Martin Colony History: Started in 1992 From neighbors old 1950-60's colonies. Have 8 Trio 6 Room Houses, 4 MPP Poles, 1 Heath Deluxe Gourd with Troyer Porch, 8 NatureLine Gourds with Troyer Porches, 5 Troyer Horizontals ,& 2 S&K 11" WITH Troyer Porches ready for 2019 Season !
At 7:40 this morning I heard the sound we ALL want to hear, My FIRST Martin of the new season ! So as I went up stairs to look at my Martin, I was happy to see A Pair!! 1 ASY Male, & 1 ASY Female! But AS SOON as they landed, a Starling started to attack them ! Now, growing up a short, light skin, blue eye Hispanic & being attack from all sides about this, the LAST thing I need is to wake up with someone wanting a Fight. In this case ONE OF US WILL NEVER FLY AGAIN! & IT AIN't ME ! So now there's one dead Starling ! Time to go celebrate with Barbacoa Tacos & a BIG RED soda! A Perfect Breakfast ! Good Luck ! Everyone !!
PMCA Member, 8 Trio 6 Room Houses, 1 Heath Deluxe Gourd with Troyer Porch, 8 NatureLine Gourds with Troyer Porches, 5 Troyer Horizontals + Tunnels, & 2 S&K Bo 11"s WITH Troyer Porches ! 4 MPPs, For 2019 Season !! Started in 1992 from Older '50-'60s Colonies.
Martin Colony History: Started in 1992 From neighbors old 1950-60's colonies. Have 8 Trio 6 Room Houses, 4 MPP Poles, 1 Heath Deluxe Gourd with Troyer Porch, 8 NatureLine Gourds with Troyer Porches, 5 Troyer Horizontals ,& 2 S&K 11" WITH Troyer Porches ready for 2019 Season !
Sweet Anthony. Have a great 2015 season and hopefully you've got the word out to other Starlings in the area that your site is a "no fly zone" for them!
Tim
Martin Colony History: Started in 1992 From neighbors old 1950-60's colonies. Have 8 Trio 6 Room Houses, 4 MPP Poles, 1 Heath Deluxe Gourd with Troyer Porch, 8 NatureLine Gourds with Troyer Porches, 5 Troyer Horizontals ,& 2 S&K 11" WITH Troyer Porches ready for 2019 Season !
Thanks a lot Tim! The funny part is my cat Clyde, he wouldn't kill ANYTHING Alive! But, as soon as he heard the air rifle, he comes over crying for the Starling, he just Loves to eat dead S&S ! I'll try to make him Fat this season!
PMCA Member, 8 Trio 6 Room Houses, 1 Heath Deluxe Gourd with Troyer Porch, 8 NatureLine Gourds with Troyer Porches, 5 Troyer Horizontals + Tunnels, & 2 S&K Bo 11"s WITH Troyer Porches ! 4 MPPs, For 2019 Season !! Started in 1992 from Older '50-'60s Colonies.
Martin Colony History: I have been exposed to purple martin sounds in utero when my mother went out to get my father away from his martin colony. I played around the martin colony every summer and watched as my father maintained his colony. In the late 50's until the 70's he did not notice European Starlings in south Texas. When old enough, I helped maintain his colony. My primary task was eliminating English House Sparrows with a 1956 Benjamin 317 .177 air rifle. When I settled into my own home, I started my first colony with an original Trio Castle and Trio Grandpa. When I moved again, I did not put up any martin houses. Frustration with European Starlings in the Southeast US was overwhelming. Found PMCA Forum and learned about modern enlarged compartments and SREHs. Inherited my father's last martin house, a Trio Grandma, modified it to modern specifications and have had good results since then.
Anthony,
Congratulations on your first pair for 2015!
I miss the strawberry flavor of a cold Big Red soft drink. Any moment can be a Big Red celebration!
Mark.
Mark.
Firm believer in HOSP/EUST Control, Enlarged Compartments, SREHs, Pole Predator Guards, Owl/Hawk Guards, Mite/Parasite Control, Housing Insulation, and Vents for Compartment Cooling.
PMCA Member.
Martin Colony History: Started in 1992 From neighbors old 1950-60's colonies. Have 8 Trio 6 Room Houses, 4 MPP Poles, 1 Heath Deluxe Gourd with Troyer Porch, 8 NatureLine Gourds with Troyer Porches, 5 Troyer Horizontals ,& 2 S&K 11" WITH Troyer Porches ready for 2019 Season !
Martin Colony History: Started trying to attract purple martins in 2012! It's finally happened in 2017! 5 years!!! ASY male and SY female came May 1st, fledged 5 babies!
Martin Colony History: Started in 1992 From neighbors old 1950-60's colonies. Have 8 Trio 6 Room Houses, 4 MPP Poles, 1 Heath Deluxe Gourd with Troyer Porch, 8 NatureLine Gourds with Troyer Porches, 5 Troyer Horizontals ,& 2 S&K 11" WITH Troyer Porches ready for 2019 Season !
Martin Colony History: Started in 1992 From neighbors old 1950-60's colonies. Have 8 Trio 6 Room Houses, 4 MPP Poles, 1 Heath Deluxe Gourd with Troyer Porch, 8 NatureLine Gourds with Troyer Porches, 5 Troyer Horizontals ,& 2 S&K 11" WITH Troyer Porches ready for 2019 Season !
Anthony, I agree with your thoughts on starlings. They are unbelieveably mean. I built one of the traps that has a floor inside that drops down when the starling goes in. It traps him in a lower compartment. Then, to get away, he goes thru a hole which puts him in a 4 in. pipe where he drops into a cage below. It's amazing how quickly they go into that trap thinking they are going to find other birds to kill. I actually catch multiples and have had 3 in the trap at one time. Other birds are very hesitant to go in--not the starlings!! There are lots of plans available--you may want to consider building one. Good Luck this year. Ron.
Martin Colony History: Started in 1992 From neighbors old 1950-60's colonies. Have 8 Trio 6 Room Houses, 4 MPP Poles, 1 Heath Deluxe Gourd with Troyer Porch, 8 NatureLine Gourds with Troyer Porches, 5 Troyer Horizontals ,& 2 S&K 11" WITH Troyer Porches ready for 2019 Season !
Thanks Ron, I've always planned on building one, & you're right, I should. I was just so use to blasting them out of the sky. I 'll never forget that one time when I was much younger, a neighbor called me over to help a bird stuck inside their oven vent pipe, sure enough, it was a Starling! Another said that when he opened his Bar-B-Q pit that had a pipe vent, out flew another one ! Yeah, your right, time to give my carpentering skills a workout! Thanks again, & good luck!
PMCA Member, 8 Trio 6 Room Houses, 1 Heath Deluxe Gourd with Troyer Porch, 8 NatureLine Gourds with Troyer Porches, 5 Troyer Horizontals + Tunnels, & 2 S&K Bo 11"s WITH Troyer Porches ! 4 MPPs, For 2019 Season !! Started in 1992 from Older '50-'60s Colonies.
Martin Colony History: I have been exposed to purple martin sounds in utero when my mother went out to get my father away from his martin colony. I played around the martin colony every summer and watched as my father maintained his colony. In the late 50's until the 70's he did not notice European Starlings in south Texas. When old enough, I helped maintain his colony. My primary task was eliminating English House Sparrows with a 1956 Benjamin 317 .177 air rifle. When I settled into my own home, I started my first colony with an original Trio Castle and Trio Grandpa. When I moved again, I did not put up any martin houses. Frustration with European Starlings in the Southeast US was overwhelming. Found PMCA Forum and learned about modern enlarged compartments and SREHs. Inherited my father's last martin house, a Trio Grandma, modified it to modern specifications and have had good results since then.
Anthony,
If I am counting correctly, then you are a super colony landlord.
12 Trio houses @ 6 compartments -> 72
12 Bo9s -> 12
6 Bo11s -> 6
Total -> 100 compartments.
No matter how many compartments you have, it is an oasis of purple martins in south central San Antonio!
It is now officially the "Anthony Neira Purple Martin Air Base".
I have got to come and see your colony one day.
Mark.
Mark.
Firm believer in HOSP/EUST Control, Enlarged Compartments, SREHs, Pole Predator Guards, Owl/Hawk Guards, Mite/Parasite Control, Housing Insulation, and Vents for Compartment Cooling.
PMCA Member.
Anthony Neira wrote:At 7:40 this morning I heard the sound we ALL want to hear, My FIRST Martin of the new season ! So as I went up stairs to look at my Martin, I was happy to see A Pair!! 1 ASY Male, & 1 ASY Female! But AS SOON as they landed, a Starling started to attack them ! Now, growing up a short, light skin, blue eye Hispanic & being attack from all sides about this, the LAST thing I need is to wake up with someone wanting a Fight. In this case ONE OF US WILL NEVER FLY AGAIN! & IT AIN't ME ! So now there's one dead Starling ! Time to go celebrate with Barbacoa Tacos & a BIG RED soda! A Perfect Breakfast ! Good Luck ! Everyone !!
Great Job Anthony...Keep up the good work Getting Rid of those Trash Beaks...all of Mine Get pneumonia and die!!!!
Pictures Taken with Canon Rebel XT Digital using a Sigma 50-500 Long Lens.
Wishing everyone a Great Martin Year
Happy Martining for 2022 to everyone,
Martin Colony History: Started in 1992 From neighbors old 1950-60's colonies. Have 8 Trio 6 Room Houses, 4 MPP Poles, 1 Heath Deluxe Gourd with Troyer Porch, 8 NatureLine Gourds with Troyer Porches, 5 Troyer Horizontals ,& 2 S&K 11" WITH Troyer Porches ready for 2019 Season !
Thanks Mark & K.C ! Nice words from both of you, Got another one this morning! Another Big Red ( Don't Drink too Many Sodas Kids, too many, not good for you , I'll have at the most 1 that day , AND then I "Bike " it off ! ) Good Luck All you Landlords out there!
PMCA Member, 8 Trio 6 Room Houses, 1 Heath Deluxe Gourd with Troyer Porch, 8 NatureLine Gourds with Troyer Porches, 5 Troyer Horizontals + Tunnels, & 2 S&K Bo 11"s WITH Troyer Porches ! 4 MPPs, For 2019 Season !! Started in 1992 from Older '50-'60s Colonies.
Anthony, good going! U r lucky in SAT cuz the city is so old and people have been caring for martins forever there! We have never seen a starling out here in the country just north of you. Glad about that. The HOSP are bad enuf. Glad ur PMs have returned!! We're they early, on time??
PMCA Member
2012 - 4 pair
2013 - 11 pair
2014 - 12 pair
2015 - 14 pair
2016 - Arrival Feb 29/17 pair
2017 - Full house first time-24 gourds all occupied
Martin Colony History: Started in 1992 From neighbors old 1950-60's colonies. Have 8 Trio 6 Room Houses, 4 MPP Poles, 1 Heath Deluxe Gourd with Troyer Porch, 8 NatureLine Gourds with Troyer Porches, 5 Troyer Horizontals ,& 2 S&K 11" WITH Troyer Porches ready for 2019 Season !
Thanks Annie, a lonely single scout usually gets here between Jan. 28 - Feb. 4 but those were colder days this time, so I'm glad they got here a couple of days late, but with more than 1 bird ! Good luck with yours!!!
BTW Mark, I went to check the mail box & heard the sweet sounds of Martins in flight, & when I looked up, 3 ! Were flying in a Line !! Super Duper Cool !
Good luck everyone ! Keep looking up !!
PMCA Member, 8 Trio 6 Room Houses, 1 Heath Deluxe Gourd with Troyer Porch, 8 NatureLine Gourds with Troyer Porches, 5 Troyer Horizontals + Tunnels, & 2 S&K Bo 11"s WITH Troyer Porches ! 4 MPPs, For 2019 Season !! Started in 1992 from Older '50-'60s Colonies.
Martin Colony History: I have been exposed to purple martin sounds in utero when my mother went out to get my father away from his martin colony. I played around the martin colony every summer and watched as my father maintained his colony. In the late 50's until the 70's he did not notice European Starlings in south Texas. When old enough, I helped maintain his colony. My primary task was eliminating English House Sparrows with a 1956 Benjamin 317 .177 air rifle. When I settled into my own home, I started my first colony with an original Trio Castle and Trio Grandpa. When I moved again, I did not put up any martin houses. Frustration with European Starlings in the Southeast US was overwhelming. Found PMCA Forum and learned about modern enlarged compartments and SREHs. Inherited my father's last martin house, a Trio Grandma, modified it to modern specifications and have had good results since then.
Anthony,
Those 3 purple martins were returning to their home base, Neira Air Base.
In formation on final approach. It is important to impress the Base Commander even after a long and arduous mission.
Mark.
Mark.
Firm believer in HOSP/EUST Control, Enlarged Compartments, SREHs, Pole Predator Guards, Owl/Hawk Guards, Mite/Parasite Control, Housing Insulation, and Vents for Compartment Cooling.
PMCA Member.
Now, growing up a short, light skin, blue eye Hispanic & being attack from all sides about this, the LAST thing I need is to wake up with someone wanting a Fight. In this case ONE OF US WILL NEVER FLY AGAIN! & IT AIN't ME ! 
So now there's one dead Starling ! 
Time to go celebrate with Barbacoa Tacos & a BIG RED soda! A Perfect Breakfast ! Good Luck ! Everyone !! 
Good luck with your site!!
Great News!
) Good Luck All you Landlords out there!