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5-8-01:
Drizzle all day and the ASY-F clings to the inside of the entrance hole, looking out. Note the wet puddle in the center of the natural gourd (we've added no nest material because we want to record them building a nest from scratch). The puddle formed by rain dripping down the hanging wires in through the hanging holes, despite a caulking job attempting to close the holes. Caulking job will need to be rechecked. This ASY pair has been in this gourd, pair-bonded, since 5/4/01. Camera started on 5/5/01. |
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5-10-01:
Today, the ASY-M and ASY-F brought in about a dozen, flat pieces of nest material, which can be seen in the bottom of the gourd. It was a sunny, warm day. Today was the first day that subadult were seen on Edinboro Lake at neighboring colony sites. In this interior shot, the male is in the nest bowl and the female is perched in the round entrance hole. The male just finished spinning in the nest bowl and pressing his breast against the bottom of the gourd as he did it, instinctively trying to form a bowl. |
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5-17-01:
This ASY pair are still taking their good old time nest building in their natural gourd. They only bring in a few pieces of nest material each day. In this image, they are defending their gourd from another martin that is clinging on the outside of the entrance hole. On the monitor, we hear vocalizations, look over and see both birds shooting into their gourd, turn around and face the entrance hole, then a 3rd bird appears at the entrance hole. We think it is an unmated SY male. |
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5/18/01:
Here the nest-building adult female "weaves" in a piece of straw. She repeatedly and rapidly vibrates her beak as she places the plant material. |
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5/18/01:
Here the female shapes the nest bowl by spreading her wings, scratching with her feet, and pushing her breast against the floor of the natural gourd as she spins against the nest material. The ASY-M (clinging to the outside of the entrance hole) also engages in this behavior. |
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5/24/01:
Today our ASY-F laid her first egg (that's it just below her tail and wing tips). Later, the male brought in lots of willow and cherry leaves to "bury" and cover the egg. Covering the eggs until the clutch is nearly complete (and incubation begins) is an adaptation to hide the eggs from egg predators, since the egg will remain totally unattended most of the day while the female is out foraging to replenish her reserves so she can lay the next egg tomorrow morning. |
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5/29/01:
This morning the female (on left) laid her 6th egg. Incubation has begun (intermittently) with the 6th egg (she did not incubate her 5 eggs at all yesterday, despite cool temperatures. In fact, the eggs were totally covered with leaves and other nest material.) Will she lay a 7th egg tomorrow morning? The male sits beside her looking out the hole. |
