Good -By

[DelmaWhisenhunt]

I am so disappointed, I want to say good by and quit hoping, looking, gazing into the sky. Find something else to enjoy, they have other accomodations on their martin minds. Can not think of anything else to do to make a better place and do not plan to spend another cent to try. I have a life time fishing license, so why not buy another plug, a picnic lunch, lawn chair, and go to the dream world. No telephone except cell and I can choose to ignore as long as the fish are biting. Still amazes me why a martin will choose to take up residence in a sparrow haven, goes to show our minds aren't geared to theirs. Guess you can tell I have the Monday morning blues and it isn't even Monday. Need to take my daily drive around the curve and look at the neighbors martins.

[Stephen Thomas]

Delma,

Don't give up! I am not sure how long you have been trying. It took me 7 years. Some people many more than 7. They will come. Hang in there.

Steve

[Sam Harris]

Do you think you could post a picture of you site so we could make suggestions?

[TerryG]

Don't give in!! My parents waited 14 years! Just go fishin and enjoy life, the birds will show up one day when you least expect them. Good luck!

[DelmaWhisenhunt]

May not have been 14 yrs. but it has been a long time. Some of the time martins came, but had to do battle with sparrows, starlings, hawks, and then moved the houses just this year to other side of yard. My biggest problem is man power, have to wait till sons are up visiting or call a neighbor and to request help with the martin gear doesn't get a very high priority score with most. I get lots of ideas to try, like right now I would love to put sticky mouse strips on one of the houses. Doesn't sound very good, but takes you to the next step in getting rid of them.My highschooler that helps with the lawn mowing, weed eating etc., can hardly get him to clean out the sparrow nests. He doesn't realize the damage they can create and there again he isn't into birds and I guess thinks I am crazy. Glad he is going to college locally this year, cause I sure need him with yard etc. and the birds we may compromise from time to time. I have had my Monday-----on Sunday---- so tomorrow when Monday arrives I should be well on my way to a good day. Hope your Monday will be wonderful, too.

[Joe Creason KY]

Delma, I tried for 20 years exactly before they took up residence at my place. I just kept trying different things and if you will click on my profile, you will see how they have prospered over the years. NEVER GIVE UP AND KEEP THE GOOD FAITH. I truly believe they will come to your home.

Joe

[razman]

so how long have you been trying Delma? you didn't answer the question...why the pity party? many of us had to wait YEARS for our beloved martins ( i tried for 7 years before being successful ) and many have put in many more years than i did.

why talk about giving up? you can still go fishing, watch the bluebirds, enjoy other things in your life, WHILE you are trying to attract martins..just keep the housing available, and try to keep the sparrow nests cleaned out. this shouldn't pre-empt you from fishing. it's not a matter of one or the other...dust yourself off, and get back on the horse for crying out loud. good luck, Rick

[DelmaWhisenhunt]

Thanks Rick, I needed that sermon. Today is Monday morning, I am on top of world, thunderstorm passed through and enough rain to clean things up, all is beautiful. Martins, NO? Will I keep looking? Yes? Hills and valleys come, but I am traveling great today.

[DelmaWhisenhunt]

My college age helper came to clean out the sparrow nest and they were full of eggs so scored a hit there or should say scored prevention, also had him take down the decoys, hard to keep up right and maybe the martins have been thinking wow! what happened to them, anin't landing there. Will see how goes! Main thing got my thinking to working better. A few minutes after the helper left a couple of sparrows came and seemed to going nuts trying to find nests or figure out what the world happened. Hope they get discouraged and move on some other place.

[sjsmith]

Hey Delma, I can't help but feel your pain. One of the biggest things I see right off after reading your post's is, you need to get RID of sparrows, not just keep removing nest. This year i started new all over at a new residence. The best weapon I have is the repeating bait trap. The only thing i have ever baited it with is cracked corn. Sparrows love it. I started trapping about two months ago and to date have eliminated at least 50 of the little !@#$%! At first, they landed all over my gourds and went in and out. But as fate would have it, the lure of the corn was just too much! They ultimately would end up in there. For those that were too hard headed for that and insisted on building in my gourds, I went to plan B. I have insert traps for my gourds. Once they started building I pop in the insert trap and usually it only takes a few minutes and I have the little scum bucket! Any way, eliminate them. I had a few run off my first investigating martins but I was not going to stand still for that. To date, I have between 6 and 8 pm's at my site. I am convinced that would never had happened if I had not been diligent to eliminate competition. I hope this in some way helps you. Hang tough, like everyone has said already, they will come if you don't lose heart. Steve

[rrmartins]

Sounds like you figured out your problem. They are not going to go in houses full of sparrows. Get you one of those big vee traps and wage war on them. Good luck.

[ChrisM]

I could not believe my eyes. A hawk flew between my martin house and deck about 3 o clock this afternoon. I have never seen one that close to my m house in the 20 plus years I have had martins. Does anyone keep track of the hawk population around these parts.

So far this year I have only `1 martin pair and 1 bachelor, all adults. I have noticed more martins to the north of me and to the east which is a good thing. I see them and hear them. I also had starlings hanging around trying to butt in on the 1 martin pair I do have and of all things a robin was sitting on top of the house too.

Time for a sparrow trap.

Our trees are getting trimmed soon, hopefully this week.

Are the youngsters still coming up our way?
ChrisM Hiawatha, Brown County, Ks

[ChrisM]

I feel for you Delma. Sounds like we have the same neighborhood.

[razman]

Thanks Rick, I needed that sermon. Today is Monday morning, I am on top of world, thunderstorm passed through and enough rain to clean things up, all is beautiful. Martins, NO? Will I keep looking? Yes? Hills and valleys come, but I am traveling great today.

OK....NOW you're talkin!!!

[Sue P]

Oh Delma, don't give up. It took me 15 years to get the martins here. Every year I'd watch one subbie male come, bringing in accasional girl, only to see her fly off into the sunset never to return. He'd fly after her crying pitiously. Then he'd return to my housing and spend the night alone in a gourd. That happened between 1992 and 2007.

Then a wonderful thing happened in 2007. Mr. Martin found a girl that accepted our housing and stayed with him. To that union, three babies were hatched and successfully fledged. Since that time our colony hasn't grown by leaps and bounds, but at least we had three pair last year and successfully fledged 12 babies.

I found that the dawn song worked very well. I highly recommend it. Also, hanging gourds from the bottom of my T14 helped.

I know exactly how you feel. It is so bitterly disappointing not to be able to get Martins. Especially when you try year after year. But it will happen if you keep trying. If you give up, it won't!! Just keep on trying.

Sue P