Puzzled ?

volkmerk · Mon Mar 31, 2014 8:33 pm

I am trying to start a colony with 6 S&K 9 inch gourd rack with SREH , clinger plates and rain covers. On 3/30 (Sunday) I played the dawnsong cd and within 45 minutes several showed up both males and females. They went in and out of the gourds , sat on the pole perches , sang , played circled all day and spent the night (2 pair). Next morning they were around but afternoon came and they were not to be found. Monday evening they did not return. What's up with that?

Chuck4 · Mon Mar 31, 2014 8:42 pm

volkmerk wrote:I am trying to start a colony with 6 S&K 9 inch gourd rack with SREH , clinger plates and rain covers. On 3/30 (Sunday) I played the dawnsong cd and within 45 minutes several showed up both males and females. They went in and out of the gourds , sat on the pole perches , sang , played circled all day and spent the night (2 pair). Next morning they were around but afternoon came and they were not to be found. Monday evening they did not return. What's up with that?

Since you are in Texas, you most likely attracted martins that are already established at a colony close by. They went home at dark. Martins are very social and the dawn song you played attracted them to see what was going on.

When I first started out I had the same thing happen. I only used the Dawn Song for the first year. Haven't needed since. The recording sounds like a really large colony. they were trying to figure out were all the martins they heard were.

dhjohnson · Mon Mar 31, 2014 8:42 pm

Volkmerk,
So sorry for your anxiety. The first birds might have been migrating birds. They typically stay a few days, up to a few weeks and move on! The positive note in this scenario is that they are comfortable with your site. More will come and if birds spent the night...It's only a matter of time before a pair will settle down! It's rough getting started and rougher still to be in two or three years and your birds are AWOL! Take heart...this has been a very difficult migration for our martins! They are dealing with the weather as best as they can!
Goid luck in 2014!
Debbie

volkmerk · Mon Mar 31, 2014 8:57 pm

I am hangin in there, it was just so great to see two pairs hanging around for a full day, spend the night and be around the next morning. They didn't return the second night. I will continue to play the dawnsong every early am to get some attention. hopefully will attract some 1st year birds. They seemed to do well with the cling plates and SREH. I was surprised as i have never done this before. I tried a traditional Natures Way aluminum 12 compartment house for 2 years but all i ever got was drifter single females stay up through May and then they would be gone. I surmised the compartements were too small for pairs (4x3).
Interesting that they would sell those with such small compartment sizes.
I have seen gourds on chains or shower ring clips hanging from horizon stretcher bars that can rock free in the wind but are securely mounted. Not knowing martins very well, do they have an aversion to a slight sway or rocking in the wind? I would think not as trees do the same. Any comments here?

Chuck4 · Mon Mar 31, 2014 9:19 pm

volkmerk wrote:I have seen gourds on chains or shower ring clips hanging from horizon stretcher bars that can rock free in the wind but are securely mounted. Not knowing martins very well, do they have an aversion to a slight sway or rocking in the wind? I would think not as trees do the same. Any comments here?

I use gourds, and they are mounted to sway in the wind. Martins don't mind.

As long as your rack doesn't bump or rock (vibrate) too much you should be OK.

dhjohnson · Mon Mar 31, 2014 9:25 pm

Volkmerk,
We are offering 48 gourds this year. A combination of commercial plastic gourds, like the THG, TVG, BO11+ and natural vertical and natural horizontal gourds! The martins in our area of the country prefer gourds. I don't like a lot of swing in my gourds. Too risky with high winds...might dump eggs out! Hard for the birds to land when a wind event is occurring. That's just our preference! We use a 3/8" bolt, threaded to lock into the ring with a jam nut. Very secure and little movement in high winds! Our martins feel very secure with our rack. We thread the bolt front to back with respect to the gourd. No wind movement front to back and almost no movement side to side due to some homemade no-rockers my husband fashioned! We only offer excluder 2, connely 2, and a few crescent entrances. All with porches and tunnels. This is our third year hosting martins and it has been a nail biter so far! The weather has been very unkind to our migrating birds. I have had to take quite a few patience pills!
Best wishes getting started! It's a ride chock full of ups and downs!
Debbie

Chuck4 · Mon Mar 31, 2014 9:38 pm

Here is a good read on gourd swinging (click on Why Gourds Should Swing):

http://www.chuckspurplemartinpage.com/

I know everyone has a preference.

volkmerk · Wed Apr 02, 2014 8:18 am

I have a single pair that has hung around for 2 days straight and the female has been on the ground getting nesting material and returning to the same gourd with some frequency. Mr. Martin comes and goes from the gourd but doesnt seem to be as engaged about getting nesting material as the female. Go figure...Well I would say that's a good sign but time will tell. They returned yesterday evening and as far as i can tell overnighted. They seemed to be there again in the morning as i watched em come out of the gourd about 7;20 am. Maybe they will stay.....