I'm puzzled

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Darryl Sparlin
Posts: 167
Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 4:01 pm
Location: Webb City, Mo

My first martin showed up here Sunday morning, and was checking out some
of the old gourds on the rack. It was lowered down and he was going in and out
of one particular gourd. I spent the better part of the day hanging the new super
gourds. When he came in later that evening he landed on a few of them and looked
inside but didn't go in. He ended up roosting in one of the castles. He spent the next
nightin the castle. Last night he never showed up, he is not here this morning. He might
have been just passing through or maybe I made him upset by taking down his old
gourd. I had to replace it as it was in bad need of repair. :-( :-(
Darryl Sparlin
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KathyF
Posts: 3522
Joined: Thu May 24, 2007 1:57 pm
Location: Missouri/Licking
Martin Colony History: Colony started - 2007 with one pair
As of 2018 - 84 cavities offered, max # of pairs hosted - 82.

Darryl,
There are numerous possibilities, but I think changing out your housing is not the reason. I've done it and it had zero effect on them. Best case scenario - you've just missed him - he slipped by you when you weren't looking. I've noticed that the lone martins are very quiet when they're at my site and work very hard to not be noticed until others arrive in the area.
He could be out recruiting others to your site and just stayed with them overnight. Look for multiple birds showing up over the next few days - it's warming up a lot here!
Lastly, and hopefully NOT the case, he could have been caught by a hawk, or died somewhere, simply from old age / stress from the journey. I know how hard it is. I'm only 1 day past my arrival date last year and my mind is already "going there", saying, what if my owl drove them away and they really don't come back this year?
Try to stay positive....the waves are coming. :wink:
"Sometimes", said Pooh, "the smallest things take up the most room in your heart."
2023 - 82 pair
2022 - 80 pair
2021 - 75 pair
2020 - 78 pair
2019 - 80 pair
http://kathyfreeze.blogspot.com
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John Miller
Posts: 4866
Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2004 9:11 pm
Location: St. Louis, MO

And yet other speculation is that he nested last year at a nearby colony, but longed to be at your place as it's the uptown local site. He'll be back. ...he's humming..."movin on up, to the east side..."

John M
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Darryl Sparlin
Posts: 167
Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 4:01 pm
Location: Webb City, Mo

He didn't show up again tonight. I checked in the castle that he roosted
in the first to nights to make sure he hadn't died but no sign of him there.
Darryl Sparlin
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Craig Haddox
Posts: 444
Joined: Sun Mar 14, 2004 5:13 pm
Location: Missouri Washington

Darryl, I had a male arrive on March 8th also. He has been coming back every night alone. It might be a while before he sees another martin around here.
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Keith
Posts: 435
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2009 2:45 pm
Location: Missouri/Ava
Martin Colony History: 85 pair in 2020. Seems fairly consistent the last few years.

Darryl, some years back I had a Martin stay a couple nights very early in the season and discovered that my neighbor that lived less than a mile from me had not put up his Martin house as yet. When he did, however, the martin was gone from my place so I always figured it was his and just playing the waiting game. This may not be the case with your situation at all.
Keith
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John Barrow
Posts: 982
Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 4:12 pm
Location: Corpus Christi / Sandia , Texas

Daryll, I agree with Kathy. Your change of housing has nothing to do with this martin's behavior. MO is just seeing the very first cusp of migration. Early arrivals, usually in low numbers might check out housing, but spend nights roosting in area trees, like they have been doing the last 6-7 months. They do that because they do not feel safe being alone. As more martins arrive in your area they will come back to the house and stay. Second possibility is, as you suggest, this is a martin just passing through--there is a lot of migration passing through along the Gulf right now, and if weather stabilizes, we will see flood gates of martins opening up dramatically. The third possibility is as suggested, the bird belongs to a nearby colony and is waiting for the perfect opportunity to settle in there. Earliest arrivals will often choose a nearby location that offers more secure, warmer or housing preferred for the moment. As martin population increases they will divert to their breeding colony--sometimes leaving the preferred housing to remain vacant throughout the season.
I feel confident that we will all see some significant arrivals in the very near future. Our weather pattern has been horrible for early arrivals and we are fortunate there have been limited arrivals.
My bet is that this martin will end up nesting in the castle he checked out so early at your location. He will return when he has friends to recruit to his colony and system of choice.
You are a good landlord. Sending you my best wishes for a long and productive season.
~~TEAMED WITH A MARTIN GODDESS~~

Member/Mentor-PMCA. I do regular nestchecks and participate in PROJECT MARTINWATCH!! Coordinated 3 geolocator studies-2009, 2010 & 2013. State and Fed licensed bander (retired Jan., 2020)
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Darryl Sparlin
Posts: 167
Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 4:01 pm
Location: Webb City, Mo

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I have been hosting martins for over 20
years now, and as we know they can be very picky about their housing. Once
they lay claim to one particular hole they will always return to it the next
season. I have seen this male again today flying over the housing and he will
leave for a while and then return. I'm sure he is out scouting around trying to
locate other martins. In the meantime I will just keep trapping S&S. So far I've
caught 20 sparrows and 17 starlings. Good luck to everyone on your martins
this season.
Darryl Sparlin
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