I was so close

[Stephen Thomas]

I still really don't have a colony yet. I am still trying to get one started.

I had some excitement today. The male and female went into a gourd around 7:30 this morning. The male was in there for 1 1/2 hours. The female kept going in for a few minutes and then would come out onto the porch be there for a minute and then would turn around and would go back into to the gourd. This went on for the 1 1/2 hours. We had to go to Bloomington,IL and when we got back the ASY female was sitting on the electric wires she was there for an 1/2 hour then left. Then around 7:25 PM they came back for the night. They went in and I thought they were going to stay the night. Well maybe 10 minutes went by and the two were out of the gourd sitting on the rack. Then the female started to fly off. The ASY male then chased her done and brought her back Some time the male went into the gourd and other times the female. But she kept flying off. He would chase her down and bring her back. This went on till 7:55 PM. I have one of those CD's you play to attract them. It's not the day time chatter cd. I thought that may have been confusing to her so I went and shut off the CD. Then they flew off and then came back a few minutes later and landed on the rack. Then they flew off to the West/ South West and then it got dark.

I guess I blew it by unplugging that CD that I have had playing for 24/7 for the past month or so. I guess I should not have touched it. I have unplugged the CD in the past years as well and then they left not to come back. So I suppose that will be the case again this year. He was so wanting to settle here. He was working real hard. I will be surprised if they come back at all. I hope they do.

Well I best go, this is a book. Sorry for the on and on.

Steve Thomas

[Linda Reynolds]

Steve, the CD will bring them in to investiage the *mystery singer*, but they will only stay only if your colony is desirable to them.

Is your housing in an open spot? Are there multiple flyways and open land?

Do not think you *blew it*, as she might return tomorrow and investigate your site without the distraction of the *mystery singer*. The Dawnsong CD is good for bringing them in to investigate your site, by they probably already knew it was there. The male might return, and hopefully *she* will be back tomorrow to investigte your site if she is interested.

[Stephen Thomas]

Linda,

I hope you are right that they will be back tomorrow and investigate again. Should I keep the Dawn Song off now? And let them do there thing.

I live in the middle of town. Not as much open space that I would like. I built a new gourd rack. The pole is 21 feet long. 3 feet of it is in a ground socket. The top 2 feet is nothing except perching rods. So the top of the rack is 16 feet off of the ground. I have a top and bottom arm. The gourds are above all buildings around. And I suppose the nearest tree is 40 feet and not the fifty feet as suggested. I have the rack almost on the ally. The ally goes East and West, so there is a good fly way there. Then the rack is in the center of the block and there is no trees in the way from North to South. So a good fly way there to. As soon as I say this I will be plagued again with rat birds. But at the moment none are interested now. I been trying to trap them and pull there nests out.

I don't think I have the most ideal spot, but I think its good enough to land a pair one of these day's. Maybe the ASY male is the same one that has tried before in the past 2 or 3 years.

I will keep my fingers crossed to see if they return. Again: should I keep the Dawn Song off for a few days and see what happens?

Steve Thomas

[Linda Reynolds]

Steve, you have nothing to lose by trying. Sometimes, I think the martins are very confused by the Dawnsong CD when they actually investigae a site.

The CD will attract them and bring them in, but it will NOT make they stay.

Try it for a day or two without the distraction and see if the pair like what they find.

[Dick Wallace]

Steve,

By all means, keep the Dawnsong singing. You don't want to put your emphasis on this one pair and possibly miss others that may be looking or passing through. Furthermore, the Dawnsong is a powerful tool to use in late summer when martins are in pre-migratory mode and while migrating. You will attract many martins in and they may "imprint" your housing for next season. One thing you are seeing now though...if momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. As soon as momma gives the nod of approval, you will colonize.
It will happen, just believe!

Blessings,
Dick

[Stephen Thomas]

Linda said:

Steve, you have nothing to lose by trying. Sometimes, I think the martins are very confused by the Dawnsong CD when they actually investigae a site.

The CD will attract them and bring them in, but it will NOT make they stay.

Try it for a day or two without the distraction and see if the pair like what they find.

Linda, I think I will see what happens for a couple of days without the CD. If no activity I will start playing again.

Dick said

By all means, keep the Dawnsong singing. You don't want to put your emphasis on this one pair and possibly miss others that may be looking or passing through. Furthermore, the Dawnsong is a powerful tool to use in late summer when martins are in pre-migratory mode and while migrating. You will attract many martins in and they may "imprint" your housing for next season. One thing you are seeing now though...if momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. As soon as momma gives the nod of approval, you will colonize.
It will happen, just believe!

Dick I do believe, I do believe. In fact I also beleive "if you build it , they will come"

Steve

[razman]

i still think you are "good to go".......for them to spend that much time there today, and that much time in the house/gourd, i think it looks good.
for what it's worth, when i was at this point with my first pair, i turned off the CD and let nature run its course. dunno if the results would have been any different, it's just what worked for me...good luck, Rick

[Guest]

I think you have more going for you being "in town" than some other landlords do. The height you describe is more than enough, especially being above other structures. A 40-foot clearance to the nearest tree is just fine; I've heard of some with colonies quite a bit closer than that.

-Steve

[Stephen Thomas]

Rick, Steve and everyone else,

They came back this morning!!!!!!!!!!

I don't know exactly what time they were here but when I looked out the window at 7:30 AM they were sitting on the Rack. Some times she would go down to the gourd look in and fly back up on to the rack and once in a while she would go in and be out in a minute or two. She is now going into a different gourd with a modified excluder tunnel entrance. At 8:30 AM there was an other Martin, making three. I couldn't tell if it was a female or male. It was lite colored. It could have been a SY male. On the forum they said SY's were in Springfield, IL. So it takes a day or two for them to get here. It's 11:00 AM and they are still here!!!!!!!! It looks promising they will stay. I do not have the Dawn Song playing at this time. Keep fingers crossed, I am!! The new comber got a little two close to the ASY female and The ASY male flew at it and the new cumber flew off. I haven't seen the new comber since. This hobby is kind of hard on the blood pressure. Well that's the news. Now it's 11:05 and they are gone from the rack. Don't know if they are in a gourd or decided to hunt for some insects. I will be looking this evening to see if they come back for the night.

[Courtney-NC]

Steve, I wish you the best! If he can get that female to stay, that is the ticket. The female didn't like my site but the male tried for 5 days to get her to stay. I have similar conditions to you, but I am out in the country more.
I think I might turn my dawnsong back on as well. It has been off for about 2 weeks.

[Guest]

Steve,
All sounds good. If they have been around investigating that is great, she just has to make up her mind, and we all know that could take awhile. Be patient, but I think this is good news. Lots of luck!!!

[Stephen Thomas]

mcrousse

Steve, I wish you the best! If he can get that female to stay, that is the ticket. The female didn't like my site but the male tried for 5 days to get her to stay. I have similar conditions to you, but I am out in the country more.
I think I might turn my dawnsong back on as well. It has been off for about 2 weeks

ShannonD

Steve,
All sounds good. If they have been around investigating that is great, she just has to make up her mind, and we all know that could take awhile. Be patient, but I think this is good news. Lots of luck!!!

This is Monday night May 17. My wife said they were back again this morning. Haven't seen them tonight yet. I didn't see them last night either. I guess they could have made a bee-line into a gourd without me seeing them. I wasn't at the window very long when I was looking. I am also thinking I am good to go also, Last year I thought that and they never came back. So I am leery in saying I am good to go. It is cool today in the 50's a little windy and rainy. Some times it is only sprinkling so I hope they find something to eat. I am not here in the morning to see them since I am on the road by 5:30 AM to go to work. If I was I would try flinging some eggs at them. If I don't see them at night then It would not pan out as well. Do the martins stay in trees during rainy windy conditions? Especially if they have not committed all the way???

Hopping they will stay and be my first pair. Thanks for you comments. I still have the Dawn Song not playing.

[frushaj]

GOOD LUCK!!!
THERE IS NOTHING AS EXCITING AS YOUR FIRST PAIR!!!

[frushaj]

FYI

3ed year

5 pair

22 young of 4 pair, one pair just picking a cavity

[Stephen Thomas]

frushaj

GOOD LUCK!!!
THERE IS NOTHING AS EXCITING AS YOUR FIRST PAIR!!!

Your right! But it is also hard on the heart!!! Hope they are here to stay.

[Jeff Robinson]

You got it right Stephen....Build it and they will come.....and keep coming!! Enjoy that first pair and the euphoric feelings from all their and your successes. From then on, it gets crazy and you will suffer mood swings like crazy as you begin that second year, unbelievably anxious over what will or won't happen! My wife said I went thru 5 years of male menopause in 3 months last year (first week of March thru mid-June of my 2d year landlord status). Now that I look back on it....I can't argue with her!! Good luck buddy - beautiful eggs!

[Guest]

Stephen, I would put the CD away. You don't need it anymore IMO. You got a pair there & they will bring many more in. I suspect there are more that knows where your site is. If you got a good open site martins will find it believe me. They seach out sites over a long range & will find them. I used a CD for years & only one SY male would come but never attract a female. Once I moved to a place with a good open site I got them & never played a CD. Its my 5 th year & approcaching 50 pair. Best of luck.

[Stephen Thomas]

Ronnie Scarbro & Bedrock-Jeff & everyone else,

My Dawn Song is still off!!!!!! I saw the pair (ASY male and Female a Week a go last Friday. They were here Friday, Saturday and Sunday, then gone. I never saw them on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, then on Thursday morning they were back. I also saw them Thursday night. Then my wife saw them on Friday morning and I didn't see them at all that night. After that Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Today (Tuesday) May 18 TH they were here morning and night. I really didn't see them Saturday or Sunday night, but I believe they sneaked in and I didn't see them. I went to the rack to lower it to take a peek inside the gourds. I was maybe 10 feet from the rack and I looked up and there was a martin sitting on the porch. It dive bomb me. And then the pair came out and dive bomb me also. I turned around and walked back to the house. They then flew up on to the high Electrical wires and was watching me. I walked near the old heath house and pulled a sparrow nest out. Then I don't know if it was a SY male or another female, but it flew off. I then continued to walk pass the gourd rack and they squawked at me and told me to keep going. The loan martin flew back and got into a gourd. The paired up martins. Took awhile to get a a gourd I presume since they were not around any longer. I had to leave for 10 to 15 minutes to do my exercises for my knee. So I presume they got back into a gourd. There also seamed to be some other nesting material around the bottom of the pole-on the ground. So since they are sleeping in a gourd and maybe putting some nesting material in, I am confident I have my 1 ST pair in 7 years. And they brought an extra 1 with them. Maybe I could get 1 or 2 more. Since the subbies are starting to come through.

I had to let all know!!!!!!! I am now ecstatic!!!!!!!!

Sorry for the book.

Hope all have a good season.