Grounded...

I am getting my last ground stake of my new racks implanted in concrete today. And the weather is supposed to turn for the better later in the week, so I am hoping to get all my racks up this week.

The weather has set me behind somewhat. But then the same bad weather should also delay my returning martins.

I am getting a few more hard thick natural gourds from my source in Georgia, and I will choose from them a very nice large gourd to install a nest cam. But I need to figure out how to handle the wiring as the site is located approximately 140 feet from my house. I may also investigate to see if there are any wireless options.

Concerns...

From the early reports in the deep south, the numbers of purple martins are down. Some believe the unusually cold weather in the south has hit the martins especially hard, and may have a big impact on the surviving population this season.

I am hoping this is simply an early trend, and the usual numbers of returning martins will pick up. If not, I am going to have quite a few empty gourds this year, even more then I originally expected. But moreover, this will be a huge blow to the genus family of swallows, particularly the purple martin as a species.

Loudest is weakest...

On a forum I often visit, a guy goes on and on about his wife & marriage. It reminded me of something that actually happened late last year.

I underwent a series of ablation procedures on my heart in a six week span. After the first procedure I was in the recovery room waking up from the anesthesia. When I was conscious enough to understand what was going on, I heard a lady going on and on about her husband. I mean she wouldn't stop. At first I thought this was another patient out of her living mind. But no, this was a nurse, a nurse named Julie.

Julie would not shut up, telling the staff how good her husband treated her, how in love they were, what they did the night before, what she was going to buy him for Christmas and pondering what he was going to buy her. According to this nurse called Julie, she had found the perfect husband. I soon asked another nurse that was watching me, to give me a bucket so I could throw up.

A couple of weeks later I had another ablation, and when I started to wake up in the recovery room I mentioned to my nurse that I hoped Julie wasn't on duty as I didn't want to listen to her bragging about her perfect marriage. The nurse smiled and whispered, "Don't worry about that, Julie's husband ran off with another nurse."

Two in the hand...

I really like my purple martins, but I wouldn't trade a pair of bluebirds for two dozen martins. During the summer afternoons when martins leave for a few hours to hunt, my bluebirds are still in the yard, guarding the grass for invading insects. Bluebirds are usually the first to sound the alarm on approaching hawks. And when the martins run off for their winter home in late July & August, bluebirds stay content with the Kentucky climate.

A couple of years ago, I was fortunate enough to have two pair of bluebirds in my yard. One pair in the front yard, and one in the back. That was a memorable year. It hasn't happened before or since, but I can always be hopeful it may happen again. And if not, I'll be happy with just the single pair each year.

One of the most rewarding events I enjoy bird watching is observing bluebird parents feeding their fledglings who may be in 3-4 different locations. Then later in the summer in a second brood, the siblings from the first brood may help out. Usually, they are doing more hanging out then helping, but it's nice to watch.

I was just watching a pair of bluebirds hanging around on my mailbox, and it motivated me to write this.

Photo by E.J. Peiker.

Don't touch, wet paint...

I am often asked by people outside of this area, where or what is "Black Gnat"? Black Gnat is a small rural community between Greensburg & Campbellsville Kentucky.

The story goes that over a hundred years ago, the people in this community got together on a hot summer day to paint the local one room school house. After getting a fresh coat of white paint on the building, the legend goes that a huge swarm of black gnats engulfed the building, sticking in the wet paint.

Ever since that fateful day, this community has been known as "Black Gnat".

Super size it!

I was just thinking that with my expansion, I will have double the gourds up this year than I had actual pairs of martins last year. And after last year's season, I remember posting on the Purple Martin Research Forum that I would never expand again, because taking care of these birds was too much work. But I think most of us landlords are both happy to see our martins return, and then happy to see them go.

At least the way I am revamping my site, it will lessen the impact of male domination. The Super System's are probably the best rack there is to stop male domination when gourds are correctly positioned. That was my motivation when I ordered four of them this season, plus they are expandable up to 32 gourds. These racks are available from Creative Universe Enterprises in Fairview, PA.

Yea, I over did my expansion somewhat. But I did the same in the past and have learned more gourds equals more martins. Martins by their nature are not communal birds by choice, but by necessity. If you don't believe this, watch a couple males fighting over not one gourd, but two or three in the same proximity. Man created the necessity for purple martins and even tree swallows and bluebirds to rely on human provided housing. Man destroyed their ability to breed in natural habitat when European starlings and house sparrows were introduced from Europe.

So if you are a purple martin landlord wanting to grow your colony, and you are waiting until you are at 100% capacity to consider adding cavities, maybe you should rethink that position.

Second guessing...

I'm the type of guy who will think about something all day, go to bed smiling that I had a plan figured out, then wake up and start a new plan. I am always second guessing myself, and in my opinion an obvious character flaw.

I remember in college, I had a twenty six page research paper due, with dozens of documented references required, etc. The morning it was due, I had it all hand typed out (no PC's or word processors allowed back in that day) and on the way to school, I tore it up. I told my professor what I had done and I was going to start from scratch, accepting the one full letter grade that would be docked for each day it was late.

The next morning, I did turn in my paper and I received a C+, meaning it was a B+ paper, not bad for completing a six week project in one day. In retrospect, I am sure I would have received a better grade on my original paper, but I was more satisfied with the second writing. My professor consoled me by saying what I had done was a sign of a genius. I lost quite a bit of respect for that professor that day, comparing my actions to something a genius might do.

What I am now second guessing myself about on my colony is my plan to change each and every gourd to a SREH Conley II entry. I always have been stubborn about having a few round holes available for subbies (sub-adult martins) when they arrive. So I have decided to offer an additional 12 gourds on top of the 221 I had originally had planned. These will be on a telescoping pole on the outskirts of my colony, and will be twelve round hole gourds.

That is unless I second guess myself yet again.

Don't even think about it...

If you ever consider preparing natural gourds for martins, go bang your head against the wall and knock some sense in yourself. I used to enjoy it, but it's got too darn expensive and is no longer cost efficient. In my opinion, manufactured gourds such as Troyers or Supergourds are the only way to go.

The straw that broke the camel's back with me in regards to naturals this year was receiving access ports that no longer have inner lids in the caps. Some may think, what's the big deal, it doesn't take long to cut out a circle from something appropriate and glue it on the cap. But try it for more than 50 gourds! No more for me, I have better things to do!

Getting close...

This morning with help from my son-in-law, I finally got five deep holes dug to erect four new Super System 24's and one more Premium Rack 24. We had to use a tractor operated post hole digger due to the huge rocks we were encountering. We also sawed down three old telescoping poles I am no longer going to use.

With revamping my colony, my new capacity will be 224 gourds. I ordered 64 Troyer Horizontals with tunnels and have received them. I have prepared over 50 new natural gourds with Troyer Tunnels and they are ready to mount, along with modified naturals and modfied supergourds I was already using. Each and every gourd of mine will have the Troyer Tunnels with Conley entrances. I am replacing quite a few old gourds that I no longer will use. The old gourds will make a nice fire in the cool, early spring.

My martins will start to arrive in two to three weeks, and this work should be complete within a week. I'll post photos of my colony's setup once we are done.

Weekend Plans?

So what are you doing this weekend? I have big plans! I will be taking these 20 nice, thick martin gourds and preparing them from start to finish. The Daytona 500 is on Sunday, after Mass of course. And I suppose I will have to fit in taking my wife out to dinner for Valentine's Day.

The kool thing about Valentine's Day on a Sunday is you don't have to send flowers to your wife at work. We husbands all know if you send flowers, it had better be to your wife's workplace so your wife's colleagues can see her getting them. But not this year as she wouldn't give a hoot about receiving them at home.

Next year I bet it's on a Monday.

J.D. has arrived...

Yesterday morning at 9:45 AM EST, Jacob Daniel Richerson was born, my third grandson. Baby and father are healthy and doing fine. But mom is still suffering from nausea, as we Richerson men have that affect on women.

J.D. weighed in at 8 lbs, 15 ounces.

Busy, busy...

I have been busy preparing natural gourds for my colony's expansion. This morning I received a box of gourds in the mail that were very disappointing, as they are too thin for me to use. But I have a good source for gourds and will deal with them exclusively now.

After acquiring some thick gourds, I drill them with two types of hole saws (3 7/8" & 4 1/4") for the entrance port and access port, I drill drainage holes, and also a vent hole. They are then soaked in copper sulfate (root killer) for 30 minutes to kill any fungus that will cause the gourds to rot. After drying, I caulk in the Troyer entrance and the access port. I then paint with primer and a semi-gloss white paint, with two coats. I then screw in the vent elbow. The gourd is then ready for my colony and I expect these gourds to last longer than I will live. They may need painting and new caulk down the line, but the gourds will last.

About that...

Above is a photo of a bumper sticker I just received in the mail and going to put on my Dodge Durango 8 cyl. SUV.

And "that's all I have to say about that", except they are expecting up to 30" of snow in the DC area.

Troyer Tunnels

I recently purchased fifty Troyer Tunnels to install on my newly obtained natural gourds, and also to put on my crescent shaped Supergourds. The only reason I am modifying the Supergourds is that to trap predators, you must remove the metal porch. This often spooks the predator, sending them to another gourd.

Modifying the Supergourd wasn't as difficult as I thought, but you have to be careful as the hole saw will "walk" on you. When applying the caulk, don't skimp on quantity or quality. I used to put only a thin, aesthetically pleasing layer of caulk, but soon learned I had to patch it up almost yearly. After applying liberal amounts of caulk, I then take my finger and reinforce it in circular motions. This seems to last season after season, it just takes a little longer to dry. Of course, I will eventually paint the natural gourds white once the caulk dries.

You can purchase these tunnels at Ceative Universe Enterprises at a special low February price of $5.25 each (minimum 12) with free shipping. Or you could buy them from the PMCA at $7.00 each plus huge S&H fees.

The gourds are pictured in my basement where I have my "man cave".

Happy Birthday to me!

I turned fifty years old today, but it doesn't phase me a bit. It certainly is better than the alternative.

A few days ago I placed an order (several orders actually over several days) with Creative Universe Enterprises (CUENT). I ordered the Premium 24 unit Gourd Rack (my third), the Super System 24 Gourd Rack, 24 Troyer Horizontal Gourds with Tunnels, 50 Troyer Tunnels and various odd & ends. I originally thought with adding the two mentioned racks, I would be expanding my colony by 48 gourds. But I was wrong! I found instructions on CUENT's website how the SS-24 can easily be modified into a 32 gourd unit. How's that for a birthday gift? I am expanding another 8 gourds and I don't even have to dig a hole!

My kids and grand-kids are coming over later today for my birthday and my oldest son and son-in-law are going to help me dig two holes for the ground stakes for the above mentioned racks. I am also putting the finishing touches on a few natural gourds I recently ordered and modifying for purple martins. I will post photos when I have them completed.

Groundhog Day 2010

My first post on my 2010 purple martin blog. My name is Robert Richerson and live in central Kentucky.

Yesterday was Groundhog Day, February 2, 2010. I look forward to Groundhog Day as I start to anticipate spring and the upcoming purple martin season.

I am particularly looking forward to this year as I was in very bad health last year, and I was unable to enjoy and maintain my colony as I normally do. One day last year during the season, I started to experience very tightness of chest and felt like an elephant was standing on me. I was rushed to the emergency room and it was discovered that I was in ventricular tachycardia (VT) with my heart beat over 300 beats a minute. After a hour without responding to medication, I was 'shocked' back into sinus rhythm.

I was medevaced to Louisville where I was diagnosed with "Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD)". I then had a cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) implanted in my chest. After months with several shocks and many more episodes of VT where my pacemaker brought my heart rate down, I underwent three days of ablations. Remarkably, this was not entirely effective and I was sent to Chicago where another ablation procedure was performed at the Loyola Medical Center by one of the nation's leading physicians in treating ARVD. I have had no issues since.

With a new lease on life and no longer thinking my death is eminent, I am looking very forward to this martin season and plan on expanding my colony by several dozen gourds. Last year I had approx 130 gourds with 116 occupied by purple martins. I have ordered from Creative Universe Enterprises two additional 24 unit gourd racks, 24 Troyer Horizontal Gourds with tunnels, and buying a couple dozen of natural gourds and installing Troyer Tunnels on those. I may also attempt to install Troyer Tunnels on a few Supergourd crescents. Presently there is no easy way to trap predators in the crescents, although the round hole Supergourds are quite easy to trap.

I plan on blogging this martin year with daily updates once the martins arrive in early March. Until March, I will not post everyday, but will post often. I will comment on my colony, purple martin products and organizations. I have strong opinions.

I have no idea if any-one's eyes will ever see this blog but my own. But if anyone stumbles across it, I invite you to keep up with my year and I will be glad to answer any questions or respond to comments. I promise to be controversial, and I hope to be entertaining.

I originally had 'Super Colony' in my blogs title, but I sort of thought that may be presumptuous as I am concerned my colony may fall below the hundred pair threshold. Last year, due to my health, I could not pay as much attention to my colony as I normally do. I also had a few hawk attacks, and even had a pre-dawn owl attack that took down a natural gourd. I actually watched the owl fly away. As far as the title is concerned, I settled on 'Black Gnat Purple Martins' as Black Gnat is the small community I reside in central Kentucky.

Regardless of the kind of year I will have, I invite one and all to keep up with my colony.


Photo credit: Jason Cohn/REUTERS