Looks like a record season still getting ASY birds and I have already
gone over my totals for last year. Gourds and houses filling fast. NO SY
yet what ever is left probably will be taken by the SY flocks I hope many new landlords finally get them i been feeling like a martin HOG for years. Others need to enjoy the martin as well have 160 units in RI and have 80% are taken already. All units are starling resistant and many new birds had to learn to enter them. And did just fine.
Ray
Much higher population of martins New England
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mikeybotta44
- Posts: 22
- Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2015 5:59 pm
- Location: NJ/Sparta
Hopefully some SY's take a trip through the Tri-State Area before heading up to you! 
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Dan G
- Posts: 408
- Joined: Thu Jun 12, 2014 7:52 pm
- Location: PA/Bellefonte
- Martin Colony History: Several colonies with in 6 mile radius.
Have had visitor every year 2014-24.
2024, most active. Up to seven at a time but still no serious nest building
Too many mature trees.
Do the gourds in New England fill with air, or do they deflate like Patriot footballs? 
Sorry, but when i saw" New England", I couldnt resist. Hope your a football fan and get the joke.
Sorry, but when i saw" New England", I couldnt resist. Hope your a football fan and get the joke.
Bellefonte PA
2014, 1st year-a few lookers, no nests
2015-23. Visitors each year. But no pairs.
2024- most active year. 2-4 SY male’s hang out most days. Had an ASY male visit in mid June. One morning, there were 7! Still eliminating starlings and sparrows.
2014, 1st year-a few lookers, no nests
2015-23. Visitors each year. But no pairs.
2024- most active year. 2-4 SY male’s hang out most days. Had an ASY male visit in mid June. One morning, there were 7! Still eliminating starlings and sparrows.
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Thais G
- Posts: 93
- Joined: Mon May 05, 2014 6:37 pm
- Location: CT/Darien
- Martin Colony History: Started at unsuitable location in 2008. Many lessons learned since. Two tentative locations: Rogers International School and the "Fish Church" (downtown.) One pair in 2015; no fledglings though. No pairs 2016.
My second year trying in Stamford, CT - hopeful they come around. Colony is at a school and it would be a wonderful thing to have them. Had two visitors, which is nice, but they left.. 
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Petermcc~Canada
- Posts: 31
- Joined: Sat Mar 20, 2004 9:21 am
- Location: New Brunswick, Canada
Hi Ray, FYI the purple martins are still struggling in New Brunswick with only a few colonies left. It's good to hear you have has so much succees growing the poplulation in RI....maybe some birds will continue northward to boost our population. Hope you have a great season!
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Martin man RI
- Posts: 440
- Joined: Sun Dec 14, 2003 7:04 pm
- Location: MA/RI area
Hi Peter
Nice to hear from you after all these years! Yes I will be Sending many north to you in New Brunswick I have gotten a ton of support from Country clubs and Landtrust And private residents. I have enough units to support just over one hundred martins in RI and another hundred units over the state
line in Massachusetts There population in southern NE is off the charts thats
how well we are doing here. 90% of folks have removed the small units and
now the birds are in SREH gourds and houses. Never been so happy to see
so many martins.
Take care Ray
Nice to hear from you after all these years! Yes I will be Sending many north to you in New Brunswick I have gotten a ton of support from Country clubs and Landtrust And private residents. I have enough units to support just over one hundred martins in RI and another hundred units over the state
line in Massachusetts There population in southern NE is off the charts thats
how well we are doing here. 90% of folks have removed the small units and
now the birds are in SREH gourds and houses. Never been so happy to see
so many martins.
Take care Ray
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Petermcc~Canada
- Posts: 31
- Joined: Sat Mar 20, 2004 9:21 am
- Location: New Brunswick, Canada
Hi Ray, I visited one of our few remaining colonies last week. There were 13 ASY martins flying around, and the landlord later told me she counted 27 adults feedign young last year. I don't believe any SY birds have arrived yet. so it appears this colony is doing well. The housing there is a wooden TR14 and a pair of houses mounted on another pole..all 3 house with SREH. Both poles are on winches...so there is hope.
I had to give up on hosting martins on my farm. I did get one SY pair to nest and hatch 3 young but an agressive rogue ASY male, drove off the younger male and killed the young....actually carried them to the river and dropped them in the water. The ASY male and SY female tried to renest but it was too late in the season.
In the end after a few more years or trying I loaned my 2 TR14's to two different colonies that were down to very low numbers, but the number of birds was low and we didn't succeed in keeping those colonies going.
I had to give up on hosting martins on my farm. I did get one SY pair to nest and hatch 3 young but an agressive rogue ASY male, drove off the younger male and killed the young....actually carried them to the river and dropped them in the water. The ASY male and SY female tried to renest but it was too late in the season.
In the end after a few more years or trying I loaned my 2 TR14's to two different colonies that were down to very low numbers, but the number of birds was low and we didn't succeed in keeping those colonies going.
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Martin man RI
- Posts: 440
- Joined: Sun Dec 14, 2003 7:04 pm
- Location: MA/RI area
HI Peter
Sad news but i can understand Its much cooler up there and The birds
Would suffer in a cool wet spell. There numbers have dropped in Maine
and NH. If you are ever in the area look me up you would enjoy all these
Martins down here. The birds are nesting just south west of Boston so they
have expanded there range in MA and will expand to many more communities I'm sure.
Take care
Ray
Sad news but i can understand Its much cooler up there and The birds
Would suffer in a cool wet spell. There numbers have dropped in Maine
and NH. If you are ever in the area look me up you would enjoy all these
Martins down here. The birds are nesting just south west of Boston so they
have expanded there range in MA and will expand to many more communities I'm sure.
Take care
Ray
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Petermcc~Canada
- Posts: 31
- Joined: Sat Mar 20, 2004 9:21 am
- Location: New Brunswick, Canada
I hope you are having a successful season. Purple martins started hatching up here in NB on July 1. SY birds arrived June 27.
I did some google searches on PM's in Maine and found this article...very encouraging. I bet you would be a good source of advice to these people.
If you scroll through the pictures from Belgrade, ME, you will see some old housing in poor condition. We had that same condition here in NB, century old colonies in need of some attention.
Peter
https://www.centralmaine.com/2015/07/03 ... -belgrade/
I did some google searches on PM's in Maine and found this article...very encouraging. I bet you would be a good source of advice to these people.
If you scroll through the pictures from Belgrade, ME, you will see some old housing in poor condition. We had that same condition here in NB, century old colonies in need of some attention.
Peter
https://www.centralmaine.com/2015/07/03 ... -belgrade/