though the ambient temperatures near water may be a few degrees more clement.


I checked the 10-day weather for many cities in the affected areas. All you have to do is click the link for the city.


Again, this type of adverse and deadly weather for martins is reason enough for landlords to become amateur meteorologists. Best to keep an eye on the weather not only for adverse weathers in early spring but also for serious storms during the rest of the breeding season. Here is a note I wrote on being an amateur meteorologist a few weeks back:
http://www.purplemartins.com/rtc/sho...=meteorologist

You may also want to review the following pages:

http://www.purplemartins.com/Topics/adverse-weather.htm
http://www.purplemartins.com/rtc/sho...hlight=weather


Here are cities that will see drastic drops in the temperatures and some cities will see some snow. Please do what you can for martins. Check this posting for insight on adverse weather:


Tulsa, OK area: You look okay for now. You look like you have a few days at minimal conditions, but overall, your area will support minimal and above temperatures. Check your 10-day weather here: http://www.weather.com/outlook/recre...opnav_outdoors

Wichita, KS area: Looks like you will have bad weather temps from Thurs to Sunday. Four days will be tough on your birds in your area. Check here: http://www.weather.com/outlook/recre...opnav_outdoors

Kansas City, KS and MO: Looks like your bad days are beginning today on Wed and continuing into Sunday. Monday will be 60' Here is your ten day forecast: http://www.weather.com/outlook/recre...opnav_outdoors

Lincoln, NE: I don't have to tell you that your birds are cold. Temps are bad from today (Wed) to Easter Sunday. Here is your 10-day: http://www.weather.com/outlook/recre...opnav_outdoors

Des Moines, IA (City of Monks): It is down right freezing now 32' in your great city. There may be a lot of dead martins in IA. Looks like temps won't moderate in your area until Tuesday. You should all be thinking lightbulbs in the house and trying to feed martins early--NOW! Here is your 10-day forecast: http://www.weather.com/outlook/recre...opnav_outdoors

Minneapolis, MN: More of the same bad weather conditions in SE MN. It is 28’ cloudy and windy and most likely the wind chill makes it feel more cold on the bare skin. Most probably worse in the northern regions of MN for those that may have a couple of scouts. Temps will be bad until Friday 4/15. Here is your ten day forecast: http://www.weather.com/outlook/recre...opnav_outdoors

Quad Cities areas in IL and IA: Not as bad as MN but temps here will not moderate until Thurs, 4/13. Temps next Thurs expected to get to 57’. Here is your 10-day forecast: ohttp://www.weather.com/outlook/recreation/outdoors/tenday/USIL1011?from=36hr_topnav_outdoors

Chicago area: Very low temperatures until next Wed and Thurs (53') and then Fri (55'). Your 10-day: http://www.weather.com/outlook/recre...opnav_outdoors

Appleton, WI: 28' degrees today and it will not hit the low 50's until next Thur and Fri. Appleton, you know how deadly a spring can be for your martins, right? Good luck! your 10-day: http://www.weather.com/outlook/recre...opnav_outdoors

Indianapolis, IN: Home area of the Central Indiana Purple Martin Association, Mayflower PM colony and the successfully managed colony of senior PM landlord, Joe Bryant. Joe was first to note the bad weather approaching and has already ordered his crickets. Temps in the Indy area will not moderate until next Wed. Here your ten day forecast: http://www.weather.com/outlook/recre...opnav_outdoors

Akron, OH: Temperatures along Lake Erie in Ohio will not see moderate temps for martins until next Thurs when the temp will projected to be 50’ and Friday will see 55’. Here is your 10-day: http://www.weather.com/outlook/recre...opnav_outdoors

Columbus, OH: Low temps until next Tues (53’) and Wed (52’) then 56’ and 60’ for next Fri and Sat. Here is your 10-day: http://www.weather.com/outlook/recre...opnav_outdoors

Louisville, KY: Louisville, your temps will be below minimal until next Monday, 4/19 when it will be 53’. After that, you have adequate warmness that is conducive to flying insect numbers. 10-day here: http://www.weather.com/outlook/recre...opnav_outdoors

Nashville, TN: Only bad day will be Saturday and it will be in the high 40’s. Your martins should be fine! Here is your 10-day: http://www.weather.com/outlook/recre...opnav_outdoors

Presques Isle, PA: Things may turn bleak for the PMCA colony in Presques Isle State Park in Erie, PA. Every day until a week from this Friday will be very cool. Hopefully, the ambient air of Lake Erie will help the martins find minimal foods over and around the water areas. Temps all week range from today at 32’, 31 tomorrow, 31’, 33’ 33’, 42’, 47, 45’ to 51’ next Fri, 4/13: Here is the 10-day for this area: http://www.weather.com/outlook/recre...opnav_outdoors

Abington, VA: Weather in this Eastern area is fine with one day, Easter, in the high 40’s. No need for your 10-day!

Dover, DE: Your area is fine with temperature also. No need for a 10-day!



Terry

[Terry Suchma]

Dear Landlords,

We are beginning to hear from concerned landlords now about the adverse weather and martins.

I just spoke with a man from central OH and he has gourds. He is going to quickly build a heated roosting box in hopes that the martins will go to it and where he can provide a place for martins to eat inside.

I don't know if this will work. He has five male scouts and a female in his gourds-only colony.

Checking the 10 day for this part of OH, I see he will not see warmer temps as weather fitting for flying insects until next Friday, one week and one day away.

He says the front came in yesterday. He is now very concerned.

Landlords, get some crickets and/or mealworms NOW!

Terry

[Terry Suchma]

Dear Landlords,

Just got another phone call from one of our distributors. They have well over 100 martins and are feeding them hundreds and hundreds of mealworms these cold mornings.

The birds are eating on their own as they have become accustomed to the mealworms on a feeding platform.

The company is using a heater, similar to a birdbath de-icer and placing these underneath the nest insert trays. It is working well for them and they say about five birds go inside the heated compartment and stay.

Don't forget you can use a 60-watt lightbulb and duct tape an unused compartment closed.

Here is a photo of the de-icer: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...FIB9deicer.jpg

Due to the seriousness of this situation I am going to violate our policy here on no-selling on the RTC but if you cannot find one of these de-icers that look like a piece of aluminum foil and emit 40watts, we can make these available to you.

The cost of the deicer device is $20 plus $7 regular shipping (S/H).

We can overnight it and the cost of overnight shipping would be an extra $35 for next day air express saver delivery.

If you want one just email the Purple Martin Society, NA at:

info@purplemartins.com

Please include your name, address and phone number.

In this particular instance, we will invoice you by US mail for the de-icer product.

Terry

[Terry Suchma]

Dear Landlords,

We are hearing from many of you and know of your concerns. We, here at the PM Society, are very worried ourselves.

I think that many of you in the weather affected areas should also be looking for a rehabber in your area.

I have a site and they have some suggestions for rehabbers in certain areas, but there may be some that this listing site may not have.

Call US Fish and Wildlife, local Audubon, veterinarian or bird clubs and ask about who the folks are that do rehabbing.

Of all things, don't try to rehab martins yourself. Wildbirds need licensed and permitted people who know what they are doing.

Cages for caged birds damage martin feathers. They need flight cages.

They can't eat raw hamburger or hot dogs. They will need their specialized insect foods as well as electolytes, etc.

Find a rehabber! You may need one soon!

Terry

[Terry Suchma]

Thank you, Richard Donath, for letting us know and showing us what to do. Your brother, Ed, would be proud!

Terry

Scout Report from Richard Donath and Ed Donath's (Ed is deceased) wife, Joan:

City: Arlington Heights


State: IL


Zip Code: 60004


Sighting Date: 2007-04-04



Locale: Mature city like suburban area. Not the best of present day locales for Martins.


Weather: 27 degrees, winter like overcast. NW wind gusts.Temp is 35 degrees below Tues. 70's.


Comments: Male martin. Minutes after his arrival Joan had eggs on the star feeder and he came right down from the house and went at it. Ate several more times that morning. He was definitely ours from last year. He could not get thru the crescent entrance so we took it off nest 3 as we did last year. Stayed over night in this heated house. Decided to name him Hope as in " if no one else there is always hope".



His actions really prove the worth of the star feeder that has never taken hold with the landlords. We lost most of the birds a few years ago to a house put up by a nearby park lake. Last year we often had near a dozen males hanging around at times, but only one female to nest. Joan her daughter Darlene and myself Richard Donath are tending to things again this year.

[litedave]

Hi Terry,
It got very windy here this PM and is now turning much colder.
Here's a weather warning for our area in South Lousiana and vicinity..........

http://www.weather.com/weather/alerts/?alertId=86398

David


A good Sparrow is a dead Sparrow.

[rognjo]

After 3 days of cold and windy weather I checked on the martins this noon. Lowered the house and 4 martins emerged, and, to my pleasant surprise and amazement, seemed to be doing very well. I have no idea what they are eating but seem to be no worse for the wear so far.

The weather is not likely to improve around here soon so I have 1000 crickets at the ready. It is tough to see where they are since the cavities they choose at night still seem to be very random. I will lower every house this weekend and check their condition and am fully prepared to move them home in a special enclosure I made and hand feed them crickets for a few days if necessary.

Hope everyone's martins come through this in reasonable condition. Looks bad around here in Indianapolis with snow showers and 20F temps the next few days.

[Terry Suchma]

Dear Landlords,

LQQk at this wonderful shot of martins taken by Ernesto on a chilly Easter and notice the one bird in the middle is a subadult male:

http://bp0.blogger.com/_NztPFK2bW_k/...7+172+copy.jpg

[Steve Watercutter]

Due to the recent cold weather spell I have been trying to do something to try and save some of the birds in my colony. After a phone call to Terry, I decided to try and rig up a heat source for one of my Supergourds. I have had 6 males and 1 female for about 2 weeks.

These birds were all occupying different gourds- so I lowered one rack to the ground. Then, I plugged all the holes but 4 on the other rack to limit where they could go. This pissed them off but they did go into the 4 gourds eventually.

After I figured out which gourd they preferred I used drywall screws to attach a heat lamp with a 50 watt bulb to the bottom of the gourd they were using. I checked the temperature with a thermometer and it read 60 degrees inside. Presently, this is the only gourd the 5 birds are using. These birds are shy and I have not been able to (hand feed) them but I have been dumping crickets into this one heated gourd.

It has been 6 days since the weather has turned cold and I don't want the birds to waste any more energy than needed, so I have decided to leave them alone.

My directions to make a heated gourd:

1. To attached the heat lamp, start by cutting a 1/4 pc of plywood and a piece of aluminum metal flashing in a circle the same size as your heat lamp.

2. Screw through the drain holes in the gourd into the plywood and then through the metal flashing using drywall screws(2).

3. Now attach the lamp to the wood by using more drywall screws (3). (I left about a 3/4 inch gap between the wood and the lamp so air would circulate around the bulb.)

This was a Quick Fix at best but if I manage to save a bird or two it will be worth it.

Steve Watercutter / St. Henry, OH

[Terry Suchma]

Dear Landlords,

One thing that Steve Watercutter forgot to mention, and an obervation that he mentioned to me in our personal conversation, is that he observed his martins ingesting snowflakes as the snow was flying at his site.

Now, Steve, is the second person to tell me this in the last week.

It goes to show that this is another survival technique exhibited by the martins. Life cannot exist for living things unless they have water. And, the martins, desperate for foods, eat snow to help their bodies survive, and by doing so, they are getting life saving moisture that they need.

Terry