Calling all Subies

phldave · Tue Apr 07, 2015 2:50 pm

Hey gang please check your birds.

Please let us know if you have any SY birds. We wanabees are chompin at the bit. I haven't had any ASY birds show any interest as yet, I am now getting hopeful for some subies. Thanks.

Chuck4 · Tue Apr 07, 2015 3:24 pm

I have seen two SY females at my place. No SY males yet. They are just now arriving in my region, so it may be a little while before you see any up there, but they are coming!

Very favorable winds for the past several days, so I expect to see more soon.

dhjohnson · Tue Apr 07, 2015 6:28 pm

Phldave,
I noticed a marked SY Jump today in bird count! We have 10+ new SY females...Our male ASY's are strutting. Roosting time was so interesting tonight! Hope some SY's make it to your area in the next few days! Good Luck this season!
Debbie

Dan G · Tue Apr 07, 2015 8:50 pm

I hear ya Ph. As frustrating it is for established northern landlords to wait for there birds to return, and watch the Southern land lords get there birds. i have to watch my neighbors birds return, but i have to wait another 3 or 4 weeks for the subbies

avesrun · Wed Apr 08, 2015 9:12 am

Dave still a little window left on scout migration so keep the faith but I'm with you on lack of ASY interest thus far. The golf course near me just got their housing up last weekend; I've yet to see a purple martin; however, the earliest for me has been April 20 for Martin sighting so there's still time. Heck, I still have Dark-eyed Juncos in my yard so I know there's still time.

Regarding the golf course, they have no way of lowering housing once put up without dropping the entire pole which is hinged at base. The very day after they raised housing I counted no less than 8 hosp plagueing one of the houses near a pond; wish I had time/capital to switch out their equipment; I've already spoke with the person in charge and they have no interest in changing things up. Checked this a.m. and another of their martin houses was covered with sparrows and starlings were flitting about as well. Maybe when their birds return they'll make it over to my place for more peace and quiet.

I've got a mindset that I will never get martins; however, I also have a mindset that I will put up my housing and control air rats until I die or am physically unable; whichever comes first!

Have you seen any martins yet? Take care. TimG

Tony · Wed Apr 08, 2015 10:36 am

No martins yet at Okoboji. Last year mine returned on April 12th and in 2013 they arrived on the 8th. I expect to see them here before the end of this coming weekend.

Avesrun which golf course puts up the housing ? Is it DM Golf & Country Club.

avesrun · Wed Apr 08, 2015 12:41 pm

Hey Tony. Thanks for checking in on this thread. I've been looking for scout report from Okoboji; surprised you don't have martins yet with scout reports for just about everywhere else in the state already reported.

The golf course near my place is Willow Creek which is west of DM airport. I think they have a total of 4 or 5 houses (mostly trio looking houses) scattered on the course. The guy I spoke with a few years back said they've been putting houses out for nearly 50 years! From what I can tell though is their martin numbers are dropping yearly due to unmanagement and trees near housing getting bigger.

I'm not much of a golfer and haven't played the course since attempting my martin colony 2 yrs. ago. It's an 18 hole course. I really hate to see their martin efforts on the decline; as the course is the closest martin population to my home and thus my best hope of getting some sy birds from their location. I may have to contact them again sometime to see if they're interested in upgrading their martin setups. They have no pulleys/winches; all poles hinged at base and only way to lower housing is to lean and drop entire pole to ground thus no nest checks or s&s control. Also no predator guards on poles. Sad deal. Good luck up north this season!
TimG

Tony · Wed Apr 08, 2015 4:14 pm

Avesrun, I am familiar with Willow Creek golf course. I'm not a golfer but I live in Des Moines a couple months of the year.
There are only 47 adult scout reports for Iowa at this time so many have not seen their birds yet. 2014 ended with a total of 83 adult reports.
I would rather they stay south a while yet and let it warm up some so that there are more bugs in the air. 2013 when they arrived on April 8th many died. It got cold and we had snow several times after that date. I found two birds dead and flattened at the bottom of a gourd. When it gets cold many will crowd into one gourd to stay warm, smothering the bottom birds. Another landlord in the area counted over 15 come out of one of his gourds the morning after a frigid night. Also many died of hunger here in 2013 with the freezing temps and snow for days not being able to find any bugs.
Hope this is the year you and phldave get some nesters.

phldave · Wed Apr 08, 2015 11:15 pm

Believe it or not, I got into this to nurish purple martins, not to become the grimm reaper for HOSP and starlings. After starting my 4th season of doing nothing but, you would have a hard time convincing my wife that I don't enjoy dispatching the S&S. It is becoming a truely unrewarded chore. Sure hope the creator isn't holding it against me by not allowing martins to take up residence at my place. If I am blessed with a colony of martins, I do believe I will only step in and control only the really troublesome S&S. At that time I will only help the martins when I see they need my help.

Tony · Thu Apr 09, 2015 9:51 am

I know what you mean Dave. I had that feeling as I dispatched a male sparrow Easter morning. I have seen the damage English Sparrows do to the martins and other nesting songbirds. So since God didn't put them in this country, man did I justify it as doing his work. He didn't want them here or he would have put them here.