Its so strange to hear about this. This is our first year ever with a BB pair and they are gettin ready to fledge 3 with their first brood. These guys are sweet hearts and don't bother the martins at all.
Yesterday, the BB male was sitting side by side on a powerline next to a Martin peacably.
They stay out of eachothers way and do their thing. Most of the time I have a air rifle worried about sparrows trying to hurt our BB's. I read about this stuff. We feed them too and they really like it. The little dad BB is such a gem of a fella. I can't imagine these little guys pushing around our aggressive Martin subbies.
I hope your BB will find their area in your yard soon.
Blue Birds/ Intruders
2008~(1st yr) 4 pairs, 11 to 12 fledged
2009~(2nd yr) 9 pairs, 41 fledged
2010~(3rd year) 11 pairs. 50 fledged
2011~(4th year) 20 pairs, 23 out of 23 gourds Martin occupied, 3 fledged, the rest died in the drought. (1 new Blue Bird, 3 BB fledged.)
2012~ 26 pairs, approx. 100-110 fledged
2009~(2nd yr) 9 pairs, 41 fledged
2010~(3rd year) 11 pairs. 50 fledged
2011~(4th year) 20 pairs, 23 out of 23 gourds Martin occupied, 3 fledged, the rest died in the drought. (1 new Blue Bird, 3 BB fledged.)
2012~ 26 pairs, approx. 100-110 fledged
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Guest
I manage a remote colony with 52 martin compartments and 14 bluebird boxes. Every year I have martins, bluebirds and tree swallows. I also deal with HOSP. The site is 45 miles from home. I make the trip once or twice per week to manage the HOSP early in the season and to do counts later. The bluebirds rarely move to another box. I believe that they only do so when a pair loses a mate, or both move on. The other 13 boxes fill with tree swallows. The only thing that bothers the martins is an occasional pair of HOSP moving in. Since I am not there all of the time, I'm sure that there is interaction between species, but everything seems harmonious when I'm there. This small space is only about a half acre surrounded by a large school complex, parking lots and ball fields.
Birds have personalities. I have a female martin that returned this year. It is the only martin that has ever dive bombed me and squawked at the same time. I don't know if she is welcoming me, or asking me to leave, but she is unique. She did this to me on every visit last year and I have to believe that it was her again this year.
I believe that if anyone wants to host bluebirds, martins and tree swallows they are going to see some squabbles. I've seen tree swallows run off martins and I've seen martins trap and almost kill a tree swallow on a martin house with young. Usually, the tree swallows and martins are feeding together and the bluebirds mind their own business. Perhaps my birds are so concerned with the HOSP that they don't have time to fight each other. Five adult tree swallows have been killed by HOSP so far this year and feathers are just starting to be placed in nests. I've removed three HOSP for every dead tree swallow.
It's just a variation of the same dance in a different place. If anybody said that this was going to be easy, they lied.
Mark
Birds have personalities. I have a female martin that returned this year. It is the only martin that has ever dive bombed me and squawked at the same time. I don't know if she is welcoming me, or asking me to leave, but she is unique. She did this to me on every visit last year and I have to believe that it was her again this year.
I believe that if anyone wants to host bluebirds, martins and tree swallows they are going to see some squabbles. I've seen tree swallows run off martins and I've seen martins trap and almost kill a tree swallow on a martin house with young. Usually, the tree swallows and martins are feeding together and the bluebirds mind their own business. Perhaps my birds are so concerned with the HOSP that they don't have time to fight each other. Five adult tree swallows have been killed by HOSP so far this year and feathers are just starting to be placed in nests. I've removed three HOSP for every dead tree swallow.
It's just a variation of the same dance in a different place. If anybody said that this was going to be easy, they lied.
Mark
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Guest
I do think that the distance of the bb house and ts house from each other and the martin housing is very important. Too close and they see each other as problems. Too far, and they don't keep the other bb/ts from using the gourds. Just right, and they all live in harmony. My bbs like to sit on top of the gourd rack and look at their house, and look for bugs, but they don't prevent martins from using the gourds.