Housing at the end of a Pier?

[Mike E]

"Repost from a prior thread"
Just curious about the housing on the end of a pier. Do the PMs mind the people/activity on the pier in close proximity. I thought about doing that to deter the hawk attacks, but our pier is quite busy in the summer time with boats and people. My pole is 12-14 feet tall. I usually put it up in the water 50-60 feet from the pier.

Thanks
Mike

[Emil Pampell-Tx]

I think that you would have great success, the martins don't mind the people after a few days.

You said that you usually put it up about 50 or 60ft from the pier, how successful were you in prior years?

[4th Gen Martin Fan]

Mike,
As long as people do not mess with the pole or martin house, it is an excellent idea.
I remember seeing a video about a snake in a martin house on a pier.
Pole predator guard is still an excellent idea.
Do not know how necessary while it was in the water.
Mark.

[wyatt]

The martins won't mind the people, but you might feel protective of them and worry a bit too much if it's really busy. You will want to keep a hose handy to wash the poop off every few days, and yes you will still need predator / snake guards. And a lock on the winch.

[Anthony Neira]

Oops!

[Mike E]

I always cringe when I see pm homes like gourds, over water, at first it looks cool but I feel sorry for the"fall outs" , the young who fall,or get pushed out of their home and drown. That to me is sure loss of yet another future martin! I think the same way for a pier, are these locations picked to help the birds, or to have a "cool" & "different" setting? I love the water, but for the "fall outs" sake, l'd Always want them over land. (? ,Strange, as I write this, "Jaws" is on the tv ,just saying)

WOW, Feels like Flames,
This was not for a "COOL" factor. I have had housing over water for over 15 years, they adapt and wait for the neighbors and I to get the housing up every year. I would loose more to Hawks than fallouts if I put them on shore in my area. How many fallouts don't get found until the landlord does his walk around every 2 or 3 days. By then they are dead or beyond repair. Anyway the PMCA even shows housing on the end of a pier. See : http://www.purplemartin.org/downloads/A ... nagePM.pdf
Don't Cringe!!

[Anthony Neira]

Oop2

[Matt F.]

Hi Mike.
Forum member Wyatt (and I'm sure numerous others) have their housing right on the water (piers, bulkheads, etc.)
Check out his post:
http://www.purplemartin.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=26122

[Emil Pampell-Tx]

Anthony Neira, to have a house out in the lake is extremely successful, I think that in time your worries will subside. I do not know how to convince you, but the success ration for such colonies is very high.

[Anthony Neira]

I went to see a friend near houston, around several lakes (huh, lakes around houston ? 'magin that!!) Next to her, were 2 homes that had pm gourds strung out over the water, and 'nother at the end of the boat dock. Even though I would'nt get my first houses untill '92, I knew about Purple Martins, when I asked the landlords what they did about fallouts they said " there's nothing they could do, 1 or 2 would make it to shore, but they've seen others get picked off before they themselves could get to it by big fish, birds of prey, and even a gator. I asked them why do'nt they just move the pm homeshomes over to land, and they both told me " they liked the way it looks" I just remember thinking "not for me". That's why anyone can look back in my first statement and nowhere will they find that I said ALL HOUSING OVER WATER IS BAD/WRONG. I am guilty of saying "I ( no one else) cringe" Whew!

[Ed Pace]

Don't feel bad Anthony a lot of landlords feel like you do, if they did not,they would all put them on the end of there docks,some do, most don't. I have a sattalite site on a lake about five miles from home. The housing is about 60 or 70 feet from the waters edge .I have seen a sharpie many times chasing swallows over the water , when the temp is cool and the swallows and martins are catching bugs low over the surface. I would cringe too if I saw a big bass come up and take a baby martin,who wouldn't.
Ed.

[Anthony Neira]

Thanks, Ed

[Jim Spetzman]

I have put up housing 2ft above the water right next to the dock and have 40 pair each year and the birds have no problems with 6 grandkids running back and forth all day long. The young that fall into the water just flop and swim to shore, no worse for wear. I have had housing attached to the dock and the birds are very clean with their droppings and what little is there, the rain washes it off. My friend Don, has over 100 pair each year in the water in knee deep water with the housing just 2-3ft above the water with excellent results. Martins just love any housing in the water.

[terrapincove]

Here my gourds are mounted on pilings in tidal salt water. The martins thrive. During early season pairing males will wrestle each other down and into the bay. If I were a young Martin I'd wait til low tide to take my first flight.