How's this season going for you so far??

[DaveHRRTX]

So far we seem to have 3 pairs, and 4 SY males. I am still hoping that the extra male will make it 4 pairs. Several days I have seen some visitors ASY males and some extra SY males. So I have hopes that a few more pairs will materialize.

Sparrows have been a real pain so far this year. So far I have been able to thin their ranks pretty steadily; but there is a never ending supply of them!

Seems like every year I end up killing at least 3 Starlings. Once you get 3, the word seems to spread and they quit messing with the house. They can't get in the SREH crescents, since I raised the porches. But they seem to enjoy roosting on the house and keeping the PMs from landing. No matter, they make an easy target when they perch on the roof.

Dave Round Rock, TX

[Caroline94535-ND]

My season here in North Dakota has just begun. My first birds arrived Friday, April 23 at 8:57 a.m.

Last year the first birds arrived on May 10.

As of last night I have five birds, three ASY males and two ASY females, sleeping in the gourds. I'm certain I'll be getting more in the next two or three weeks.

This will be our third Purple Martin season in our new site in Larimore. I had an 11-gourd colony when I lived on the base, about 20 miles south and east of my new colony. It was a very busy and productive site. 2008 was our first attempt to host martins in Lairmore.


2008 - 1 lone nesting pair, ASYs, and several visitors throughout the season. My pair laid five eggs and fledged five chicks.

The female died about 10 days before the chicks were to fledge. The lone male continued to feed and fledge all of them. He was ran ragged after the first three fledged. He was flying and feeding with them, and feeding them, and still having to feed the two chicks left in the gourd.

He managed to fledge them all.

2009 - 4 ASYs nesting pairs. 19 eggs laid, 17 chicks fledged.

One egg was "clear" and never hatched; one chick was killed by a HOSP. HOSP died a sudden and unexpected death.

2010 - Hasn't begun yet, but two pairs and one male are here. There are large groups martins flying around the town.

[Stingray]

Updated numbers.
Thanks to those that have responded!

Thanks to all that responded.
I broke out your responses into five categories with regard to martins
in 2010 vs 2009

# Martins
None
7
Less
8
Same
8
More
12
Unsure
3

Interestingly, for the most part the categories bore out almost identical numbers.
It would be interesting to see how this plays out as the season progresses.
Some have made changes that helped. Others (myself included) made changes and so far have not seen a benefit from them.
Last year I addded a pole with six supergourds on it and had a nice little increase over 2008.
This year after trimming a Mahogany tree in our backyard to afford even more clear area, I have two less pair than last year.
On the upside, this pair has built a beautiful nest!
Glad to see so many doing well!!
The rest of us can just keep our fingers crossed and hope to attract our little winged wonders.

Thanks again for posting. If we can keep learning from each other, we'll all be better informed landlords.

Regards,
Pedro