After 6 years - We Have Martins!!

cbyeagley · Sat May 05, 2012 5:40 pm

We have tried for at least six or eight years to attract Martins, put up all kinds of housing, built a pond, and finally, on April 14th, the first one, an adult male, showed up. The next day he brought two friends and they all hung out. Then there were six hanging out and staying in our natural gourds at night. Now there are at least eight (a pair in each of the four natural gourds we have under our Quad Pod. They have all been building nests in the gourds for the last few days, so we feel like they will all definitely stay now. Anyway, it has been very exciting to finally have Martins that we can watch. We are wondering if we should purchase some more natural gourds to place under our T-14 unit, in case we have more show up. Does anyone have any thoughts about whether we might get more, like the sub-adults possibly?

rrmartins · Sat May 05, 2012 5:45 pm

Not sure if you will get more. Congrats on your first pairs, hope you have a great year and enjoy your new hobby. Good luck.

flyin-lowe · Sat May 05, 2012 6:08 pm

You definitely have a shot at more pairs once the SY come through. They should take to the T 14 but it never hurts to add gourds if that is what they are using. I wander if somebodly lost a house or something? That is a large number of ASY's at a new colony. Either way congrats!

JL Murray · Sat May 05, 2012 6:28 pm

GREAT NEWS, I am excited for you, congratulations, and best of luck to you,

lcline85 · Sat May 05, 2012 6:30 pm

Congrats! You are closeish to me so this give me some hope!

DornCounty · Sat May 05, 2012 9:45 pm

nice!!! Talk about a starting with a bang. wow.. great story. 6 years of wait then boom 4 pairs. Almost had to be a colony abandonment. Nice to know they have found a new home now. I gotta feeling you will take great care of them.

Hanover Bill · Sun May 06, 2012 7:02 am

Hi cb;

Congrats on your first Martins. I can only imagine that feeling when you realize that they are finally there to stay.

I am entering my fouth year, had some visitors last year, but nothing so far this year, but still holding out hope.

Best of luck to you,

Hanover Bill.

Dave Reynolds · Sun May 06, 2012 7:13 am

CB -- It was all worth the wait..

I'm happy for ya... Have a great season..

Dave

Jeff Robinson · Sun May 06, 2012 8:00 am

Congrats CB. It's still early in the subbie season, so you can expect more coming thru. Your choice on natural or plastic gourds. Either way, you may fill them too if you get them up soon enough.

Jeff

MDavis · Sun May 06, 2012 8:00 am

CB
What a way to start!!! It feels good to start with that many, I was there three years ago. You don't have to worry as much for next season wondering if that "1 pair" will survive the journey (migration). Enjoy the rest of the season.

Gobbler T · Sun May 06, 2012 8:12 am

congratulations. I know you are excited. I was hoping that six would do it for me, but I'm still on the waiting list.

I hope they do well and you are off to a good start.

hardyfarm · Sun May 06, 2012 11:36 am

Congratulations!!!

DAVE · Sun May 06, 2012 4:44 pm

Sure put up more. I added 2 Natural Gourds 6 days ago and they are full.
Good Luck! Dave

Don~VA · Mon May 07, 2012 6:36 am

Congratulations CB!! It is always great to have more martins in VA and especially when someone gets them for the first time :-) I have been trying for many years and finally had one nesting pair last season. This year - not so good. Get some new gourds up as fast as you can because you could see new SY martins any day now and thru the rest of May. Best of Luck !!

Mike in NC · Mon May 07, 2012 11:03 am

What a great martin success story!!! It's amazing how a site can go for years without any martin interest to getting multiple pairs seemingly overnight. Nothing attracts martins like other martins. Grats!!!

Tim in VA · Mon May 07, 2012 8:43 pm

It's worth the wait, no matter how long it is. Congratulations. The best of luck to you and keep em safe.

richnet12 · Tue May 08, 2012 10:18 am

What a way to start!

PMS in Virginia · Tue May 08, 2012 2:11 pm

It is good that you have 4 pair for the first time. After 14 years of trying I finally got them about 4 years ago. Unlike you I had only one pair the first year. Two years ago there were 11 pair but don't remember how many fledgings. Last year there were 8 pair that produced 23 but all did not make it out. So far this year there are only 3 pair but I am hoping for more. Can't figure out why mine seems to be decreasing each year.
I don't have the best site in the world. There are a couple small ponds in different directions about 1/4 mile away. I do try to keep egg shells furnished. One of my problems is the fact that I am only about 100 feet from tall trees. I am in the Oak Level section (near 220) of Bassett. If you ever travel down this way come on by and we can discuss our Martins. Maybe you and/or others can make suggestions for my site.

cbyeagley · Tue May 08, 2012 8:23 pm

We took the advice some of you gave, and ordered four natural gourds to put up under the T-14 in case we get more Martins. I think we may already have a few more. It is hard to tell when they all dip and swirl around so fast. We have a T-14 unit that we put up last year and that is when we seemed to get more visitors. However, a trio of starlings dominate that unit and put nesting material in almost all the boxes, and then bully anything that tries to land. I was watching this morning and a female Martin was investigating one of the boxes in the T-14 (I thought she might be a new arrival, but not sure). As soon as the Starling realized she was there he dived her down to the ground, and she took off. We clean out the boxes everyday hoping the Starlings will get discouraged but so far, they just keep rebuilding and bullying some of the other birds. I even saw them go in one of the Quad Pod units above the guords where my resident Martins are. Any thoughts on how to discourage the Starlings so they will leave and go somewhere else? I will say this, it is so much fun to watch the Martins, that it is really hard to have to go to work right now with all the activity. I hate to miss any of it.

PMS in Virginia · Tue May 08, 2012 9:48 pm

The starlings are certainly a pest. It was necessary for me to use the SREH for my natural gourds. In the meantime I made a nice nesting box just for the starlings (thanks to someone on this forum for the plans). It has one nice hole that the starlings can enter very well. They never come out. It is easy to make. I may be able to include a photo at some time. In the event I cannot furnish it with this message give me your e-mail address and I will send the photo to you.....or just drop by and take a look at the "nest box" the next time you are down this way. [email protected]