After Trying for 15 Years - Finally Two Nesting Pairs!

[starling shooter]

Way to go! Super Colony on the way....

[Donnie Hurdt MN]

So glad they finally came to you Daryl, couldn't happen to a more deserving guy!I wish you many more in years to come.
I had a pair of subadults spend three nits at my site this spring and I thought I might get lucky but the Bluebirds that were nesting in a nearby BB box didn't like sharing their roosting space with the martins and they teamed up with a pair of Tree Swallows that were nesting in another BB box and chased the martins away one evening while I stood there and watched. The Bluebirds were about to fledge young and were very aggressive toward any bird that got too close.
So, I am back to waiting till next year again but next year there wont be any BB's or TS's nesting in my yard.

[Daryl Lindstrom - MN]

We read about people trying everything from new housing, cutting trees, mud, mirrors, music,.... You? You buy a whole new people house! Haha.

Place looks great and I am so glad you get to enjoy them up close now. Love it!

Deb

Thanks Deb! I was very fortunate to find a wonderful house close to the rest of my family that has a great location for Purple Martins! The cool thing is, from my house I can still see the old location at my parents' where I tried for 14 years to attract these birds! Just had to move the housing further from the woods!

[Daryl Lindstrom - MN]

Congrats, Daryl! Looking forward to updates as your first season with a home colony continues. For those not aware, Daryl has done a lot to boost martins with public sites all these years, too.

Thanks for all the support and guidance over the years Louise! My public seven public colonies are doing great! It is sure rewarding to see the drastic increase in the local Purple Martin population over the years! Having high-quality housing in prime locations, and managing the colonies WILL INCREASE the local population! Over the fourth of July weekend, I was out boating on a local lake... I noticed a T-14 on an aluminum pole and three guard racks up with high-quality plastic gourds! One colony had several pairs... didn't have much time to watch the others. But - the word is spreading and high-quality housing is starting to dot the area! So exciting to see!

[Daryl Lindstrom - MN]

Congratulations Daryl,

Nice looking site. I am curious, are the birds nesting in the front of the house or in the back, and are they in the same houses?

Bill

Hey Bill,

The first nest is in the T-14, in a middle compartment facing my back deck - perfect spot for me to keep an eye on things! Surprisingly, the other nest is in the house in the front yard, lower compartment, also facing my house. I surely thought they would want to stay in the same house; however, there were many single subadult males attached to the T-14 fighting for the female. The subadult male that claimed the other house actually got her - I think she liked being away from all of those crazy subadult males at the T-14!

[Daryl Lindstrom - MN]

I've "known you" for a least ten years, and it couldn't have happened to a better guy. Congrats!! They have no idea how nice and safe you are going to make it for them. Happy for you!

Thanks Larry! It sure helps to know many people were pulling for me over the years. I sure do miss the days of the old "Clubhouse." I would love to tell "Diva Mom," Linda Reynolds, "CUL Lou" and co that I finally have nesting pairs! They were all involved during the hay days when I started this whole adventure!

[Daryl Lindstrom - MN]

Daryl, good going...Your a great example of never giving up.....Curious, did you play cd's, mud, pine needles...etc... Dave

Dave,

I played the dawnsong during the morning hours at the beginning of the season. I think it helped to bring in a SY male. As soon as he arrived I shut it off and never turned it back on. The same day the SY male showed up, he called in an ASY male, SY female, and other SY males. I didn't want to disrupt the natural flow of things after I saw all this activity, so I never again played the CD. I did not use decoys. I did make rather substantial nests in each compartment... pine needles, grasses, twigs, green leaves - I tried to make they appear as close to actual martin nests as possible. They really didn't need to carry in much material as their nests were already made! I also smeared a lot of mud around the outside and inside of each entrance. Not sure if any of this made much of a difference - I think the most critical part is having a very wide-open site!

[Daryl Lindstrom - MN]

So glad they finally came to you Daryl, couldn't happen to a more deserving guy!I wish you many more in years to come.
I had a pair of subadults spend three nits at my site this spring and I thought I might get lucky but the Bluebirds that were nesting in a nearby BB box didn't like sharing their roosting space with the martins and they teamed up with a pair of Tree Swallows that were nesting in another BB box and chased the martins away one evening while I stood there and watched. The Bluebirds were about to fledge young and were very aggressive toward any bird that got too close.
So, I am back to waiting till next year again but next year there wont be any BB's or TS's nesting in my yard.

Hey Donnie! I know you've been trying for a long time too... I feel your frustration! I had a nesting pair of bluebirds when the martins came in. The bluebirds never bothered the martins. I did plug the rest of my BB boxes to not allow nesting tree swallows on the property... except for one box. The nesting tree swallows were at least 100 feet from the nesting martins. They sure due cause distress to investigating martins. I now have several pairs of tree swallow nesting on my 2.5 acre lot... I hope they don't cause problems next spring with the martins!

[MarkinMn]

congrats Daryl....I've been trying myself for 25 yrs ....first pair last year fledged 3....this year have 2 pair and started with 4 babies and 6 eggs....nest check today....2 babies (1 dead, one missing) in one nest, and four babies in the other.....no blowfly larvae, no mites or fleas.....lot of sparrows about...no starlings....sigh...!.....replaced the one nest with the dead chick, and drilled 2 holes in each compartment of t-14 for extra ventilation, for upcoming heat-wave.......ece has a pretty good size colony in Braham.......i am about 40 miles west of you...........never give up....."Stay Safe".....mark