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HMS Purple Martins

Page history last edited by Maureen B 13 years, 9 months ago

HMS Purple Martins
2010 Nesting Season

Now you can see what we have been watching in the classroom.
Just click to view our video files, and please be a little patient for the downloads! The information about the nestling development was obtained from the Purple Martin Conservation Association website.

First Arrivals & Preparing Gourd for Nest (3.5 MB)

First Arrivals & Preparing Gourd for Nest (6.1 MB)

Nest Building & Egg Laying (456.5 MB)

Nest Building & Egg Laying (794.6 MB)

Hatching Day:

June 15, 2010

The hatchling breaks through the shell symmetrically at the egg's equator.

Chicks

1 & 2

Chick 3

Chick 4

Chick 5

Day 1: June 16, 2010

Day 2: June 17, 2010

Day 3: June 18, 2010

The large transparent belly is the nestling's yolk sac. This sac helps provide the chick with nutrients.

Day 4: June 19, 2010

Day 5: June 20, 2010

If you could see this clip in color, you would notice the bright yellow beak flanges. This coloration is a highly visible food target for the parents.

Day 6: June 21, 2010

The eyelid slits begin to partially open, and the feather tracts are beginning to show under the skin changing the coloration of the nestling from pink to gray.

Day 7: June 22, 2010

The needlelike sheaths of the flight feathers begin to show. These are called "pin feathers."

Day 8: June 23, 2010

Pin feathers begin to emerge from the tail.

Day 9: June 24, 2010

Day 13: June 28, 2010

The wing and tail feathers have burst their sheaths.

Day 15: June 30, 2010

The pure white feathers on the upper-middle back are apparent.

Day 21: July 6, 2010

Banding Day

At 16 days, the feather sheaths disintegrate covering the nestlings with a powdery "dandruff." By day 20, the chicks have reached their peak weights.

Day 22: July 7, 2010

Day 24: July 9, 2010

The martins start to fledge around this age, and by day 28, 75% of the martins will have left the nests.

Thanks to a PSE&G Environmental Education Grant, we installed a solar, wireless camera in one of our purple martin gourds. This camera provides live video footage from gourd #6 into our classroom. To learn more about purple martins, visit the Purple Martin Conservation Association website.

The camera and all the equipment were designed and installed by

Delta Engineering located in Westminster, Maryland.

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