Getting Ready

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D Little
Posts: 76
Joined: Fri Dec 05, 2014 5:31 pm
Location: PA/Felton
Martin Colony History: 3 T14 houses and 12 gourd...gourd rack.
2019 52 nesting pairs

Had a couple days off this week so I got busy getting my gear hung and ready, for once I think I will be ahead of the game and not scrambling!

Donnie
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D Little, Felton PA
D Little, Felton PA
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pmartinlover2
Posts: 521
Joined: Mon Mar 24, 2014 6:37 pm
Location: IL/Hillsboro
Martin Colony History: 2011 Home site--1 SY pair--2 fledged
2016 Satellite Site---4 pair--19 eggs laid--17 hatched--16 fledged
2017 Satellite Site--8 pair--37 eggs laid--34 hatched--34 fledged
2018 11 pair--fledged 60
2019 20 pair-fledged 94
2020 23pair-fledged 108

Very nice Donnie. Looks like you're pretty wide open. Went back and looked at your profile. You've added another T14 so hoping your numbers will increase! You have snow-cover as we do. Very, very tired of winter here in Illinois. Good luck with your martins this year. I'm still waiting--haven't had a nester since 2011.
_____
Jody
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ToyinPA
Posts: 2227
Joined: Mon Apr 10, 2006 6:07 pm
Location: PA/Avis
Martin Colony History: The 1972 St. Agnes flood wiped out all the Martins in my area. One day, in 1997-98, 5 or 6 Martins landed on the power wires crossing my back yard. I had no house for them. They kept coming back day after day. We got a martin house a few weeks later & they have been coming back every year since. I average 12-15 pair per year.

My husband shoveled my martin houses out today too. Am so ready for this snow & cold temps to be gone & spring to arrive.

Toy in PA
PMCA Member
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Matt F.
Posts: 3978
Joined: Mon Feb 28, 2005 9:48 am
Location: Houston, TX

Great photos Donnie!
You have a beautiful site!
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D Little
Posts: 76
Joined: Fri Dec 05, 2014 5:31 pm
Location: PA/Felton
Martin Colony History: 3 T14 houses and 12 gourd...gourd rack.
2019 52 nesting pairs

Jody & Toy,

I hear ya's, this winter can't be gone soon enough, extreme cold and freight trained with one weather event after another, just enough to make things miserable for the am commute.....to be in the upper 40's and 50's all this week....halleluiah!!

Thanks Matt... do you have birds back yet at your place?

Donnie
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Matt F.
Posts: 3978
Joined: Mon Feb 28, 2005 9:48 am
Location: Houston, TX

D Little wrote: Thanks Matt... do you have birds back yet at your place?
I have an ASY pair that showed up on March 1st.
There may be more by now, but by the time I get off work, it's usually already dark.:???:
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Dave Reynolds
Posts: 2442
Joined: Mon Jan 31, 2011 4:35 pm
Location: Little Hocking, Oh.
Martin Colony History: Satellite Site “Oxbow Golf Course”..
2018 - 15 Pair, 36 Fledged
2019 - 26 Pair, 97 Fledged
2020 - 30 Pair, 137 Fledged
2021 - 30 Pair, 144 Fledged
2022 - 27 Pair, 125 Fledged
2023 - 31 Pair, 130 Fledged
2024 - 41 Pair, 198 Fledged
2025 - 44 Pair, 168 Fledged

Home Site "Little Hocking, Ohio".
2019 - 1 Pair, 5 Fledged
2020 - 1 Pair, 4 Fledged
2021 - 8 Pair, 36 Fledged
2022 - 13 Pair, 46 Fledged
2023 - 16 Pair, 84 Fledged
2024 - 22 Pair, 104 Fledged
2025 - 28 Pair, 83 Fledged

Little D ------
Matt F. wrote:Great photos Donnie!
You have a beautiful site!
Dave
PMCA Member
Little Hocking, Ohio
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BuddyS
Posts: 49
Joined: Tue Apr 02, 2013 11:10 am
Location: MO/Chesterfield

Donnie, great setup! Are those buckets you're using for pred guards?
Buddy Sowell
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Don~VA
Posts: 391
Joined: Fri Mar 13, 2009 11:01 am
Location: Virginia/King George
Martin Colony History: Had a colony many years ago which dwindled over a couple of years and then did not return. Kept trying each year for almost 20 years and finally had a small success in 2011 with two pairs nesting. Colony has grown slowly each year with 22 pairs in 2015. In 2016 my gourd rack of 18 gourds filled up so I added 4 more gourds and then put up a small rack of 6 gourds. All of those were claimed within a few days so I believe I have at least 25 pairs this year.

You have a beautiful setup there Donnie! Great looking houses and wide open spaces. Have a Great Martin Season :-)
Don~Northern Neck of Virginia-PMCA Member
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threelilkids
Posts: 386
Joined: Wed Feb 23, 2011 4:11 pm
Location: Denham Springs, La
Martin Colony History: 2014 1 pair 3 hatched 3 fledged
2015 1 pair 5 hatched 5 fledged
2016 1 pair 5 hatched 4 fledged
2017 2 pair 8 hatched 8 fledged
2018 4 pair 15 hatched

Don, the snow is just beautiful :shock: We don't get snow here we are doing good if it gets cold sometimes :roll: I'm sure about now you don't think much about snow, sure you are sick of it. My guy is from Wisconsin, he said snow is not pretty it is dirty and it is work. :lol: Every 4 or more years we get snow, but it wont even stay 1 day, I'm sure we would get sick of it if we had it for months.
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D Little
Posts: 76
Joined: Fri Dec 05, 2014 5:31 pm
Location: PA/Felton
Martin Colony History: 3 T14 houses and 12 gourd...gourd rack.
2019 52 nesting pairs

Hey Buddy

I used outdoor trash cans I got at home depot, just trimmed a couple inches off the top to get rid of the handles and lip, used screws and fender washers to mount them to my box brackets, they are holding up pretty well. In the winter I unreel a little extra slack in the cable so they slide down over the winch for added protection.

Threelil,

You are not missing anything not getting snow, your guy is spot on with his opinion on snow, I am coming to your latitude when I get retired for sure....the winters are no fun at all.

Thanks all, hope you all have great seasons.....I am really getting excited for their return.....should just be a few weeks for me now.

Regards
Donnie
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birdy girl
Posts: 1179
Joined: Wed Apr 19, 2006 9:09 am
Location: Mississippi/Dumas

Very nice open site! Perfect for martins. Wishing you a great martin season:)
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Lou Driy
Posts: 30
Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2014 1:24 pm
Location: MI/Zeeland

Don't think I have ever seen nicer looking houses! Great job.
Still working on mine yet. In fact going down to work on it shortly. I always check the latest postings first.
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