There is a lot of great advice that we've all seen on these forums; proper housing placement, S&S control, using a combination of gourds and houses, dawnsong, etc.
One item that I'm convinced is important (and is often overlooked) is the importance to leave your empty housing up through the end of the season. I don't know what evidence there is of this, but my observations have been that 1st year birds (newly fledged young) seem to scope out potential homes for the following year. At my colony, my numbers of new birds seem to reflect the activity of young visitors that I had the prior year.
We had a ton of young visitors last year and it's reflected in the surge at my colony this year. We're having a great season here in 2013
Last year after 49 fledged they came back into September and we had a family 0f 5 that stayed till the end of September as they fledged late So we keep the house up until it looks like the snow is coming...very good idea
2007 none
2008 few landed
2009 - 2 pair - 9 eggs- 9 fledged
2010 - 1ASY pair and 4SY pair total 10 bird
2011 first ASY pair May 06
2012 first pair arrived May 01, May 21 total 10 pairs 49 babies
2013 May 04 martins 2 pair May 19 total 12 pair
2014 May 08 2 pair May 12 almost full 10 pair
This is my question to you. How would your rate your site? I see you have tried since 2008. I have as well but up till last year I didn't have the proper tree clearance or flyways. I could have wished and tried to my heart's content but would have never been successful. Last year I moved to a new home that sits on 12 acres with an existing T-14 (never been active) next to a 1-1/2 acre pond. In short my previous site was probably a D- and I would have to assume my current site is an A+. I live about 1 mile away from the Premigratory roost on Nimisila Lake and literally get 1,000's of visitors daily in August but have yet to see a PM yet this year.
I put up a new gourd rack last year between the house and pond but had no takers. I have decoys, mud, mirrors, Dawnsong playing but nothing!!
I guess it may take 10 years or maybe never even with perfect conditions? Others seem to attract them their first year.
I can't hardly believe I haven't had a visitor yet this year with the number of birds that landed and perched on my gourd rack for literally hours a day last August only because the Dawnsong was playing. This however was somewhat successful for me, as the previous 5 years when I lived across the street from the Nimisila Premigratory roost I wasn't even able to get a bird to land due to the proximity to large trees and no flyway available.
Just trying to get my expectations in line is all. I know of Jim Strickland in Flordia who has waited for years and finally got his colony started last year. I'm not sure I can wait as long as he.....
I had 5 active pairs last year around this time and this year I only have one! I'm somewhat concerned they did not make it during the winter but I keep hearing on this board that it is a slow migration. I can confirm from last year that it has been a very cold spring, so im just hopefully everything is 2 to 3 weeks behind schedule in terms of my martins making it home.
What are other landlords observing, late arrivals? or no arrivals at all?
I think there are many variables attributing to the explosion in population here at my site but I can't rule out leaving up the housing last fall as a contributing factor. I had visitors for a long time after all residents were gone; easily another six weeks. Those birds thoroughly checked out the housing, perches, antennae and dead trees. It was like a second season without all the worry of land lording. At first the visits were daily, many groups, but it eventually dwindled down. When I couldn't recall the last time I had spotted one is when I decided to take them down.
~Michelle
PMCA Member
Heritage Farm Quad Pod Systems
