Hello,
Well, raised my house and pole Monday. Still empty.
I have yet to watch the whole day as I go to work when it’s dark and come home at 5. So, this weekend will be the first whole day lookout!
Not even any sparrows are in the house so far! I plan to turn the 12 rooms into 6 that will be deeper. The house is located 40 feet from my house. And about 70 from the woods… this might be the reason they are not interested. There is also 2 large ponds about a 5 min walk from my house as well.
There are multiple martins that feed through this area in the evening. They seem at times to almost hit the house I put up and myself when walkin to my shed!
Also plan to put a bit of pine straw in the rooms as well.
New, trying landlord in NC!
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Courtney-NC
- Posts: 592
- Joined: Tue Jul 15, 2008 2:28 pm
- Location: Holly Springs, NC
- Martin Colony History: 2009-2015-Helped to manage Raleigh site, 36 cavities
2016- 33 pairs at Raleigh site, 1 pair at home site.
2017- 34 pairs at Raleigh site, 3 pairs + extra SYs at home site
2018- 33 pairs at Raleigh site, 5 pairs + extra SYs at home site
2019 - 32 pairs at Raleigh site, 7 pairs at home site, 2 pairs at new Holly Springs park site
Hi Joez - welcome to the forum! Good to see another possible NC landlord/caretaker here.
If you haven't done so already, you might want to try hanging some gourds under the house. Sometimes that attracts them better than just a house. Does that house have SREH (starling resistant entrance holes)? If not you will want to consider putting the plates on over the round holes to help keep out starlings - especially if you enlarge the compartments. Playing the dawnsong and putting up a decoy or two can also help to attract them.
Good luck! There are still subbies coming through.
If you haven't done so already, you might want to try hanging some gourds under the house. Sometimes that attracts them better than just a house. Does that house have SREH (starling resistant entrance holes)? If not you will want to consider putting the plates on over the round holes to help keep out starlings - especially if you enlarge the compartments. Playing the dawnsong and putting up a decoy or two can also help to attract them.
Good luck! There are still subbies coming through.
-Courtney
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NC Purple Martin Society (PMCA affiliate)
http://www.ncpurplemartin.org
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NC Purple Martin Society (PMCA affiliate)
http://www.ncpurplemartin.org
Well,
I bought 6 S&K gourds and put up 4 last week. Modified the house to 4 large rooms and 2 small, and threw in some pine straw.
Yesterday I thought I saw two martins sitting on top of my home. Being a two story house I went inside to grab my binoculars but they where gone when I came back out. Later, I saw two birds on the big power lines a few houses down. But it was to far away for the binoculars I have. I was pretty sure they were martins. A few mins later they flew off and they meet up with a flock of about 5-8 birds. And flew off...
Very sure they are martins but being so new I cant be for sure....
I'm making a daytime chatter CD today to start playing through out the day....
I bought 6 S&K gourds and put up 4 last week. Modified the house to 4 large rooms and 2 small, and threw in some pine straw.
Yesterday I thought I saw two martins sitting on top of my home. Being a two story house I went inside to grab my binoculars but they where gone when I came back out. Later, I saw two birds on the big power lines a few houses down. But it was to far away for the binoculars I have. I was pretty sure they were martins. A few mins later they flew off and they meet up with a flock of about 5-8 birds. And flew off...
Very sure they are martins but being so new I cant be for sure....
I'm making a daytime chatter CD today to start playing through out the day....
Welcome, Joez. Good luck on attracting your first birds. If you are successful, you might want to consider a predator guard on your pole. There are plenty of rat snakes, etc in the J'ville area.
Mike Morgan
2009-4 Pair,24 Eggs,23 Fledged. 12 Cavities
2010- 18 Pair, 96 Eggs, 86 Fledged. 18 Cavities
2011- 23 Pair, 113 Eggs, 99 Hatched, 93 Fledged 24 Cavities.
2012-22 Pair, 109 Eggs, 95 Hatched, 89 Fledged
2013-19 Pair, 89 Eggs, 77 Hatched, 77 Fledged.
2009-4 Pair,24 Eggs,23 Fledged. 12 Cavities
2010- 18 Pair, 96 Eggs, 86 Fledged. 18 Cavities
2011- 23 Pair, 113 Eggs, 99 Hatched, 93 Fledged 24 Cavities.
2012-22 Pair, 109 Eggs, 95 Hatched, 89 Fledged
2013-19 Pair, 89 Eggs, 77 Hatched, 77 Fledged.
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Carlton
- Posts: 1959
- Joined: Tue May 17, 2005 6:42 pm
- Location: Florida/Deerfield Beach
- Martin Colony History: I moved to South Florida, from Delaware, in August of 2015.
I care for a 6 condo Sunset House as well as two Deluxe Gourd Racks, with 24 Chirpynest/Excluder gourds, along a canal in Pompano Beach, Florida.
At Quiet Waters Park, nearby in Deerfield Beach, I care for a Deluxe Gourd Rack with 12 TVG's. I also care for a Deluxe Gourd rack with 12 Excluder gourds with Modified Excluder entrances. I am substituting 6 Chirpynest boxes for 6 of the Conley II entranced gourds in 2026.
At another local park, Tradewinds Park in Coconut Creek, I care for a Trendsetter 12, 5 gourds rack with 60 Excluder gourds with Modified Excluder Entrances and 1 Deluxe Gourd Rack with 12 Troyer Vertical Gourds with Starling Stoppers over the Conley II's to keep out smaller starlings.
Welcome!
Good luck too. I think the modifications you made will help. A lot of it is luck but one increases their chances by having the SREH, enlarged compartments, pine straw prenests and such. If you get martins nesting I would strongly suggest a good predator guard on the pole as well.
Good luck too. I think the modifications you made will help. A lot of it is luck but one increases their chances by having the SREH, enlarged compartments, pine straw prenests and such. If you get martins nesting I would strongly suggest a good predator guard on the pole as well.
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DebA
- Posts: 1941
- Joined: Tue May 04, 2010 7:43 am
- Location: Pratt County/Kansas
- Martin Colony History: Start 2009 with one pair. Upgraded from S&K houses to two Trendsetter 12's with gourds beneath in 2013. I have experienced job, pet, and parental losses since '13. The Purple Martins lift my spirits and remind me how life continues forward by flying their little selves from Brazil back to my yard. As one forum person once told me, chin up DebA, look at the martins. Danger all around but yet they soar in the sky without a care in the world.
If you were hooked before, that first pair will send you over the moon. I am glad you enlarged compartments. I started with that same house. With even three babies I cannot imagine the parents having any room in a 6x6. Plus when it gets hot that would swelter all the more I would think.
Keep watching for fly by's and landings, grab your camera and we can help!
Deb
Keep watching for fly by's and landings, grab your camera and we can help!
Deb
PMCA MEMBER
Pratt County, Kansas
2016 34 PAIR
2015 27 PAIR
2014 23 PAIR
2013 13 PAIR
2012 6 PAIR
2011 4 PAIR
2010 2 PAIR
2009 1 PAIR
Pratt County, Kansas
2016 34 PAIR
2015 27 PAIR
2014 23 PAIR
2013 13 PAIR
2012 6 PAIR
2011 4 PAIR
2010 2 PAIR
2009 1 PAIR
hi joez. if I was you I would hang some gourds under that house. martins just like them best. I had a neighbor who tried for 7 years with that same house. then when he put the gourds under it he got his first pair in the gourds. not to say it cant be done with just a house.... but gourds make it all more attractive.
2008 1 pair
2009 3 pair
2010 7 pair
2011 20 pair
2012 44 pair 280 eggs 210 fledged
2013 67 pair.
2014 67pair
2015-2022 67 pair
2009 3 pair
2010 7 pair
2011 20 pair
2012 44 pair 280 eggs 210 fledged
2013 67 pair.
2014 67pair
2015-2022 67 pair