I found this down the road from my office.

[flyin-lowe]

I had to come in from the opposite direction today and I saw some PM houses behind a house and in some trees. One of the trees was actually touching the PM house. Typically when I see this it's an old SK barn or a Wal Mart special but this house seemed decent. As I got around a curve i could also see a gourd rack and I thought to myself that there can't be martins there but it looked like a decent setup for someone who doesn't have martins. The house and the racks appeared to be less then ten feet tall and the trees around them where very big. I pulled along side the house and sure enough there was at least 5 ASY males in and out and having a good ole time. This is the second colony I have found within a few miles of my office that are completely surrounded by huge trees. I felt bad about the 20 foot tall maple tree I have that is 150 feet away from my house and there are martins here living in a house that has branches literally touching the roof. I could maybe see this in the south were populations seem higher and there is more competition for housing, but here in IN I see and know several people who have what took to be perfect sites and have been trying for years with no luck (myself included)

[Guest]

PMs have absolutely no aversion to nesting in close proximity to any kind of trees - they will stay away from housing that is in close proximity to trees if they have been predated upon by avian predators.

My colony is located amongst very large trees - the pms actually benefit from the shade in hot , sunny days.

[Guest]

Tho the best of the best would be an open area it isn't necessary for an established colony.I too have a tree close by and a fireplace chimney with in 10 feet and 3 feet higher than a gourd rack,,,,,,,,,,they don't mind either.

[Guest]

PMs have absolutely no aversion to nesting in close proximity to any kind of trees - they will stay away from housing that is in close proximity to trees if they have been predated upon by avian predators.

My colony is located amongst very large trees - the pms actually benefit from the shade in hot , sunny days.

Very nice setup Stan!

[Scully]

We could start a compendium of bad sites.... Certainly most fit that description in my neck of the woods. This one at least has new housing, and some crescents.



But I see nothing to prevent the widespread return of the Coopers as is already underway, and hundreds of colonies around here would be sitting ducks (sitting martins??).

Mike Scully

[flyin-lowe]

It just makes me wander what might be wrong at my place. I've got a nice house, gourds, perches, nest trays with nests and a 1000 acre lake less then 1/8 mile from the front door. The good news is I will keep trying. The only change I made this year was to add two Troyer Horizontals and I built new nest boxes. I took this pic last year when a storm was moving in. The clouds looked like mountains for a few minutes, but just under the clouds beyond the trees in the background is part of the lake.

[birdy girl]

flyin-lowe,
I don't see anything wrong with your site. It looks perfect to me. Sometimes it is just hard to start a new colony. Keep trying- they should come there. Maybe you could add a small gourd rack near your T-14 house. I think the more variety of housing the more attractive to martins. Add decoys and maybe play dawnsong. You have a great site.

[Scully]

flyin,

Is there much human activity in your yard all day long?

For example do you have a busy road in front of your house or maybe even an area between your driveway and your house where everyone comes in and out?

Even down here in martin-rich San Antonio I put up a gourd rack some years back for a local Audubon Center. Four years and nary a martin, but they put it up in a quiet open space some distance from any regular human activity.

I also put one up at a very active shooting range. Yep, martins, right next to the combat handgun competition range. Lots of rapid fire and dinking gongs.

Here at school, the gourds right next to the most hustle and bustle always seem to fill up first.

I would suggest adding the lowest cost addition you could find and try putting that one up in front of your house. If that one gets martins, you could move the better housing over.

Mike Scully

[Guest]

Very nice setup Stan!

Thank you David - just a small part of my colony - cutting down this season , just don't have the time to dedicate to it....

[flyin-lowe]

There's not a bunch of human traffic but its not a ghost town either. Being this close to the state park there is always crews out mowing, picking up trash etc. I also spend a lot of time outside with my kids and doing yard work etc.

There are some colonies near by me so I think it's just a matter of time. Each year I get a little closer. Two years ago an SY stuck around but never went into a cavity. Last year I had an SY male stay most of the summer and had one gourd he was using. I also had numerous other SY visitors just no females. I was hoping the SY would return this year but I have only seen one ASY and it was early on. I was going to open things up for good this morning but I have been watching about 4 TS all morning hoping around my T14 trying to get in so I might wait a little longer.

[Julio]

Flyin you have a perfect site, give it some time you'll get your birds.