Question about 1st year at a new location

Archer · Sun May 17, 2015 5:02 pm

Anything happening at your place?

JMcM · Tue Mar 22, 2016 9:38 am

Archer wrote:Anything happening at your place?

Sorry that I missed this post from last year Archer. I ended up having lots of visitors last season while martins were here but didn't have any to stay and nest with us. I have done a little upgrading, adding a house above the gourds for this season.

Keeping my fingers crossed for better luck this season.

Archer · Tue Mar 22, 2016 12:05 pm

Good to hear from you. You have such an open, beautiful site. I think those gourds with the tunnel SREH entrances will be the first occupied this year. Hoping for you.

JMcM · Tue Mar 22, 2016 2:56 pm

Archer wrote:Good to hear from you. You have such an open, beautiful site. I think those gourds with the tunnel SREH entrances will be the first occupied this year. Hoping for you.

Got the SREH gords plugged right now. Bluebirds sure love them!

I just got in for the day and I'm almost positive I saw my first Purple Martin here this year a few mins ago. I was still sitting in my 18 wheeler finishing log book for the day and when I looked over towards the gourds I saw one flying away. Jumped out of truck to try and get a better look and it flew around at a pretty good distance for about 30-45 seconds and then disappeared. Definately a swallow of some type. Didn't hear it singing.

Fingers crossed!

John Miller · Tue Mar 22, 2016 8:32 pm

Beautiful open location.

I'd put some pre-nest in the housing...just a handful of dry white pine needles or wheat straw patted down to look like an old nest. May not help attract, but could not hurt, and will benefit any that decide to stay.

You might consider two natural gourds to hang from the corners of the house. The rustic darker interior and rough gripper edge to the entrance may entice a female to stay.

Many people believe the audio recordings help, but I suggest not over using once martins begin to come check things out. It's my thought that martins may have a harder time relaxing when it's playing and focusing on the housing and not the audio.

John Miller

JMcM · Wed Mar 23, 2016 11:23 am

Thavks for the pointers and tips John.

My wife called a little while ago and said we have 2 checking out the housing and my daughter just text saying we have 4 now.

Excited!

JMcM · Sun Mar 27, 2016 9:57 am

Just wanted to post an update.

We've had tons of activity so far. Had a pair yesterday going in and out of the house and gourds together. Noticed this a few times during the day. At one point yesterday i had
7 hanging around for a few mins. We've had 1 male staying with us overnight the last couple of nights. A lot more activity this year than I can remember from last year.

Still keeping my fingers crossed!

Happy Easter Everyone! Have a great day!

Archer · Sun Mar 27, 2016 9:19 pm

That's a good sign Jeff, If you can get one to stay, there are more on the way.

JMcM · Tue May 03, 2016 7:57 am

Good morning everyone.

Just wanted to drop in and give an update on my site. After seeing lots and lots of Martin activity this year since March 22nd I finally have a few that are gonna stay with us hopefully. I've seen as many as 10 the last couple of days but I've had 7 that have been staying. I've been watching them take nesting material in the last couple of days. They have been staying around regularly for about the last 1 1/2-2 weeks now.

Archer · Tue May 03, 2016 9:54 pm

Terrific news, thanks for the update.

taxidermy lady · Wed May 04, 2016 5:53 am

Great news. Do you play any cd's? Thanks

JMcM · Wed May 04, 2016 4:01 pm

No Mam, I haven't played any cd's. I do have a Songbird Magnet box that I played the dawnsong with early in the mornings for a while. I haven't used it in several weeks after I started seeing plenty of martins stopping by and checking things out. I do believe those things help attract the martins in for a look but I also wondered if I was doing more harm than good if it played too much.

I counted 9 that came in before dark last night. When they landed on housing I could count 6 but I'm not sure if the other 3 went in the house/gourds or if they left.

taxidermy lady · Wed May 04, 2016 6:23 pm

Thanks for the great info!

good luck!
They look like SY's.
What time in morning would you shut your dawn song off? Thanks

Archer · Fri Jul 01, 2016 8:48 am

Hi Jeff, wondering how your season has gone, did you have some nesting pairs?

JMcM · Thu Feb 23, 2017 10:08 pm

Archer wrote:Hi Jeff, wondering how your season has gone, did you have some nesting pairs?

Hi Archer, hope all is well. Guess I missed this post last year so here's an update. I ended up having about 12-14 or so stay with us last year. Two pair nested and we had about 4 young ones to hatch.

A friend south of me has about 10 now last I heard him say. He started having activity the first week or possibly early in the second week of this month.

Hope everyone here is doing well and getting ready for a season of plenty of Purple Martins! I know we are!

Archer · Sat Feb 25, 2017 12:34 am

That's good news Jeff, Glad to hear that you were successful. It's still a long wait till the martins return to Manitoba, I'll be ready when they show up. Have a great year and let us know how its going once in a while:)

Luv Ya Purple · Sat Feb 25, 2017 10:13 pm

JMcM wrote:
Archer wrote:Hi Jeff, wondering how your season has gone, did you have some nesting pairs?

Hi Archer, hope all is well. Guess I missed this post last year so here's an update. I ended up having about 12-14 or so stay with us last year. Two pair nested and we had about 4 young ones to hatch.

A friend south of me has about 10 now last I heard him say. He started having activity the first week or possibly early in the second week of this month.

Hope everyone here is doing well and getting ready for a season of plenty of Purple Martins! I know we are!

Where did the pairs nest in the house or in the gourds?

JMcM · Sun Feb 26, 2017 8:21 am

Luv Ya Purple wrote:
JMcM wrote:
Archer wrote:Hi Jeff, wondering how your season has gone, did you have some nesting pairs?

Hi Archer, hope all is well. Guess I missed this post last year so here's an update. I ended up having about 12-14 or so stay with us last year. Two pair nested and we had about 4 young ones to hatch.

A friend south of me has about 10 now last I heard him say. He started having activity the first week or possibly early in the second week of this month.

Hope everyone here is doing well and getting ready for a season of plenty of Purple Martins! I know we are!
Where did the pairs nest in the house or in the gourds?

The two nests were in the gourds.

JMcM · Sun Feb 26, 2017 8:28 am

taxidermy lady wrote: What time in morning would you shut your dawn song off? Thanks

The song box that I have is set to come on at daybreak with a light sensor. It plays for 4 hours then shuts itself off until next daybreak. If I was around and noticed any Martins around I would unplug it. After I started seeing Martins regularly I stopped using it.

JMcM · Sun Feb 26, 2017 8:40 am

JMcM wrote:
Archer wrote:Hi Jeff, wondering how your season has gone, did you have some nesting pairs?
I ended up having about 12-14 or so stay with us last year. Two pair nested and we had about 4 young ones to hatch.

Just wanted to add a bit to this, Archer. When I said that I had 4 fledglings, there could have possibly been more. I know that I seen 4 young ones with their heads at the entrance holes. My housing isn't set up to raise and lower. That's something that I had planned to address during the winter but never got around to it. Been busy, busy, busy. Hopefully I can make some changes on that by next season. Would love to have my houses and a huge rack of gourds all set up on a pulley system.