Another Hopeful in Oklahoma

[NancyinEnidOK]

Hi, Everyone! Well, last year there were lots of visitors and lookers, some stayed for a while -- even that was enough to thrill my socks off. For this year I am replacing my original housing with a brand new Gemini rack -- have been assembling the pole and winch, pole guard, gourd paraphernalia, etc. it in my living room for the past week -- assisted, of course, by my kitties. The ground stake is set, concrete is curing, and tomorrow the pole goes up and I can finish putting it all together! According to the Scout Report there are three sightings in southern Oklahoma. I just hope I can get everything up by the time they start arriving here, and that some of them like it enough to stay this year! Please wish me luck, and best wishes to all of you for a productive and disaster-free year! Oh -- BTW -- Dick & Stan in Tulsa, if you see this, it was great meeting you at the Roost last year -- hope to see you again and read about lots of happy PMs for you this year!

[mcollmer]

Hi Nancy' your new setup sounds great.
wishing you lots of good luck in getting
martins this year.

[NancyinEnidOK]

Thanks, Martha! The pole is up and I'm putting the rack together now -- coming inside every once in awhile to warm up fingers & toes -- should be finished sometime this afternoon. Thanks for the encouragement and good wishes -- hope you will have a great year as well!

[Emil Pampell-Tx]

I am so happy for you, and what thrilled me was that you attached a pole guard. Many beginners ignore that. Best of luck to you. I think that the martins will like gourds a whole lot.

[Linda Reynolds]

Nancy, your enthusiasm is contagious. Your posts make me smile, and I can tell you are enjoying the experience.

Sincere good luck is wished for you, this season. You have some great equipment. That Gemini rack is lovely.

Good luck to both you and Martha. I hope the folks in Oklahoma get a much-needed break this year. May Mother Nature be kind to us all.......

[NancyinEnidOK]

Emil & Linda, thank you for your posts! Well, everything got put together last night, except for the hot wire on the pole guard -- that will have to wait for an electrician. It really was fun putting it all together. I wouldn't ordinarily try to tackle something like that, but the instructions were so clear and complete that even a technologically-challenged person such as myself can get it done! So now I will be glued to the Scout Report and Forum to follow the northward migration, and will turn on the Dawn Song when they get a little closer. I'll look forward to your reports of many happy Martins and be hoping to be able to submit some of my own. Yes, hopefully Mother Nature will be kind to all of us this year!

[Jeff Robinson]

Wishing you much succes and happiness this year Nancy! Once you begin your successful colony this year (optimisim is contagious amongst martineers ), don't forget the snake netting!

Jeff

[CHenry]

Good luck to you this year Nancy and good luck too all. I just pray we don't have a scorching hot summer like last year! I have never seen so many nest jumpers and I had several casualties from the dang heat. With that in mind, this mild winter, I wonder if they will return sooner than previous years? Mine have always been here right around March 15-16 consistently.
Again, congrats on your new housing setup and pray for a mild summer with much success.

[NancyinEnidOK]

Wishing you much succes and happiness this year Nancy! Once you begin your successful colony this year (optimisim is contagious amongst martineers ), don't forget the snake netting!

Jeff

Hi, Jeff! Thanks for your post! I love the way you think (i.e., "ONCE" my successful colony begins this year)! With the insulated pole guard, I hadn't really thought about snake netting -- but after reading your post (and the horrible snake experience that happened to you in 2010) I'm thinking that it would be a good back-up. A large rat snake might be able to slither up onto the winch and then circumvent the pole guard. (Shudder. ) With a step stool, I would be able to get high enough to put a netting apparatus just above the top of the pole guard. The netting would be about six feet off the ground. The pole is fourteen feet tall. Do you think this would work? Thanks!

[NancyinEnidOK]

Good luck to you this year Nancy and good luck too all. I just pray we don't have a scorching hot summer like last year! I have never seen so many nest jumpers and I had several casualties from the dang heat. With that in mind, this mild winter, I wonder if they will return sooner than previous years? Mine have always been here right around March 15-16 consistently.
Again, congrats on your new housing setup and pray for a mild summer with much success.

Hi, CHenry! Thanks for your post! I'm with you -- hoping NOT to have another summer like 2011. That was just plain brutal. And now -- it almost feels like we haven't even had winter yet! I have also wondered whether the Martins be returning a little sooner this year. I join you in praying for a mild summer and wish much success to you as well!

[Jeff Robinson]

Nancy,

I sent you a PM, still sitting in my outbox, but should be available in your messages soon.

Jeff

[NancyinEnidOK]

Jeff, got it -- thanks! You'll be hearing back from me shortly. Nancy

[Dick Sherry]

Nancy, sounds like you have some very good housing ready for the martins. It won't be too much longer, but the early ones are often teasers in that they visit briefly and then take off. If they sense the enthusiasm you have, they should fill up your housing. Hope it is a great season for you, and it was good to meet you last summer. Keep us posted on the progress at your colony.

Dick

[NancyinEnidOK]

Dick, it is so nice to hear from you! I'll keep my chin up if they tease me too much (LOL) and will let them know they're welcome back anytime if they don't find something better -- will keep you posted -- may you have a great year as well! Nancy

[redfinch]

Hi everyone, Redfinch here. It's another year and anxiously awaiting for the sound of martins in Verdigris, OK.

I have a question. I noticed that some are putting in "prenesting" in their apartments. Can you tell me what material you are using and are you putting it in each apartment? How does this help?

We have two houses. One much older than the other as the new one was used as an overflow. Now, the older house has been dwindling in the number of birds occupying it. Last year we had our original male and only 3 others occupying the house. No babies although nests were made. What's going on here? The other house is now filled with martins.

Thanks for your help.

[NancyinEnidOK]

Hi, Redfinch! I cannot be of much help (am still a "wannabe" here) but can at least tell you that a lot of people use pine needles. You can purchase a large box of them from PMCA (or, if there is a pine tree handy, just collect them yourself I suppose). As far as amount -- many of my new gourds have a "fill line" marked on them and I just go up to there. You have some good questions about what's going on -- may I suggest that you start a new thread, and ask the same question? I think that your questions kind of got "buried" in a relatively old thread with a different topic. I'll bet lots of experienced, knowledgeable people would pop up immediately if you start a new thread. Good luck from a fellow Okie!!

[ron20m]

Redfinch I use extra clean wheat straw but you can go out and rake up some pine needles and do the same thing.
I've worried since they have completely become dependent on us for housing that we would dumb them down where they couldn't even build a nest without us either so I never did it.
But last year we got a pretty good cold snap, and we always do get one after they come, and I had a dead bird in a cavity.
Now I'm always going to put in straw or pine needles to give them some insulation for that one last cold spell that comes through.

[redfinch]

thanks for all the suggestions. I really appreciate all the help.
Our Martins arrived on March 19th last year. With the good weather, they may arrive early.

[Don Strickland]

redfinch,
Already had an arrival reported on March 1 at Claremore.
Maybe you're next.
I'm anxious for mine to arrive, to see if they like the new houses I put up.
Don

[redfinch]

6 martins arrived yesterday. A day later than last year. They were chatting up a "storm" so to speak. I was glad to see them arrive. Hopefully, more on the way.