Nest check pics

[DebA]

It has been ten days since I nest checked. Way way long. I was gone for a trip and so I caught up just now. So far this year I have 20 nesting pair with a couple of new nests with green leaves. Not sure what will materialize with those. Counting fledged and in the nest as of today my colony has produced 78 babies. I am posting some pics, one with a deceased baby. This sure is a hobby that isn't for you if you cannot handle a dead baby. I'm posting as a new heads up to the cause of this little one's death. But first, check out this nest. Or pile of green leaves. The parents never "built" anything but piled a huge pile of leaves and look at their success!
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I have two Trendsetters and this is a pic of some of the PM's watching me check the first house.
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I found this poor chick with a wound to it's eye area. I will be checking frequently now to see what happens when it's eyes open.
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When I rounded the second side (downwind) to check those compartments I knew I smelled decomp and what was coming. Then I found this. The alive baby was in the nest bowl (with hardly a nest) toward the front but scurried to the back. When I removed the dead baby, who obviously had been there like that a few days, I realized it's foot was snagged in the gaping side of the nest tray. Maybe the stress of not getting free did it in. It seems like you try to have everything good and nice for them but something new comes along and gets em at times.


I decided to not relocate the remaining sibling because it looks hydrated and fed. So the poor parents had to come in and take care of it without being able to remove the other one with the stuck foot. My plan is to check this one daily and make sure it is continuing to grow.
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[dckenney]

Hello deba

I haven't responded to you in over a year but I have been reading your post. Sounds like you and your colony are doing great this year and I know just losing one baby Martin hurts to the heart but some things we don't have any control over. I have 3 nesting pair this year with 13 babies. The first 2 pair babies are due to fledge on 29th June . The other about a week later.
This is better than last year I just had 1 pair that had 5 babies. Thank you for all your post they really helped me become a better landlord.

Chris

[DebA]

Chris, that is fantastic! And I have missed hearing from you on here. You're a pair over my second year.

Keep going at! I am doing a little business that keeps me swamped so I haven't just sat and observed as much this year. Yet. The majority of my babies are still in the houses. One of the things I love is the babies waiting at the inside of the entrance for their food. Won't be long until that first flight after that. I haven't watched that this year. Yet. Expectantly waiting to be fed. Kinda like my Mark. Ha.

I just threw out a dozen egg shells and they are picking them up and heading to the houses right away. As I watched with binoculars from my front porch at them landing in the bare earth near the houses for the shells, I thought to myself, that's right we got a good thing going. You know me and I know you.
Deb

[birdy girl]

Enjoyed the pics of your nest check. Sure hate the one baby didn't make it. Nest check are very important but we have fallen way behind this year due to work schedules. Hope all the babies fledge successfully.

[pmartinlover2]

Thanks for the excellent pictures Deb. Love those babies!
_____
Jody

[DebA]

Sometimes it is tough to time everything in. I went ten days without a check because I was gone only five days but we were running behind and I didn't get my five day check in before we left. Felt guilty guilty when I saw that poor lost chick but mostly to the poor remaining one.

I love those baby pics too! My youngest grandson is two and my daughter messaged me that when he saw the baby pics, unprompted, he said "yucky". LOL. I'll be influencing that kid soon.

Deb

[KathyF]

Deb,
Your colony looks great! And I too enjoyed your pictures! I have learned to dread that decomp smell...knowing what's coming. At least the other nestmate is doing well. I've been doing this 9 years and it still makes me sad.
But, we soldier on. You are rocking this landlord thing! I too have extended periods where I wasn't able to get in - the cold at the first part of this year, then all the rain when all the young were hatching and I certainly didn't want them to get chilled. So, my nest check records can't be used this year, but they're still helpful to me when I find one on the ground.
So thrilled to see your colony growth! Congratulations!

[DebA]

Here is my same solo baby that lost it's sibling. Five days later. He is doing great and still being fed!
[img][img]http://i1071.photobucket.com/albums/u50 ... 164034.jpg[/img][/img]

Here is the guy with the injured left eye. Has had some healing. The right eye is opening, although this pic doesn't show it. Unfortunately, no left eye showing. Yet. But he is as big as the other ones in the nest.
[img][img]http://i1071.photobucket.com/albums/u50 ... 164501.jpg[/img][/img]