Verse of the day

“For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”- Matthew 16:25

I have not been posting a lot lately since my days are full with either hawks, grandson, still fixing house, etc., etc……..

I was able to look at combo gourd #12 yesterday and saw babies, the female was sitting on them so it was very hard to tell how old but I am guessing a couple of days old am guessing June 25th hatching date. This will put my season close to the end of July.

Right now for the pass couple of weeks we have been experiencing temperatures in the 100’s and breaking all kinds of records. We did get a passing shower 2 days ago with some cooler clouds after that so since we have not had rain in 2 months I am very thankful. The counties have even been canceling some fire work shows since we are all under a burn ban.

It gets very crazy here about 7:30p.m. when all the babies start coming back in to find a place to stay the night, lots of fights. Some of the nests have finally left and maybe even going to the roost now, I don’t know where it is yet so I will have to start watching the radar for it.

The starling has been feeding babies for several weeks now, I have a video I will attach soon.

We had to put my dog down (dutchess) yesterday, difficult. June 27th

Simon and Myron started on the electrical work in the kitchen. The cabinets came in last Tuesday.

The heat is just unbelievable, we are breaking records everyday. I pray for rain and clouds and less humidity.

Verse of the day

“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;”- Philippians 3:20

The heat, rain and hawks are really bad right now but the martins are doing good with fledglings flying. We may not get any rain in June but they are now saying in about 8 – 10 days we may have a chance for some. I Pray we do.

I had my first neighborhood complaint yesterday, he was complaining of the poop on his property. With the 100’s of grackles, sparrows and doves around (which are the messiest birds) and no rain for weeks I think everyone around here is seeing the same thing.

Had 5 hawks before 9:15a.m. this morning. I wish I could give the martins more food but this would get just too expensive to take care of them. Some of them are at least eating the mealworms as long as they are not in the refrigerator for more than a day. We tried eggs but they just don’t want them.

I am going to give my 2” square pole to friends that would really like martins next year. I was going to replace this pole anyway with a 3” but I’m thinking maybe I will stick with 3 poles since I can see these 3 and that would be easier to manage. Creative Universe makes a new MPP that you can put two houses on and 12 gourds and I am going to see if I can just buy the sleeve to replace the one I have.  http://www.cuent.com/cue%20%20folder/Hybrid.htm

I have had 9 hawks now and it is 12:00p.m.

O.K. I have been outside all day and even with #50 sunblock I got a sunburn. I had 25 hawk attempts today and that is a record for me. Praise God not one bird was taken of any kind.

Many babies are flying now and I have many babies sleeping on porches since they don’t know which nest to go back into and the birds won’t let them come in any of the nests. I also have parents sleeping on porches since I had such large clutches this year there is no room for at least one of the parents.

The heat index today was 104 degrees with pure sun. I turned on the misters today for a little while and the parents brought the babies back to the nests and perches. When the wind picked up I turned them off since I had so many hawks around, I did run them for 45 minutes and that was enough before the wind to get things better.

Verse of the day

“[The Works and the Word of God.] [For the choir director. A Psalm of David.] The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night reveals knowledge.”- Psalm 19:1-2

I have been taking care of a baby that was much too small for its nest and put him in another nest with similar size babies yesterday. I also checked (on the same system) a gourd I new a pair (SY’s) had taken and found 4 fresh eggs, this is going to put me into August. I will have to monitor this one closely since it will be so hot and also when the other birds have left. I have a re-nest for a parent who lost their babies and they are due to hatch on the 14th. Two other nests are due to hatch today and tomorrow and that is it besides the new nest. Combo Gourd #12 TMPP.

The martins are going through as many crickets as I give them. We have had the driest month (May) on record this year. Right now we are in the mid 90’s but we do have some cloud cover every now and then and some winds so this helps.

I have many babies that now have fledged but still 100’s to go. The Cooper’s hawk comes around several times a day trying his best to get at the system or find any babies around that he can snatch. This is when I am especially glad I have so many martins since they are chase him and someone is always in the skies watching.

I have been watching a starling for several days now going to the nests and at first the martins were chasing him away, I was also trying to chase him away when I saw him. This starling always had food in his mouth so I figured he was stealing food from the nests that the babies had dropped. Yesterday morning I saw him again but this time he was sideways so I could see what he was doing and HE FED A MARTIN BABY. This I could not believe but I watched him a couple of times doing this, I am going to have to try to take a picture because I will probably never see this again.

This is what I have on the starling so far…..

  In the first picture the starling has the food in the second picture he fed the babies I am hoping the next picture will be actually the feeding of the babies. I need to be even quicker……..

Verse of the day

“[The Narrow and Wide Gates]"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. "For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”- Matthew 7:13-14

First fledglings started to fly late yesterday afternoon. No babies have hit the ground and nobody has fallen out of the nest this year. I am still putting a lot of crickets in the feeder tray and many nests are coming to get them. We are now in the mid 90’s during the day and the heat index is in the 100’s. As long as we have clouds and breeze I don’t need to turn the misters on.

Still have plenty of hawks but they have not gotten close since Sunday. God who is much bigger than I am is showing me he is here everyday through his creation.  Thank You Lord!

I am still not wanting to do a nest check because of the hawks so I also pray everything is fine with them. I look at the nests from the ground and see nothing wrong.

Simon ordered more crickets for the birds since they are going through them so fast. I am down to my last box of crickets from the ones he ordered last week. All we have ahead of us is hot humid weather with no rain in site.

The birds chased after a hawk at 6:15a.m. this morning but he did not get close to the housing. Yesterday the hawk only tried to come around 3 times so that is way down from the past two weeks.

I see the new pair still going in the combo gourd but I don’t know if they have any eggs.

The grackles and blue jays are bringing their babies around to eat.

Verse of the day

“The Lord GOD is my strength, And He has made my feet like hinds' feet, And makes me walk on my high places. For the choir director, on my stringed instruments.”- Habakkuk 3:19

I have not been able to do any nest checks in the last few days since I have so many hawks that are coming through all day. I do not want the birds paying attention to what I am doing instead of the hawks, it is just too risky right now. So I pray everything is o.k. with the martins.

I have been putting crickets in the middle feeder for the last three days now and a lot of the nest as of yesterday has figured it out and is using it. I went through approximately 2000 crickets yesterday alone.

Since I am not able to do nest checks right now I do not know how many babies are in the two nests that just hatched and if the new pair has laid an egg yet.

I will just keep monitoring them from the ground right now and putting crickets in the feeder trays. The temps have been in the 90’s but we have had a nice breeze and lower humidity so I have not been having to use my mister systems.

I had two very close calls with the Cooper’s hawk yesterday in the back yard and the yard with the birds. He came just a few feet from me both times but I don’t think he knew I was going to be there. The Lord puts me at the right place at the right time!!!

Went and bought some more peanuts for the blue jays and they found them immediately.

Verse of the day

“Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O LORD, and You exalt Yourself as head over all.”- 1 Chronicles 29:11

The hawks in the evening are very very bad right now, I am sure they are looking for the fledglings. This is going to be a difficult time for the birds but with God’s help we will get through it.

The birds can’t get enough crickets it seems. I have been putting a lot of crickets in the middle feeder tray and they are taking them as fast as I am putting them in there. Simon ordered me some more crickets which should be here today.

I was not able to do a nest check yesterday since I had Brayden but I should be able to today.

The combo gourd couple were bringing in leaves to the nest yesterday and I am still hearing the dawnsong but with only a couple of birds.

The grackles and blue jays are bringing their babies to my feeders to feed them. Still have many doves coming to the feeders too.

Did a nest check and found one of the runts in a nest near death so I have brought him in and I’m feeding him, still not sure if he will make it. I also found small young at the entrance like they were being pulled out so I put them back in the nest bowls.

Had hawks from 7:00a.m. till 8:00p.m. they are looking for fledglings I’m sure. With this many birds they see him everytime. I pray for the next few weeks for the protection of all these little ones as they learn to fly.

I put one of the babies from the nest that lost a mate (he was way to small for that nest) into nest #3 coates. She now has 3 babies to take care of.

Saw a possum climbing up the pole to the feeder tray so I knocked him down and eventually got him out of my yard.

Verse of the day

“[Contrast the Upright and the Wicked] A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.”- Proverbs 15:1

The SY pair that have been trying for almost two weeks to get a gourd finally got a gourd. They took the combo gourd that we switched out with the SG on the TMPP to try to stop domination of one of them. This may put me into August which means it will be difficult for them with heat and the urge to go to the roost.

The hawks right now are very bad which is taking away from the feeding time the martins need to spend with the babies. I put crickets on porches and cavities yesterday and I also put some in the platform nesting tray and a lot of the birds took them. I ordered more crickets even though I have some just in case I have to keep feeding like I have for the last few days. I hand feed the little ones mealworms but I can’t fit a container of mealworms in the nest since the clutches are so large this year. With as many pairs as I have right now they are keeping the hawks away from the housing. When I have many babies at one time next week trying to fledge is when I am worried and also when a lot of these pairs leave for the roost and leave the few behind. But I know somebody bigger than me is watching out for them too. Thank You Lord.

I moved a tiny baby from an SY pair (TG #7) that was 1/4 the size of his siblings. I tried to leave him in the gourd but he was just not catching up since he was born so much later than they were. I brought him inside for a while and hand fed him before I put him in a nest. It is hard this year trying to move any babies around since my clutches this year are so large and now with only one or two nest being born each day it is getting harder.

I have 6 nests with eggs that still need to hatch, this is not including the pair who has taken over the Combo gourd. I know I had another new SY female yesterday but I am not sure if she got a nest or is still here. I have too many hawks to be able to study the birds like I would like to.

I noticed the mockingbird baby yesterday sitting on the mealworm container in the garage waiting for a parent to feed him. They are getting much bigger now so it won’t be long before the parents start chasing them off. I believe my mockingbird female has also started a new nest, not sure about the other mockingbirds but I’m sure they have too.

Only catching a sparrow about every other day now so they are slowing down, even though I can still see and hear them.

Right now I am feeding over 100 doves each day, they must have told their friends, mostly white winged doves.

Verse of the day

“So Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.”- Hebrews 9:28

Nest #3 in the trio on the TMPP has lost the ASY male. The eggs hatched day before yesterday and I noticed only she was feeding the babies so he is missing. She has four babies and one hatched over 24 hours after the first and with her by herself I will help this nest, I am just glad it is only four.

The hawks have been around a lot more lately and I am guessing they are after any fledglings that are leaving nests.

I fed the baby runts yesterday by hand and added crickets to every nest and put some on the porches, they could not get enough of them. We need rain again since I am not seeing them bring in a lot of big bugs. We have a 20% chance of rain for the next three days so I am praying for that. I thank God for the unseasonably cooler humidity lately than I can remember in a long time around here. I should have a lot of fledglings starting next week.

I have noticed a few more SY’s coming in and one new female. I am not sure but I think one of the Combo gourds that is empty on the TMPP might be taken. This would put me at the end of July or even the beginning of August which is rough for the babies and parents who want to go to the roost.

There mockingbird babies are now in the yard with one of the parents being fed, I think the female has started a new nest somewhere else.

I noticed the cats coming back in the yard again at night.

Right now I have 4 – 6 nests to still hatch.

This is a direct link to one of the cameras on PMTV that is hatching right now -

http://www.purplemartin.tv/randallrash/default.htm

Verse of the day

“But the lovingkindness of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children's children, To those who keep His covenant And remember His precepts to do them.”- Psalm 103:17-18

I had more nests born today. Just have a few more nests to go until the last nests that were just laid in the last few days.

I have tried everything to help that poor pair get a nest but they are just not aggressive enough so they may not nest. I have a pair in the trio #15 that does not seem to be attempting to lay eggs. He has kind of built a nest but she is not laying. Since he is a ASY male they must be from a different site and maybe just staying here until some go to the roost.

Saw a mockingbird attacking a Red-shoulder hawk in the field behind me so I started clapping and he came right for my yard just a few feet away from me. This hawk was not scared of me at all but he did not attempt anything since the birds were in the air. The flew around him and yelled for a while and the martins came back. I have been seeing a lot more hawks in the last few days and I am guessing they are waiting for the fledglings and also their nesting time must be over.

Verse of the day

“But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.”- Acts 20:24

We had a little rain today and after the birds went crazy feeding the babies. Just a little rain can bring in a lot of bugs. The clouds kept it cooler today.

Nest #3 laid her first egg today. I didn’t get to do a nest check yesterday but babies were born yesterday and today.

Some of the runts have now just about caught up to their siblings.

Saw a hawk early this morning and so did the martins so we scared him away…. Many many white wing dove are coming to eat right now….. Found a blue jay shell in the yard so they have babies somewhere…… The Mockingbirds are still coming to get the mealworms like crazy.

Verse of the day

“For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”- John 3:17

I have a pair that are desperately trying to get a nest but the SY she has chosen is not tough enough for these other pairs, they have been trying for several days now.

The SY’s are still taking babies out of the nest and I have only been able to find 4 babies. I still have two nests to lay eggs and one pair still trying. My season will go well into July.

Simon put the misters up for me yesterday so I can use them if I need to.

As of 5/26 – this is my totals ---

Pairs – 89 #90 still trying to get a nest so only 89 right now

2 nests still need to lay eggs

Eggs – 417 out of that 317 babies have hatched ----- no one has fledged yet, my first fledgling wont even attempt until 6/8.

Verse of the day

“Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification.”- Romans 15:2

Trio #15 TMPP….added a nest for them. This has an ASY male just like TG #4 on the 2”. I am guessing these are from other sites that failed.

Trend.#9 and Trio #5(2”) have started laying eggs. From the looks of it I still have 2 – 3 nest to start laying. Trend.#3 started building a nest so I helped her out with a better one.

Found a dead baby in CG #5, did not see anything wrong with him so I am thinking it might be the heat (we had no wind yesterday and high humidity, temps are getting up into the low 90’s). Simon and I will be putting up the mister system today and tomorrow.

I have more nests that started hatching today (saturday).

I can thank the Lord for this one ---- Simon went to put the 2” pole back up which is a rope and pulley system and the rope came apart where he has a knot in it. If this had happened when it was in the air the whole system would have come crashing down, or if Simon was not here it would have been hard for me to get it back up. I had to go 16ft in the air to get the rope around the pulley system with Simon holding the ladder against the pole. Thank You Lord!!!!

Still having major SY problems and I am letting the dogs into their yard more often to try to stop some of this, no more babies I have seen have been pulled out of the nest. I am also letting the dogs roam the yard more because of cats and snakes. I have not seen any snakes in the bird netting this year so my light or the dogs is helping with this. I still have major cat problems but I let my dogs chase them all they want out of my yard.

We got a little rain yesterday and praying for some more.

Verse of the day

“For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”- Galatians 5:13

I had more babies being born today and still have 2 – 3 nests yet to lay eggs.

I did nests checks spread out in two hours so I could let the parents feed. I have a few runts so I fed a lot of babies. If the babies were too young to take crickets I would feed them mealworms. I also put crickets on some of the porches and the parents fed those to their babies. I did notice only small bugs being brought in so we need rain again.

Yesterday when I went to do a nest check I found a baby at the bottom of the Trendsetter pole, he must have just been pulled out because he was o.k. I put him in a gourd with four babies CG #17 on the TMPP.

Today when I went to get the doggie doo-doo for trash day I found a little baby at the bottom of the SS pole. This baby was very cold and his breathing was bad so I brought him in the house and put him under the lamp in a towel. I checked on the baby about 15 minutes later and he was still ice cold and not doing well so I picked him up and put him in the palm of my hand and held him for over an hour. He warmed up and seemed to be doing well so I took him outside and put him in #3SG on the SS pole. When I checked on this baby this evening it was like nothing had happened to him. Both babies are doing very well. The babies from the eggs I hatched inside are doing very well too. The SY’s around here are going from nest to nest stirring up trouble and pulling babies out. I try to stop them going in nests they do not belong in but I am not with them all the time.

I have a new cat coming into the yard as of yesterday so I am letting the dogs out a lot more right now.

The dove babies have both fledged and the couple I think might take the barnie nest that I have around the corner from the other one, not sure yet.

Still pulling up weeks and trimming plants in the yard before I have any fledglings that can hide under them and also so snakes can’t hide there too.

The mockingbirds are taking 100’s of mealworms a day, they are feeding themselves and their babies.

Verse of the day

“Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”- Romans 15:5-6

Nest #3 the two babies that looked like something might have been wrong are no longer there.

More babies born today.

2 more pairs Trio #5 (which I think I might have already posted) and TG #4 2”pole. I have another pair that is desperately trying to get a nest but I’m not sure if they are going to be able to.

The hawk came through last night.

Have been doing some yard work and watching Brayden so I have not been able to watch and study the birds as much as I would like to or post in my journal. Have a few runts and have been adding crickets to the nests with the runts.

The mockingbirds must be feed a lot of babies because they are going through the mealworms and superworms like crazy.

Verse of the day

“For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints.”- Hebrews 6:10

Moved two of the babies in CG #10(the ones that hatched from #9) to nest SG #3 on the 3”. SG #3 has one new baby in it a broken egg and a couple of eggs that don’t look good. CG #10 now has 5babies and SG #3 has 3babies.

Not sure about Trend.#3 even though I have seen a female, the eggs are cold and one is broken. Saw the female and the male this evening going in and out so this was puzzles me.

More babies hatched today and two nests started laying today.

Hawks today and yesterday

Saw some birds trying to get nests again this evening.

Observing trend.#1 I noticed a pair peering into the nest for a long time, I need to check this nest tomorrow to make sure it is o.k. but it maybe just a new pair checking it out, not sure.

More babies hatched today. Two nests started laying today and that makes 85 nests now laying.

The mockingbirds were bringing their babies into the yard and the garage today to feed them.

Caught more sparrows and even caught one today in the spare-o-door on the 2” pole.

Verse of the day

“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!”- Romans 11:33

Nest check showed the babies I put in the nest (cg #10) are o.k. I put another egg in that nest that might hatch and she still has an egg that is not hatched of her own. Right now the pair has 5 babies and 2 eggs.

CG #3 TMPP had two capped eggs.

not sure how many pairs yet but I do have birds that are desperately trying to get a nest from dominated pairs.

All the nests had the right amount of babies, have some runts that I need to watch but right now I moved them to the front of the other babies. Fed one runt two mealworms in nest #6, since they only have four babies I would like to leave him there.

Verse of the day

“The LORD your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.”- Zephaniah 3:17

5/16 - 5/17

The eggs I took out of nest #9 two hatched. I put one in the nest of gourd #10 TMPP and put some mealworms in. The other started to hatch about 11:00p.m. and it is 4:00a.m. right now so I have to wait for him. Neither of the babies look great so we will see. Since the female kept removing the eggs this must be a new female and wanted nothing to do with the eggs. I put a nest in her compartment for her so she had something in there and maybe start laying eggs soon.

It looks like I might have another pair or two on the 2”pole in the troyer gourd and the trio if they can take over since they are being dominated by pairs that have eggs.

Babies were missing when I did a nest check (5/16) and found one baby on the ground. The SY’s or SY are busy trying to destroy nests.

Hawk came by 3 different times yesterday that I know of so he is back for sure.

Lord keep them safe.

Ecclesiastes 11:5

⁵ As you do not know the path of the wind,
       or how the body is formed in a mother's womb,
       so you cannot understand the work of God,
       the Maker of all things.

82 – nest now laying or finished or has babies

10 nests with babies

3 nests still to go to lay

I removed the eggs that the birds keep moving to the entrance in #9 trendsetter.

Saw a female tonight with no nest. The nests that I have left are very dominated and a couple of them even have laid eggs in them to make sure they stay dominated.

One of the decoys was on the ground this morning.

Simon planted some honeysuckles for me this evening that he gave me for Mother’s Day.

Some things are happening in my family’s life right now that I needed to seek out his word for answers, hope, faith, love and just knowing he is with us.

Psalm 23

¹The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

²He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters;

³he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake.

⁴Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff— they comfort me.

⁵You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

⁶Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.

Matthew 7: 7-11

Genesis 18:14

14
Is any thing too hard for the LORD?

1 Corinthians 13: 4-7

4 Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant ⁵or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; ⁶it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. ⁷It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Psalm 121

¹I lift up my eyes to the hills—
   from where will my help come?
²My help comes from the Lord,
   who made heaven and earth.

³He will not let your foot be moved;
   he who keeps you will not slumber.
⁴He who keeps Israel
   will neither slumber nor sleep.

⁵The Lord is your keeper;
   the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
⁶The sun shall not strike you by day,
   nor the moon by night.

⁷The Lord will keep you from all evil;
   he will keep your life.
⁸The Lord will keep
   your going out and your coming in
   from this time on and for evermore.

Psalm 28:7

⁷The Lord is my strength and my shield;
   in him my heart trusts;
so I am helped, and my heart exults,
   and with my song I give thanks to him.

Romans 8:28,31,38-39

28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,[1] whoOr works together with those who love him to bring about what is good–with those who have been called according to his purpose.

31What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?

38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,Or nor heavenly rulers neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Psalm 43:3-5

³O send out your light and your truth;
   let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy hill
   and to your dwelling.
⁴Then I will go to the altar of God,
   to God my exceeding joy;
and I will praise you with the harp,
   O God, my God.

Romans 5:1-5

Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we^* have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ²through whom we have obtained access^* to this grace in which we stand; and we^* boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. ³And not only that, but we^* also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, ⁴and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, ⁵and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

Psalm 30:2,4,5,11,12

²O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,
   and you have healed me.
⁴Sing praises to the Lord, O you his faithful ones,
   and give thanks to his holy name.
⁵For his anger is but for a moment;
   his favour is for a lifetime.
Weeping may linger for the night,
   but joy comes with the morning.

¹¹You have turned my mourning into dancing;
   you have taken off my sackcloth
   and clothed me with joy,
¹²so that my soul^* may praise you and not be silent.
   O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you for ever.

Psalm 27:4,14

⁴One thing I asked of the Lord,
   that will I seek after:
to live in the house of the Lord
   all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty of the Lord,
   and to inquire in his temple.

¹⁴Wait for the Lord;
   be strong, and let your heart take courage;
   wait for the Lord!

Psalm 100

¹Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.
²   Worship the Lord with gladness;
   come into his presence with singing.

³Know that the Lord is God.
   It is he that made us, and we are his;^*
   we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

⁴Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
   and his courts with praise.
   Give thanks to him, bless his name.

⁵For the Lord is good;
   his steadfast love endures for ever,
   and his faithfulness to all generations.

Philippians 4:13

¹³I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Revelation 21:3-6

And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.” And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.”

Ruth 16,17

‘Do not press me to leave you
   or to turn back from following you!
Where you go, I will go;
   where you lodge, I will lodge;
your people shall be my people,
   and your God my God.
¹⁷Where you die, I will die—
   there will I be buried.
May the Lord do thus and so to me,
   and more as well,
if even death parts me from you!’

I am sure many more passages are could go to but right now these are what I need, Thank You Lord!

Verse of the day

“As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother's womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.”- Ecclesiastes 11:5 Listen to this chapter

I have not been able to do my journal as much as I would like to since I have my grandson a lot with me. This also means I am not able to watch and study the birds as much either but I know God is.

Had my first babies hatch yesterday – 5 nests had babies and everyday after this will be several more.                                                                                                 I saw one of the babies in the first nest of the very first bird that came in this year twice the size of the babies in his nests so he was 2 days old. This nest hatched 2 days before it was scheduled to and it has two eggs left. On May 5th this gourd (CG #10) had one of its eggs out of the nest so we will see if I was able to put it back in time since this is one of the first nest I noticed this happening to.

Trendsetter #9 some of the eggs were out on the porch and most of them had dents in them. I see the male and female so I am not sure what is going on unless it maybe them trying to get rid of them.

So far as I know I still have 85 pairs even though I noticed some new birds yesterday.

Picture of Boston Oriole on hummingbird feeder -

Pictures of dove and her babies – 1st picture her sitting on the babies, 2nd picture after she got up….two cute little ones.

Verse of the day

“Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.”- Proverbs 31:30 Listen to this chapter

Nest Check 5/12/09

85 – pairs

79 – laying – 71 – nest complete

6 – pairs with no eggs yet

Total of 375 eggs so far

Hawk has been around for the last four days now. I have seen him a few times trying to come to my yard and yesterday he went in the front of our houses in one of the neighbors trees and got a bird. The blue jays were yelling but I did not know where he was until he came out with a bird.

I have see him each morning and each evening for the last four days, I called Barbara and warned her.

I have been taking care of Brayden so it is hard for me to see what is going on with the martins like if I have any birds missing.

The Doves nest hatched 5/9/09, I have seen her feeding at least one of the babies.

Verse of the day

“[Life Through the Spirit] Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.”- Romans 8:1-2 Listen to this chapter

New SY pair in Trio #5 on the 3”MPP

Did another nest check yesterday and today and one nest had an egg in the tunnel yesterday. I now have 75 nests laying. I will need to keep doing nest checks each day to make sure whatever is pulling the eggs out is not still doing it. I just pray it stops before babies are born and no babies are pulled out.

I am catching many juvenile sparrows so the sparrows are nesting somewhere but not here.

Birds that still don’t have a nest are sleeping on porches.

Sunday morning – saw a little owl before sunup by the swing fly up to the fence, just in case I went and scared him away. The cat was also back harassing my sparrows.

We put the predator guards up on the perching pole yesterday. I am still running the spotlight and the radio though.

I have not been able to check the doves nest to see if her babies have hatched since she hardly ever gets off and I don’t won’t to get her off just to check. I am sure I will see soon enough.

Verse of the day

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.”- 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Listen to this chapter

5/7/09

Troyer gourds #7 & #8 now have SY pairs in them.

Did a nest check yesterday and Trend #9 eggs were out of the nest and the nest was torn up. I made her a nest again and put her eggs back in but one had a small dent in it so I’m sure it won’t hatch. Trio #7 (on 2“) had one egg and this egg was at the entrance.

5/8/09

Did a nest check today and SG #3eggs were at the entrance and in the tunnel, moved these back to the nest. Went ahead and checked all the nest to make sure no other eggs are pulled out of the nest. This makes 5 nests now that eggs are being pulled out of the nests. I do not know whether it is a SY male or a sparrow doing this, I still have plenty of both. The sparrows mostly are not giving me a hard time except one every now and then since I have caught over 200 this year. I will start checking each nest each day now to make sure I get the eggs back in the nest bowl so they can be incubated.

84 pairs – 72 nest laying with 311eggs as of 5/8/09

Verse of the day

“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”- James 5:16 Listen to this chapter

Gained at least two more pair….Trio #3 on 3” pole and Trendsetter #1….These two were dominated and the SY’s put up a fight and won but the dominated pairs females are laying so that helps. That makes a definite 74 pairs but it still could be more since it is very hard to tell which nests they have built are dominated. I have 85 nests built.

Barbara had a hawk in her yard yesterday even with all the loud construction on the roof next door. The blue jays let me know he was there but when he left they were still yelling just not as much so I called Barbara, she went outside and clapped but no hawk. She called me a little later to tell me since the blue jays were still yelling she decided to check the chicken coop and she had two snakes in there. Blue Jays are GREAT birds for predators and they love peanuts.

I saw two cats over at the barn today so they still have cats over there.

Karen the neighbor who has the barn and cats came over today and let me know she let the cat go that I caught back in the neighborhood because she realized she had kittens somewhere. She found the kittens and left them with the cat in-between two neighbors houses but when she went back they were gone. Either she moved them or someone picked them up. This means we now have 11 stray cats in this neighborhood, poor birds all over the place with this many cats.

Verse of the day

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”- Philippians 4:6-7 Listen to this chapter

I have a male sparrow that is going to all my nests and even attacking the martins. I hope I catch this male sparrow in one of my traps.

2 of the nests had eggs out of the bowl, I put them back in just in case it was the sparrow or and SY and not the female. I will see if they are back out the next time I do a nest check. SS pole - #2 2 out of the nest and #10 1 out of the nest.

53 nests are now laying with 231 eggs so far. My first hatching should be on may 14th.

I did two poles yesterday – TMPP & the 2”MPP

I did two poles today – 3”MPP and the S.S.

I will try to do this so I do not have to keep the martins away very long and also make it easier on me. So this would make it one day off in-between nest checks.

Verse of the day

“if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”- 2 Chronicles 7:14 Listen to this chapter

The cat did not come by last night for the first time in days. After putting WD40 on it I think it would have worked too. Will still try again tonight.

More SY’s have come in during the night this time. I wonder if it is because I have a 500watt light shining on the poles right now trying to keep the owls away. These poles are pretty lit up at night right now.

I am going to try to do a nest check with 2 of the poles today and 2 tomorrow, this would make it much quicker and easier on me and the martins.

Just caught the cat about 20 minutes (10:30p.m.)ago and in luck the neighbors were out to feed their horses so cat and cage have been picked up. She is the sweetest cat so they plan to keep her they just couldn't catch her they said.
Just thought I would pass this on and hopefully another kitty does not come around, everything is just working out so GREAT here this year!!!!

I did a nest check on two of my poles (TMPP & 2”) will post results on tomorrows post.

Verse of the day

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.”- 1 John 5:14-15 Listen to this chapter

Gained another pair yesterday in a troyer gourd on the TMPP #8.

I have not had a close call with a hawk since April 23rd (I still have hawks but no close calls), that is the first time in over three years I have had a break like this. I think God heard me when I said I just can't do this anymore and answered....
More SY's are coming in and I had birds sleeping all over the porches last night. I even had a martin stay on top of one of the porch dividers all night long.
The martins are able to come and go as they please and they stay here most of the day and WOW this is nice.
I tried to catch the cat with my neighbors HUGE hav-a-heart trap. I must have done something wrong because the food was eaten and the dead sparrow was taken but the trap did not shut. I will check it out before this evening and see if something is stuck in it or I just didn't do it right.
Thank You so much for those who for my martins and ME! My colony is growing and eggs are everywhere.
43 - nests with eggs
40 - nests no eggs yet
163 eggs so far
Prayer, persistence, scarecrow, other birds, etc....has really paid off this year.

Sunday Morning -

Set the trap again and she came (or something did) but I believe she is to light to trip the trap

Simon has the flu…..

Verse of the day

“Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.”- Ephesians 4:15 Listen to this chapter

Part of my bible study today was John 17 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john%2017;&version=49; so I wanted to dig a little more on the trinity.

TRI-UNITY — The teaching of the Bible concerning the Trinity might be summarized thus. God is a Tri-unity, with each Person of the Godhead equally and fully and eternally God. Each is necessary, and each is distinct, and yet all are one. The three Persons appear in a logical, causal order. The Father is the unseen, omnipresent Source of all being, revealed in and by the Son, experienced in and by the Holy Spirit. The Son proceeds from the Father, and the Spirit from the Son. With reference to God's creation, the Father is the Thought behind it, the Son is the Word calling it forth, and the Spirit is the Deed making it a reality.

We “see” God and His great salvation in the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, then “experience” their reality by faith, through the indwelling presence of His Holy Spirit.

Swine Flu Tip ---

Don’t do this :-)

Some of my birds were sleeping on the porch when I came home last night. I have maybe 30 nests left but the birds are not letting any of the SY’s take these. We will see if some of these birds move on or can take a dominated nest.

The cat came around again last night so I am going to borrow Barbara’s trap and see if I can catch her.

Verse of the day

“I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.”- Job 19:25 Listen to this chapter

3”

Gourds

#2 1egg laid on 4/29

#4 2eggs laid on 4/28

S.S.

#1  1egg laid on 4/28

#2 3eggs laid on 4/27

#4 3eggs laid on 4/27

#5 4eggs laid on 4/26

#6 2eggs laid on 4/28

#7 5eggs laid on 4/25

#9 3eggs laid on 4/27

#10 6eggs laid on 4/24

#11 2eggs laid on 4/28

#13 3eggs laid on 4/27

#14 4eggs laid on 4/26

#21 1egg laid on 4/29

#23 4eggs laid on 4/26

2”

Trio -

#11 4eggs laid on 4/26

Gourds -

#3 3eggs laid on 4/27

#5 6eggs laid on 4/24

TMPP

Trend -

#3 2eggs laid on 4/28

#5 2eggs laid on 4/28

#9 5eggs laid on 4/25

#12 1egg laid on 4/29

Trio -

#1 1egg laid on 4/29

#16 1egg laid on 4/29

Gourds -

#1 4eggs laid on 4/26

#3 3eggs laid on 4/27

#6 5eggs laid on 4/25??? (Simon checked this one on 4/26 and missed it)

#10 2eggs laid on 4/28

#14 5eggs laid on 4/25

Catching more sparrows in the trap today, a few males and even a couple of juveniles, one escaped when I was feeding them.

Looks like more new birds this evening. I think I have 75 pair now.