[birdky] Predators by Night & Day

This is my sixth year hosting purple martins here at home.  I have 21 pairs
this year in 24 natural gourds.  Twelve of the 21 nests are in the process
of fledging young.  It is a noisy and busy time of summer for the purple
martins.  A few days ago, I noticed that one of the gourd racks had been
moved about a quarter turn.  The poles sit in ground sockets and can move
freely in the event of strong wind.  Well there has not been any wind
lately.  My second thought was an owl.  Two nights ago I walked out to check
for owls and sure enough an owl was sitting on the wire closest to the gourd
rack under suspicion.  The owl flew off.  I turned on the deck light and
angled it towards the gourd rack to deter the owl.  The owl was back last
night despite the deck light being on again.  I heard a barred owl calling
last night behind the house.  Today, I found feather piles under two of the
gourd racks, plus an owl feather.  I could buy owl guards for the gourds or
build a wire mesh enclosure around the gourds to prevent owl attacks.  The
hawks are making passes each day now too.  Those clumsy slow fledglings are
too easy a meal.  The martins do a good job of alerting me to the presence
of a hawk.  I scared a hawk off this afternoon as it was being dive-bombed
by adults.  I have not witnessed a successful hawk attack yet this season,
but then again I'm rarely able to see most attempts.  The adults are not
bringing the fledglings back to roost in the gourds in the evening as is
typical.  They are smart enough to stay away.  I bet they are roosting out
around Cave Run Lake.  At least Ky is not experiencing a severe drought like
Texas this summer.  Purple martin managers in Texas are losing all their
birds to heat and a lack of food.

 

Scott Freidhof

Rowan County

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