Nest Checks - what are they? It is the best part of being a Purple Martin landlord.
You lower your housing, open up each compartment and see what is going on. You get
to see which pair of birds is the best nest builder, the worst nest builder, which
ones prefer mud to grass or pine needles as nesting material. You get to see what
odd things they have picked up to include in their nests - like metal, plastic, etc.
Nest Checks - how often? The
Purple Martin Conservation Society
recommends nest checks every 5 - 7 days. We are more likely to perform nest checks every 3 - 4 days, and
perform them even daily at the height of hatching season. Did I mention that its the best part of being a landlord?
Nest Checks - why? To have the most successful Purple Martin colony that you can have.
You should check for mites (get rid of them), wet nests (replace them), unhatched eggs
(remove them), capped eggs (uncap them), dead young (remove them), and young birds not
in their nests (move them back). The Purple Martins may squawk at you during the nest
check, but they always return. They don't abandon the nest or their young.
Anderson Site Data - Summary of our years housing Purple Martins
Nest Check Form of 2002 - Log of nest checks in 2002
Nest Check Form of 2003 - Log of nest checks in 2003
Currently we have 62 nests - the nest check sheets look very confusing when converted for the web. Hopefully you get the idea of how they work.
