OMG! I Did it My ASY Male & his female found our new hom

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diane davis-ms
Posts: 131
Joined: Thu Jan 15, 2009 8:29 am
Location: Baxterville, ms
Martin Colony History: Last colony I had was in 2015.

I would first of all like to thank you all for rooting me on and all your help :grin:
Oh My Gosh! My Purple Martins did find my new home and place and im just
in awah of it and amazed at the Intelligent's of the purple martin .
I went home yesterday morn to old place to get more flowers and ck on my martins there with no home's to get in. And parked truck in open drive way
and walked around my yard getting flowers in a minuit i heard them over toward neibors vocal so i walked out in open so they could see me and here they come 2 asy males and 1 female. I got so excited :grin: . I started talking to them as they started diveing closer to me being very vocal & seeming to be fussing or glad to be home. This went on for about 15 min then they went off
higher up to feed i guess.
I loaded my flower's up and went home had my Dawnsong CDplaying in my yard
and was planting flower's maby 30 min after i left old place and herd him
over my head very vocal singing his heart out my cd had went off so i ran to back of yard to turn it back on and he was over me singing the whole time i was running to back yard i was afraid he would fly on over and leave.
And to my amazement I looked up he had a female with him Bless God and
started diveing down at me as to ckeck me out visualy and as he got closer to me so close as to make the hairs move on my head I started talking to him
telling him he better land on his house, He seem to recognize me and my voice
and acted like he was a tame bird i had raised. Witch i have hand raised
several fledging's that have jumped from there nest and would not stay
when i put them back in the past few year's.
At the same time all this was going on my husband was seeing it going on to he came around the house and witnessed the whole thing and was totaly
amazed that he followed me to the new house and said he had to be one of
the baby's i hand raised last year or the year before.
All i know is im one happy girl and my prayer's were answered and you know
my husband & i have a crook in our neck's this morning from watching him
and the other 2 all day yesterday :grin: He landed on several house's
and went in the natural gourd's and the other houseing like he had been here the whole time. It just blew my mind how excited my martin was & how comfortable he was as if he were home. With this experence i have learned
a lot about the Purple Martin's they are by far very Intelligent bird's &
do know that they recognize people and shapes and our voice's and different sound's. And yes he's back this morning but i didnt see him go to bed
last night i watched for him and it got to dark or either he snuck in around
5:00 pm was the last time he flew over singing. Now i will see how many more he will bring over to our new place to nest :grin:
Woo Hooo! Just so glad he found me and his home and moved with me!
~Diane~
purple martin addict!
pmca member.
2015 sy's males here hoping for new colony!
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Don~VA
Posts: 391
Joined: Fri Mar 13, 2009 11:01 am
Location: Virginia/King George
Martin Colony History: Had a colony many years ago which dwindled over a couple of years and then did not return. Kept trying each year for almost 20 years and finally had a small success in 2011 with two pairs nesting. Colony has grown slowly each year with 22 pairs in 2015. In 2016 my gourd rack of 18 gourds filled up so I added 4 more gourds and then put up a small rack of 6 gourds. All of those were claimed within a few days so I believe I have at least 25 pairs this year.

Congratulations Diane! What an amazing story. I can feel you excitement!!
Don~Northern Neck of Virginia-PMCA Member
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Gobbler T
Posts: 1518
Joined: Tue Mar 31, 2009 8:13 am
Location: Mississippi / Columbus

Way to go diane!!!
I think you will get them all back before its over. He will tell his friends, and they will tell their friends, and so on, and so on. You will be full before you know it.
Tony


2007 --- 0 2011---0 2015---4
2008 --- 0 2012---0 16-19—0
2009 --- 0 2013---1 2020—?
2010 --- 0 2014---3
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Annie G
Posts: 341
Joined: Thu Aug 02, 2007 3:09 pm
Location: Wisconsin/Portage

That is awesome! I am so happy for you. Best wishes for this season. Annie
Keep trying and keep your chin up, its easier to see the martins coming!!
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Louise Chambers
Site Admin
Posts: 6208
Joined: Tue Nov 04, 2003 1:07 pm
Location: Corpus Christi, TX

Great news, Diane! We are all so happy to hear this is working out. Keep us informed, please. :grin:
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trisha
Posts: 427
Joined: Fri May 27, 2005 1:12 pm
Location: Texas/Burleson, south of Fort Worth

Awesome!!!!! I'm so happy for you!
Trisha


PMCA member
2019, 36 pair
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Guest

Great news I guess they still love you :grin:

dick
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Ed Pace
Posts: 680
Joined: Tue Feb 08, 2011 3:31 pm
Location: NY/Jamestown

Great to hear that happy story Diane. I think like Gobbler, that soon you will have many birds to add to your new home.
Good luck. ----- Ed.
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Laverne
Posts: 2216
Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2004 1:58 pm
Location: TX/Alvin
Martin Colony History: Erected 1st house in 1997. Birds were checking it out before Mike got down from the ladder. Six cavities had a little colony 1st year. Grown to 88 cavities all gourds with near 100% occupancy. Most important factor for success is rain = bugs.

Fantastic news, Diane!! I am so happy to know your story. I truly believe that bird kept watching you going back and forth until he made the connection. I know the birds of our colony recognize us. I'm so glad to hear there are others out there building lifelong relationships with their pet Purple Martins!! :wink:

Go ahead -- talk to the birds -- who cares what the neighbors think -- the neighbors don't know what they're missing...

enjoy...

Sincerely,
Laverne
Sincerely,
Laverne
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Peggy Riley
Posts: 885
Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 1:21 pm
Location: TX/Tolar

That's really great news Diane!
PMCA Member
2017 101 pair
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Linda Reynolds
Posts: 1308
Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 8:33 pm
Location: Adamsville, TN

Diane, that is quite a unique success story. I am so very happy for you. I hope 2012 is a very good year for all of our landlords and ladies......
Ever-Grateful,
Linda
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Doug Martin - PA
Posts: 1988
Joined: Thu Mar 25, 2004 10:47 am
Location: Pennsylvania/Fombell
Martin Colony History: First pair in 2009 after 28 years of trying. 3 pairs 2010, 17 pairs 2011 and 35-45 pairs since. Many additional colonies are now springing up around mine in an area once completely void of Martins. I offer 50 compartments at my site consisting of primarily Excluder II gourds on Gemini racks. Also a wooden T-14. I utilize electric fence type predator guards on the base of the poles. Supplemental feeding is crucial in maintaining my colony. I platform feed throughout the season as needed. My site tends to be a stop over point for additional birds as they migrate further north.

Diane,

This is a really great story. The fact that they found you so early leads me to believe you will get almost your entire colony back. Perhaps even more if the location is superior.

I have stated in the past that the Purple Martin may be one of the most intellegent of all birds. Generally the fact that they are colony nesters and have a wide range of communication with themselves and people would prove that.

Way to go! 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)
Supplemental feeding plays a major role in Western Pennsylvania. Finally got my 1st pair in 2009 after 28 years of effort. The colony has grown quickly to 45 pairs that I care for. Many new colonies have now sprung up around me in the past few years as well. Where there was none.... there is many.
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Bill Pec
Posts: 545
Joined: Tue Apr 27, 2010 9:21 am
Location: Smith Mountain Lake, Moneta, Virginia
Martin Colony History: 2010- 2 pr. Fledged 6
2011- 20 pr. Fledged 75
2012- 35 pr. Fledged 143
2013- 37 pr. Fledged 153
2014- 40 pr. Fledged 198
2015- 40 pr. Fledged 183
2016- 42 pr. Fledged 189
2017- 42 pr. Fledged 168
2018- 43 pr. Fledged 172
2019- 43 pr. Fledged 193
2020 -44 pr. Fledged 181
2021 -43 pr. Fledged 184
2022 - 40 pr. Fledged 160
2023 - 39 pr. Fledged 151
2024 - 40 pr. Fledged 154

Diane,

Your story gave me goose bumps. Thanks for sharing your unbridled joy.
So happy for you and your birds,

Bill
THE MORE ONE LEARNS THE MORE ONE SEES! While the ignorant person sees only a blackbird the enlightened person sees a Purple Martin.

2010- 2 pr. 6 fledged, + many visitors
2011- 20 pr. 75 fledged,
2012- 35 pr. 143 fledged
2013- 37 pr. 153 fledged
2014- 40 pr. 198 fledged
2015- 40 pr. 183 fledged
2016- 42 pr. 189 Fledged
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Dave Reynolds
Posts: 2441
Joined: Mon Jan 31, 2011 4:35 pm
Location: Little Hocking, Oh.
Martin Colony History: Satellite Site “Oxbow Golf Course”..
2018 - 15 Pair, 36 Fledged
2019 - 26 Pair, 97 Fledged
2020 - 30 Pair, 137 Fledged
2021 - 30 Pair, 144 Fledged
2022 - 27 Pair, 125 Fledged
2023 - 31 Pair, 130 Fledged
2024 - 41 Pair, 198 Fledged
2025 - 44 Pair, 168 Fledged

Home Site "Little Hocking, Ohio".
2019 - 1 Pair, 5 Fledged
2020 - 1 Pair, 4 Fledged
2021 - 8 Pair, 36 Fledged
2022 - 13 Pair, 46 Fledged
2023 - 16 Pair, 84 Fledged
2024 - 22 Pair, 104 Fledged
2025 - 28 Pair, 83 Fledged

That's good news Diane :lol: Hope you have a great year
Dave -- in Little Hocking, Ohio
PMCA Member
Little Hocking, Ohio
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diane davis-ms
Posts: 131
Joined: Thu Jan 15, 2009 8:29 am
Location: Baxterville, ms
Martin Colony History: Last colony I had was in 2015.

Thank you all for your kind comment's :grin: My putter has been acting up
the last few day's and not been able to get online. But guess that gave me more time to watch for my Martin's. My asy male and the other 2 have still been
flying around here since i guess he followed me here to our new home :grin: .
Yesterday i was in the yard all day and all during the day he would come over the house singing fly low over his houses fly over me fairly low then lift back up so high in the sky i could not see him and go feed. :grin:
Laverne i know, I was wondering what my neibor's thought i was doing walking in the yard looking up and talking to the sky all the time :lol:
Then I thought OH WELL! Like you they just dont know what there missing!
Will keep you all posted, Wishing you all the Best P.M. Year :grin:
~Diane~
purple martin addict!
pmca member.
2015 sy's males here hoping for new colony!
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parkerdes
Posts: 417
Joined: Sun Apr 30, 2006 5:41 pm
Location: TEXAS/Weatherford

That is SO Exciting!!! :grin: :) :grin: :) :grin:
Congratulations!!! He will advertise your new location to his friends & bring them to y'all's new home!!!
Your signature says your numbers up until last season....how many pair did you have in 2011???
Are you still playing your "Martin music"?
Have a great year!!!
Lila
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Lenora C
Posts: 11
Joined: Wed Mar 03, 2010 1:04 pm
Location: Missouri/Springfield

Thank you for sharing your really neat start to the season.
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birdy girl
Posts: 1179
Joined: Wed Apr 19, 2006 9:09 am
Location: Mississippi/Dumas

Diane,
Glad the martins have found your new place. I haven't been on forum much lately but glad to hear from you. Heart touching story. I look forward to reading your upcoming posts on how well the martins like your new place.
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NancyinEnidOK
Posts: 158
Joined: Mon Feb 28, 2011 4:06 pm
Location: Oklahoma/Enid

Diane, the rapport you have with your Martins is beautiful and heartwarming. I have read about "site fidelity." It seems that you've gone a step beyond that and your birds have "landlord fidelity!" Congratulations and I hope you have a great year!
Nancy

PMCA MEMBER
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Peter Alberda
Posts: 175
Joined: Wed Feb 23, 2011 4:09 pm
Location: Michigan, Zeeland
Martin Colony History: Started with Amish copy of Trendsetter 12 room house, added Trio Grandpa with expanded rooms, and North Star 8. Taking Trendsetter down this spring and adding gourd rack.

I had a similar experience last year. Two years ago I started renting a barn about two miles away from our place. There was a pair of eastern phobees nesting there. One time while puting a tractor away the babies jumped out of the nest. I caught them but they wouldn't stay, though they did stay in the barn and the parents feed them out.

I've never had any in 35 years at the home farm but last year I had a very friendly pair build a nest at home. They buillt a nest of mud and moss on an old chain hanging in the ceiling, laid eggs and hatched out babies. I was thrilled! The next time I checked, the babies had died and the adults were gone. I suspect my barn cat figured out their flight path and intercepted them. (I can't be without him for mouse control.) There were no phoebes at the rented barn last year either so I think I lost the ones from there.

You can imagine how I feel.

Pete
2020 - A pair of SY birds with three nice chicks. Lots of visitors all year long.
2015-2019 - A few lookers.
2014 - ASY male and SY female fledged four chicks.
2013 - Several visitors but none stayed to nest.
2012 - Lots of visitors all season long. We had a pair of sys but no chicks survived.
2011 - New location - A few visitors
2010 - First year – Poor house location.
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