Purple Martins

After our old Purple Martin houses were beyond repair we decided to buy a few new ones this year at Green Cay. One set is shown above, the horizontal gourds. I like the new houses but for the first time ever we actually had succesful European Starlings nest. That is something I really don't like but what can you do. Check out the photos below that show you the martin chicks a month ago. Now they are all but fledged and are really being quite active at the houses. In another month they will leave us for their southern comforts and I'll have another year to await their return.

Survival

There are so many baby birds at Green Cay that I feel like we're overflowing with them. This Red-winged Blackbird nest had 5 babies hatch over the weekend. After days of storms in the afternoon their little nest is almost completely turned on its side and just three little ones are left.


Even if the nest is turned the wrong way the supporting Pickerelweed stems are somehow holding it in place, for now. And when the mother bird approaches, all three stick their necks out and mouths open to receive her gift. It's a beauty to watch any bird but I love watching the parents feed their young. My favorite are the Limpkins who hunt giant Apple Snails and then break them open to feed their young small pieces. Those little black baby Limpkins are something else!


Other animals are also hatching at Green Cay such as the many turtle species that we have here. This nest didn't fair so well and was found today predated. All 27 eggs were torn open and left exposed for me to find this morning. The likely culprit is probably the nearby nesting Fish Crows. They just love turtle eggs and have the reputation for finding the nest and eating every single egg that's to be found.

Killdeer Update

You may remember the Killdeer eggs that I stumbled upon last week. Well I was out in the area this week and I noticed the parents were even more on edge than normal. When I looked over at the nest location I realized why, two of the babies had hatched. I took just this one picture and quickly left the area via following one of the adults with its broken wing display. I don't want to bring too much stress to these two parents but it was awesome to see the chicks. I'll have to check on them next week and see if all four make it.

Eggcellent Nature

On the egg front many predators have been on the move at Green Cay. It started Saturday with the discovery of this Northern Mockingbird egg. Bits of yellow yolk still could be found inside the egg, no doubt a victim of a Blue Jay or some other bird.

Yesterday the egg-stravaganza continued with these Florida Softshell Turtle eggs being discovered on one of the habitat islands. I've seen many turtle predations at Green Cay. Usually the Fish Crow stands patiently at guard waiting for the mother softshell to finish dropping the last egg and then starts immediately eating them, even as the female frantically tries to cover the nest.

We have a Florida Softshell on display in our turtle tank at Green Cay. It definitely steals the show and provides ample entertainment to the thousands of visitors each year. I love the way that they stretch out their necks from under the sand and stick their noses out of the water for a gulp of air. The Softshell Turtle show is seen daily in our nature center and never ceases to amaze our guests.

Unfortunately, for these future Apalone Ferox turtles, life came very short. Still the eggs are a great teaching tool to have on hand for our school programs and for the general public.