Finally! SY-M at my site near Joplin MO! (and Starling drama)

[DornCounty]

Tim,

Thank you for the response. I guess there is some preliminary training involved. It appears it's not as simple as filling out an application. I'll keep sending emails and calling until I get somewhere.

Doesn't appear I will have any birds to band anyhow. This would be for down the road if I ever do get a colony started.

Mitch

Hey Mitch I live about 30 miles W of Tim an I got 6 pairs my first year. 3 SY 3 ASY. This is why I am certain Mamabruff will eventually get martins if she stays vigilant on the S&S front.

[Mitch Booth]

DornCounty,

I just do not get it...!!! I'm starting to think that my site is not adequate. Everyone says last years birds who did not successfully fledge young due to weather would return. Nope. Maybe the mother and father saw me remove the dead young from the cavity when there were still 3 nestlings alive.

I'll see what the next 2-3 weeks bring. I typically have a few SY males trying to bring in females but very little activity this year. I had 2 adults show up in the middle of April for a few days and then the following day 7 were on the gourd rack. 5 males and 2 females stuck around for a few hours and have never seen them since.

Mitch

[MamaBruff]

Mitch,
I am with you there 100% on doubts about site adequacy. I just think there are too many mature trees surrounding my site, even though I do have open flyways that meet the recommended size. I have a nice setup, I prenest, I have martin chatter box (songbird magnet) mounted on the pole, the starlings can't get in, nearby ponds, etc. And yet I have NO more PM visits since Mr SY. Now a pesky HOSP that I can't catch, even with his mate in the Blaine's, and multiple trap houses to choose from. Every day it's something, and never more than a glimpse of a Purple Martin. This week, my hopes dwindle by the day. Next year I will try the alternate ground stake; may be a little more open. If nothing next year... Then it's OVER. Time to wake up.
Best of luck to you Mitch.

[taxidermy lady]

I'm sorry your SY hasn't returned. Maybe try plugging all your holes until you see a Martin messing around. This will eliminate your struggle with those darn nasty birds. Then you can leave your site up to the martins! You have nothing to do but look at it! Just a thought. I know you love all native feathered birds and I would hate to see you give up on the martins. Good Luck!

[avesrun]

I'm technically still in y'all's company. My tried-and-true faithful pair is still coming in every night. It's been since April 19th. One of my contacts east of me says almost to the date his Martins start nest building after 30 days from arrival. I'm on day 27. The pair has endured some fairly rough weather periods. They still mostly are here in the morning and gone ALL day until I see them go into gourds in the last 5-10 minutes of what's left of daylight. On a few nights they've brought in 1 or 2 other Martin's that don't stay and fly off into the darkness. Don't know what to think about that. Either way the wait for nest building is causing anxiety about whether they indeed WILL nest. The weather is cool and cloudy again today but the winds are southerly. Maybe tonight they'll bring in friends that will stay. At this point though I'm just hoping and praying the pair keeps coming back. Good luck EVERYONE KEEP THE FAITH!
TimG

[MamaBruff]

Yes, it is that time of year isn't it, when we wannabes start questioning ourselves and get discouraged, and want to just quit. The deadline for success is rapidly approaching and we wait and fret and obsess, go over out checklist to see what we have missed... and WAIT...and obsess... Ugh. (And keep after the HOSP, getting plenty of exercise walking to and from the rack, raising and lowering on a regular basis.) But wait we must. And when we have done all that we can do, we must then wait expectantly. Turn the fretting to gratitude for the coming Purple Pioneers. One day they will come when we least expect it.

Miss HOSP now has 2 Mr HOSP that have joined her in the Blaine's. I just had to be patient. I have done as Taxidermy suggested and closed all but a couple gourds that I can easily monitor from my window. (1 TVG with porch plate (pending WEP installation), and 1 THG with the full Lewis Mod.) If PMs come, then I will open more. The starlings have moved on, so they are not a factor now, (Thanks to SuperMark and his porch plates! And to Lewis who invented his Lewis Modification) Another thing I can do is to clear away the flowers and shrubs by the #2 ground stake and move the whole system there. DebA has been here and agreed that #2 is more open. (But not like Western Kansas Open!) Hubby has agreed to be my shovel and lift man. He wants me to succeed, but it hurts him to see me obsess and become discouraged and disappointed. (Of course he never obsesses with HIS hobbies!! hehehe)

Expecting a Miracle, with Eyes to the skies...

[voyager]

Starlings attacked and ate all the martin eggs in one nest yesterday. I know it was starlings because I saw it fly out of the nest. Wish I had, had my shotgun. How much will it upset the small colony, 3 pairs, if I do go to srehs now. I don't have much choice is my thinking. The martins, not being used to the restrictors might just leave; I guess I have to take that chance. I can do the change over in about an hour without taking the alum condo all the way down. I've never had this problem before, and sure didn't anticipate this happening. Current hole are the round 2 inch type. I have one alum condo that I modified to srehs, and there is one pair nesting in it. Thank goodness at least they are safe. Any advice anyone? Thanks. p.s. I should be able to do the change over in no longer than 2 hrs. One hour might be a little optimistic.

[4th Gen Martin Fan]

Voyager,
Change the round entrance holes to SREH ASAP. Just do it and watch the martins learn how to enter and exit the new entrances.
With eggs, < 2 mins. Without eggs, < 30 mins.
Then report back your success story.
Mark.

[Lewis]

Mary, One think that might work. Go over and see Dorn County and beg borrow or steal one of his old Trio houses and put it up on any kind of pole. I think martins do identify with certain types of housing. If I remember James Strickland down in Florida went for years with the best gourds, houses and open site with out martins and then his buddy Carlton talked him into putting up a Trio and Viola in came the martins. I think I would try it.

Pulling for you,

Lewis

[4th Gen Martin Fan]

Voyager,
I hope that your silence indicates your hard work making the conversion to SREHs.
Otherwise, the consequences will be destruction of each of your martin's nests. I hate to hear about preventable starling attacks.
Here in west Tennessee, we are overrun by starlings. They are small size, are everywhere and are vicious.
Mark.