Several Lookers, No Takers

Fireflyfisherman · Fri Mar 27, 2015 6:59 pm

I'm not going to say I am frustrated yet but starting off is tough. I have had a few Martins each day land and check out my house (around noon), but none have entered. I set up the crescents according to everything I read here but have noticed that all the houses around here have circle entrances. The martins keep looking at the same side (top floor closest to my house) but won't go in. Do you think these are birds (all black I assume ASY) from other colonies and haven't seen SREH? I changed the doors back to circles to see if that would change anything. It didn't. They were flying around it again but left when I came outside (I think we startled each other). Each time they do this it seems that they are only here for a few minutes. I will probably switch back to all SREH after another few days if the circles don't get them interested.

threelilkids · Fri Mar 27, 2015 7:29 pm

I had the same problem as you and everyone on this forum said to be patient if they want in they will go in, they were all right. I know it is hard but keep the crescents and let it ride they need to trust. Hang in there it will happen, sorry you have to go through this, I know how you feel....we all do. I just wanted to push them in

Good luck, Mary

Jerry Parent · Fri Mar 27, 2015 11:21 pm

Hi,

To increase interest in your colony, I would try placing (mount) some small MIRRORS around the outside of the house and also placing some nesting material in the nests. This will make the Martin think that your colony is active and this should make it more attractive to the visiting Martins and hopefully more interested in investigating your facility. You could also try adding some Martin decoys. I have successfully use these trick many times to start my own colonies and others. There are some articles listed on the PMCA website on this matter. Thanks, Jerry Parent

~Ray~Gingerich · Fri Mar 27, 2015 11:39 pm

Make the inside look dirty and used, smear mud here and there, dab white paint to look like bird droppings, even some on the walls, find some materials they naturally use for nests and leave a little inside.

birdbrat · Sat Mar 28, 2015 6:18 am

Here is a little food for thought..... If you were looking to buy a new home, how many times would you go to look at it before you decided to make the move? I would toss in some pine needles and wait it out. They are obviously out shopping for a new home and it seems they prefer the safety of the side that faces you. I'm not sure if you have them or not, but if not you might try to hang a couple gourds under your house and face the openings toward your house as well. Just so Mr. Martin can say to the Wife, "hey honey, look! extra rooms! The kids can move in when they are grown!" Good luck. Have fun. And enjoy.

Fireflyfisherman · Mon Mar 30, 2015 5:27 pm

The martins haven't stopped by since the last post but the several existing colonies are starting to fill in nicely and I'm noticing more birds in the air. I am sure they were ASY from the existing colonies because they were so dark. I put a decoy on the martin house so hopefully that will get some attention (or at least add some hawk protection for my bluebirds 50ft from the martin pole). Waiting is tough. Also, I smeared mud on the entrance and in the cavities.

Jose Rodriguez · Tue Mar 31, 2015 4:54 am

We all go through this. Watching them and cheering them on, go in, go in. They know where you are. They will be back. Just weighing their options! Hang in there, it will happen!

Fireflyfisherman · Fri Apr 03, 2015 7:58 am

Would y'all take a look at my site. I know it is less than ideal but any advice would be appreciated. There is a pond behind the tree line and I'm on the corner with a street on the right. Not near as open as I/they would like, but just as good if not better than the other colonies around.

KathyF · Fri Apr 03, 2015 8:14 am

It's difficult to start a new colony with trees that close to your site. If those cedar trees to the right of the yard were mine, I would cut them down. They're not really big enough yet to cause problems, but who knows what a martin is thinking...like, "when those grow up, they will provide hawk cover"....

Hard to tell how big your yard is, but you might try moving your house more to the center of your yard. Other colonies can get away with less than ideal conditions when they have had martins established there for years, but it's more difficult to start a new colony with trees around. Move your pole, and try some of these ideas I've blogged about here. Do you have the dawnsong cd? you might want to consider ordering that from the PMCA shop to attract a few to your yard too.
Best of luck to you!
http://kathyfreeze.blogspot.com/2014/03 ... sites.html

Fireflyfisherman · Thu Apr 09, 2015 8:46 pm

Just a few minutes from when I posted my question, I had martins checking out the house. One male in particular took a liking and figured out the crescents quickly and eventually lured a female in. They haven't stayed the night and I see him flying over during the day, he stops and checks everything and if here is a female near by he tries to sweet talk her in, but still no overnight stays. I did a check on the house and there was a space where it looks like a nest was hollowed out and I realized I didn't put enough pine needles in because there was a lot of bare floor. Would it hurt to add more needles to that cavity (I added more to the other cavities)? Keeping my fingers crossed that we get an overnighter.

KathyF · Fri Apr 10, 2015 7:00 am

Normally, it wouldn't hurt to add more pine needles in an established colony. But since yours is new, I'd leave it alone - keep an eye out for them in the evening and see if they're staying the night. They can sometimes slip in quickly & quietly just before sunset!

taxidermy lady · Fri Apr 10, 2015 8:13 am

I took a small paint brush and painted the walls with mud. I think it looks like martins have been there for years! Just something I did not do last year!
It's crazy what we do for them, love, love, love, trying. I will miss this feeling when it does happen! Chickadee told me this! So cherish this stage of trying to become a landlord!

Where are you at Chickadee!!!!

Good luck FireFly!

Jose Rodriguez · Fri Apr 10, 2015 1:46 pm

Sharon, I'm with you! I miss hearing from Chickadee!

pmlover · Fri Apr 10, 2015 1:56 pm

u need gourds also however the trees are hurting u the most
dick

Fireflyfisherman · Sun Apr 12, 2015 11:20 am

The spruce/cypress or whatever it is to the right is HOA but I am not opposed to doing some tree trimming since the HOA will not (trimmed the top of one that was already dead). THere is also a mulberry north of the site that needs to go. If the spruce/cypress are shorter than the house is raised would that make a difference to the birds? I want to make this site as martin friendly as possible but don't want to chop HOA trees to the ground (just minimally trim them).

Fireflyfisherman · Sun Apr 19, 2015 8:56 pm

Over the last few days I have had several new lookers and I believe they are SY birds (I will try to get a good pic for conformation). Tonight after spending most of the day flying around the house a pair flew in at dusk and went right into the crescent entrance. Today was a very exciting day. There was a hawk that was flying around and the young male took off from the house and gave that hawk hell. It was so scary watching this dogfight unfold. Once it was over and the hawk flew off the martin returned and went right back into the house. Y'all are right about the SREH. When they want in, they will go in but waiting is tough.