I spent an hour or two this morning driving around our small county seat looking for martin houses in need of love. It was a beautiful spring day with not a cloud in the sky. Every time I looked up, I saw martins flying high over our small Delta town on the banks of the Yazoo River. I left several of my cards in doors with my phone number and a simple note: I'd like to clean out your martin house.
It didn't take long for the calls to come in. After lunch I spent the majority of the afternoon lowering houses, removing truckloads of sparrow nests and putting the houses back up. Most all of the houses I tended to were in the yards of elderly widows. Apparently, their husbands used to tend to the martin houses but since their passing, no one has been taking care of the martins.
I cleaned out 3 houses a week ago and talked to that lady a few days ago. She said the martins immediately took to the cleaned out houses. She was right, there were martins everywhere today. Her next door neighbor also had a house with martin occupants, but I could see the sparrow nests from the road. I'm going to try and get to that house tomorrow.
I started today on a two-pole, 4-house setup. Early model S&K barn types that had been neglected for some time. One of the poles had a cable that was nearly rusted in half in a couple of places. I left it down, and put two good houses on the other pole. I removed nearly a wheel barrow full of sparrow nests. As soon as I put the houses back up, a pair of martins landed and went in and out of the compartments. The sparrows wasted no time in returning. If only I had the time to snipe them off, one by one.
The next house was a dilapidated Heath castle. It hadn't been lowered in so long that I had to hacksaw all four bolts on the poles and replace with new ones. No martin activity at this site. Maybe they'll move in. Took forever to pull all of the sparrow nests out of the entrance holes.
Third house was also a Heath castle exactly like the above, only I couldn't even get the pole down so I left it be.
Fourth house was the Trio type, but 4 rooms. I cleaned it out and straightened the pole.
Fifth house was another Trio castle. Boy, these things sure do lose a lot of doors when neglected. I guess the open doors are blown off in high winds. 6 or 7 doors on this one were gone. Martins were all over the thing and had been all day. I lowered it via the winch that was only hanging by a bolt with no nut on the back. One dead ASY male on the ground. I think I found out why....at least two of the compartments were full of old nests and jillions of fire ants. I ended up washing the entire house out with a water hose and put it back together. Martins were buzzing me the entire time. This house is practically underneath the canopy of a large oak, jammed up against the house, and in very confined airspace on two sides. There were some immaculate gourd racks across the street that were completely vacant, yet the birds flocked to the crammed, fire ant filled Trio. I soaked the lower portion of the pole with ant spray and am going back tomorrow to put a nut on the back of the winch.
There were several more houses I saw that I couldn't get access to. It amazes me that there were martins at these neglected locations, in small yards with encroaching trees and over-competition from sparrows and starlings, when I seem to never have enough birds at my houses in the wide open, which I care for daily.
Anyway, it was good to do a little cleaning and hopefully gain some long-term access to these houses for the good of the martins. I encourage the rest of you to knock on some doors. There is probably an elderly woman in your neighborhood who would love to sit and talk while you clean out her husband's old martin house.
Project Widow Woman
Rob,
Great post!
You are doing some great work. I know those Martin house owners, and definitely the Martins themselves, are truly grateful. In fact, all of us Martin fans are thankful for your efforts.
Keep us posted on those sites you're maintaining.
I love reading posts about old, neglected sites, getting some well needed TLC from caring Martin enthusiasts!
Great post!
You are doing some great work. I know those Martin house owners, and definitely the Martins themselves, are truly grateful. In fact, all of us Martin fans are thankful for your efforts.
Keep us posted on those sites you're maintaining.
I love reading posts about old, neglected sites, getting some well needed TLC from caring Martin enthusiasts!
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Scott D.- La
- Posts: 823
- Joined: Thu Jun 08, 2006 8:35 am
- Location: Louisiana
Rob,
That is very kind of you. Great Job!
That is very kind of you. Great Job!
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Carlton
- Posts: 1959
- Joined: Tue May 17, 2005 6:42 pm
- Location: Florida/Deerfield Beach
- Martin Colony History: I moved to South Florida, from Delaware, in August of 2015.
I care for a 6 condo Sunset House as well as two Deluxe Gourd Racks, with 24 Chirpynest/Excluder gourds, along a canal in Pompano Beach, Florida.
At Quiet Waters Park, nearby in Deerfield Beach, I care for a Deluxe Gourd Rack with 12 TVG's. I also care for a Deluxe Gourd rack with 12 Excluder gourds with Modified Excluder entrances. I am substituting 6 Chirpynest boxes for 6 of the Conley II entranced gourds in 2026.
At another local park, Tradewinds Park in Coconut Creek, I care for a Trendsetter 12, 5 gourds rack with 60 Excluder gourds with Modified Excluder Entrances and 1 Deluxe Gourd Rack with 12 Troyer Vertical Gourds with Starling Stoppers over the Conley II's to keep out smaller starlings.
A LOT of work but REWARDING! Great job!
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Guest
Rob,
How awesome.... You are doing a great favor for those ladies. They can now enjoy what they once had w/ their hubbies!
Probably didn't have someone to ask. You made their day... I am sure of it!
Keep up the great work!
Have a great season...
Adiekaty
How awesome.... You are doing a great favor for those ladies. They can now enjoy what they once had w/ their hubbies!
Probably didn't have someone to ask. You made their day... I am sure of it!
Keep up the great work!
Have a great season...
Adiekaty
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Louise Chambers
- Site Admin
- Posts: 6208
- Joined: Tue Nov 04, 2003 1:07 pm
- Location: Corpus Christi, TX
Rob,
I can only say 'ditto' to what everyone else has said—what a great idea to put into action! Wonderful way to help people and martins both. Kudos to you
Louise
I can only say 'ditto' to what everyone else has said—what a great idea to put into action! Wonderful way to help people and martins both. Kudos to you
Louise
Rob,
Your kindness runs deep. If we all could act just a little like you, our world would be a better place to live.
would love to see before and after pix!
Your kindness runs deep. If we all could act just a little like you, our world would be a better place to live.
would love to see before and after pix!
Last edited by CMF on Fri Mar 21, 2008 12:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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JoLita
- Posts: 44
- Joined: Thu Feb 22, 2007 2:21 pm
- Location: Missouri/East Prairie
- Martin Colony History: I have been a landlord for 24 years.
Three gourd racks with total of 28 super gourds.
2021 - 28 nesting pairs
"Ditto" from me too. Thank you for what you are doing for the widow women and for the martins.
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Guest
Rob:
Bless your heart!
Now give them the PMAC telephone number or address and suggest they write for a book about Martins. Just think what a wonder summer they will have watching and learning about Martins, and the reading will improve their cognitive function.
Bless your heart!
Now give them the PMAC telephone number or address and suggest they write for a book about Martins. Just think what a wonder summer they will have watching and learning about Martins, and the reading will improve their cognitive function.
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Craig Haddox
- Posts: 444
- Joined: Sun Mar 14, 2004 5:13 pm
- Location: Missouri Washington
Great job Rob. If I cleaned all of the houses in my town I would need a dump truck to put the sparrow nests in. Steve and Bob are having problems with thieves stealing their martin housing. There are plenty of sparrow infested houses around here I would love to see disappear!
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Guest
It amazes me how many houses have been put up and forgotten.
I was on my way to work the lake today when I passed a martin house on a street corner in Hollandale. I turned around, went back and looked at it. Another dilapidated Trio castle. It was right by the sidewalk and busy intersection and about 8 feet off of the ground. Looked like it had fallen about 50 times, cause it was all beaten up and missing pieces, but it was absolutely covered with martins. I pulled up onto the curb and parked my work truck underneath it. Climbed up on my roll bar and roof and started ripping out sparrow nests while martins went everywhere. I know folks were driving by wondering why I was tearing down those bird nests. I replaced some of the doors that were hanging loose and backed off. About 8 or 9 pairs of martins immediately returned with me standing right beside the house.
I did find two rocks about the size of a quarter on one of the porches. I figure some kid has been target practicing. I'm gonna have to talk to the town about a new house and a taller pole, maybe a tad farther away from the sidewalk.
I was on my way to work the lake today when I passed a martin house on a street corner in Hollandale. I turned around, went back and looked at it. Another dilapidated Trio castle. It was right by the sidewalk and busy intersection and about 8 feet off of the ground. Looked like it had fallen about 50 times, cause it was all beaten up and missing pieces, but it was absolutely covered with martins. I pulled up onto the curb and parked my work truck underneath it. Climbed up on my roll bar and roof and started ripping out sparrow nests while martins went everywhere. I know folks were driving by wondering why I was tearing down those bird nests. I replaced some of the doors that were hanging loose and backed off. About 8 or 9 pairs of martins immediately returned with me standing right beside the house.
I did find two rocks about the size of a quarter on one of the porches. I figure some kid has been target practicing. I'm gonna have to talk to the town about a new house and a taller pole, maybe a tad farther away from the sidewalk.
Rob, it has been my priviledge to unstuff a total of eight houses now too, something I had never presumed to do before this year, and as you have observed, the effect can be both immediate and dramatic.
Keep up the good work there Bub, a couple of us here will try to hold up our end
Mike
Keep up the good work there Bub, a couple of us here will try to hold up our end
Mike