Attracting Martin

Rocky Top · Tue Feb 07, 2012 8:48 pm

I put my house up to late last year and did not see a single martin. Do you thank that decoys and CD's Work?

Dale

D'Nese · Tue Feb 07, 2012 8:53 pm

Sure, what do you have to loose? It won't hurt, the dawn song is your best bet!!! Good luck and let us know when it happens!

flyin-lowe · Tue Feb 07, 2012 9:22 pm

Do you have any pictures of your housing and your yard? There are many members on here who can offer some good advice with some pictures of your set up. If not at least describe your housing system. Also how open is your yard? Are there any trees or other buildings near buy? Are there any other martin colonies close buy that you know of?

Emil Pampell-Tx · Wed Feb 08, 2012 5:30 am

Most people that have an open site will see a few martins even if none stay the first year. If your house is too close to trees, you have a problem. Martins sometimes stay too close to trees, but its really hard to attract any unless you have a wide open place.

For instance, we have a large colony. There are several martin houses that remain empty within a block or two of our colony because they have them erected too close to trees. Their birdhouse simply is a decoration, and nothing lives in them.

Guest · Wed Feb 08, 2012 9:19 pm

My neighbor has two houses next to trees and that is where the Starlings nest to come over here. He just doesn't care and never tends to his houses.

Wetterdale · Wed Feb 08, 2012 9:28 pm

The dawn call absolutely works to attract martins. Martins are really rare in my area. In my first year I didn't see one. Last year I put the dawn call on my Mac which controlled when it plays, it feeds my amp from my TV sound system, which in turn drives two horn speakers way up on my old TV antenna. My sound system is smokin'!!! I have no doubt that is why I had my first visitors last year.