House martin nest damage (1 Viewer)

[caroleanne]

I've been keeping an eye on some house martins nests and have discovered quite a few now have a large hole in the side of the nest and no evidence of the occupants. There has been observations of House martins building and using these nests before, but now there deserted. Any ideas as to what happened and why?

 

[KnockerNorton]

sounds like it could be great spotted woodpecker predation.

 

[caroleanne]

Really! I'd never thought that they would do that kind of damage and will they take baby birds? Looking at the photographs it look like some of the damage was tried to be repaired. Is it possible that the martins would try to nest again in the same site?

 

[KnockerNorton]

They might try.

Great Spots will hammer into the nests of any small bird, even through the side of nest boxes or live trees, and are one of main predators of tit nestlings. So a House martin nest is no problem for them.

 

[Mellorbirder]

I had the same thing happen to me only this time the culprit was a grey squirrel. It dug through the underside of the nest outside our bedroom window and I just caught it eating the eggs. The house martins repaired the nest and a few days later I saw the squirrel clambering up the wall to get to the newly laid eggs. I tried every thing I could to deter it including drenching it with the hosepipe. It must still have came back when I wasent around though because I again found the nest all damaged and this time the house martins were gone.

I have since put an artificial house martin nest on the front of the house and it has been used for two years running - with no squirrel predation.

 

[Pluvius]

I had the same problem as well and it turned out to be House Sparrow

 

[citrinella]

I've been keeping an eye on some house martins nests and have discovered quite a few now have a large hole in the side of the nest and no evidence of the occupants. There has been observations of House martins building and using these nests before, but now there deserted. Any ideas as to what happened and why?

Neighbours of mine caught a tawny owl doing this two summers ago. The house martins didn't nest there last year, but are this. My neighbours are figuring out an owl guard. They reckoned the owl waited until each batch of chicks was a decent size before taking them.

A fairly large colony on Tantallon Castle and the cliffs below (100 nests plus according to RSPB officer) has been completely wiped out by an out of hours predator. I had assumed this would be tawny too, but maybe it would be GSW ...

House Martin nests on my own house are in the window recesses. To protect them from the weather I have fixed perspex in front of them. This also prevents house sparrow entry. I have never had tawny (or GSW) predation and assume this is why. I don't have grey squirrel in my garden. Blue tits and wrens can get in, but they are no threat if the house martins get in first.

Mike.

 

[KnockerNorton]

yeah, squirrels are also a big predator of hole-nesting (and open nesting!) birds. They are well able to open nests in wood etc, so again House Martins are no problem. They're maybe just as likely in Caroleanne's case. Never heard of Tawnies breaking in - how did they manage that? Hold on with one leg and break in with the other/bill?

Sparrows usually use the front entrance and simply take over the nest, sometimes chucking any eggs or chicks out the front door, or lining a nest cup on top of them. They've got little reason to actually break in at the side.

Weasels/stoats (which can climb almost as well as a squirrel), mice/rats (also expert climbers) could also be in the frame, but again they tend to use the front entrance.

 

[claire78]

It could also be some eejit like my Grandad. He had House Martins start making a nest under the eaves of his house in Essex this year and immediately went out with a ladder and a broom and knocked it all down. He is the most intolerant person I have ever met. What makes it worse is he professes to be a gardener and has gron crops in his back garden since WW2 however he runs out of his back garden like a rocket when the starlings start digging their beaks into his beautifully manicured lawn. I have tried to explain that they are eating the leatherjackets and that it's a good thing for his lawn but he just won't listen.:C
I don't suppose I can change him now - he is in his late eighties - but I'm glad I ddon't have to live with him (or next door to him) - he's a bit of a Victor Meldrew character. Miserable b***er!
Claire

 

[citrinella]

Never heard of Tawnies breaking in - how did they manage that? Hold on with one leg and break in with the other/bill?

I believe so - I didn't witness myself.

Mike.

 

[KnockerNorton]

It could also be some eejit like my Grandad. He had House Martins start making a nest under the eaves of his house in Essex this year and immediately went out with a ladder and a broom and knocked it all down. He is the most intolerant person I have ever met. What makes it worse is he professes to be a gardener and has gron crops in his back garden since WW2 however he runs out of his back garden like a rocket when the starlings start digging their beaks into his beautifully manicured lawn. I have tried to explain that they are eating the leatherjackets and that it's a good thing for his lawn but he just won't listen.:C
I don't suppose I can change him now - he is in his late eighties - but I'm glad I ddon't have to live with him (or next door to him) - he's a bit of a Victor Meldrew character. Miserable b***er!
Claire

knocking down house martin nests is illegal, so you could tell him that!

 

[claire78]

knocking down house martin nests is illegal, so you could tell him that!

Unfortunately he ain't going to let that worry him. As long as his precious little house isn't covered in droppings etc he's happy. Glad I live 120 miles away and don't see him very often. He's an infuriating man....:storm:

 

[Mellorbirder]

It could also be some eejit like my Grandad. He had House Martins start making a nest under the eaves of his house in Essex this year and immediately went out with a ladder and a broom and knocked it all down. He is the most intolerant person I have ever met. What makes it worse is he professes to be a gardener and has gron crops in his back garden since WW2 however he runs out of his back garden like a rocket when the starlings start digging their beaks into his beautifully manicured lawn. I have tried to explain that they are eating the leatherjackets and that it's a good thing for his lawn but he just won't listen.:C
I don't suppose I can change him now - he is in his late eighties - but I'm glad I ddon't have to live with him (or next door to him) - he's a bit of a Victor Meldrew character. Miserable b***er!
Claire

Your granddad has committed a criminal offence - where does he live - I will report him to the Police.

 

[Solway]

GSW predation

We have 18 house martin nests and they have all been very busy, but tonight we saw a greater spotted woodpecker breaking large holes into the last two nests. Now all of the nests are empty.
Any ideas as to how to prevent further attacks.

 

[Fountain]

We have 18 house martin nests and they have all been very busy, but tonight we saw a greater spotted woodpecker breaking large holes into the last two nests. Now all of the nests are empty.
Any ideas as to how to prevent further attacks.

Please see this thread I started a while back, you will see how I'm beating the pedators. http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=168166 .

BTW, I have seen the owls attacking on many occasions, they hang on to the mud with one talon .. the other is used to break the mud and catch the hm's.