Update (Northwest KS)

Kyler · Tue May 17, 2016 1:52 pm

Nope im all on my own! Well I started out with one house from him. I never attracted any. So I took it down and bought two S&K houses and had one pair. In 2015 I moved to a differnt house and I bought four gourd racks! And two nature aluminum houses! Never had any to stay and nest but alot of visitors! So I moved 3 houses out front and now have 3 pair!

Kyler,

Mitch Booth · Tue May 17, 2016 3:03 pm

Okie,

I need some help!!!

Struggling to get colony started and I think I'm too tree encroached until I look at your photos! Lol. My pond about 1-1/2 acres in surface area and house sit in the middle of a 12 acre parcel completely surrounded by trees. I have two gourd racks to left of beach and one to right of beach about half way down to the end of pond. Nearest tree is about 120 feet. Pool cabana in rear of house is 28x24 ft to give you a sense of scale.

Your thoughts?

Mitch

Okie · Tue May 17, 2016 3:22 pm

OMG Mitch I am in no way qualified to answer

All I can tell you is about my place.
When I put up the first plastic house within 1 day the sky was full of martins. What did I know, I'd never seen one before

I did not know anything about being a landlord so you are far ahead of where I was. Anyway at that time behind my house was a 30 acre pasture, no trees anywhere in sight. So site was much more perfect than today. Since then the pasture has been built into a housing addition. Neighbors behind have 8 red tip photenias [large tree type shrub] which are just barely above my 8 ft fence & I have the shrubs & the pear tree is small. It may look larger but it is not. Probably the angle of pic. I plan to top it as, unless I train the martins to pick the pears for me, they won't get picked from the top. So there are still not any full sized trees.
Fast forward to today, there is a chance the 2 ASY males I have could have been with me all those slum landlord years. If so that is luck

With the houses so close making the fly zone not ideal I may have trouble attracting any more. Have not seen many [as in hardly any] other martins this year. Only a couple of ASY pairs which I think visit from another site. Then the 4 my martins brought in temporarily yesterday.
My place is a postage stamp size lot so I do not have a lot to work with. I think you have a much more ideal situation. But you have those full sized trees. Others comment on that. I really do not know
Like I said I may be in the same boat as many of you next year. I plan to have a gourd rack up by spring smack dab in the middle of the postage stamp yard. If that attracts any more it will be more luck than site.
I am always rooting for those who wish, hope & pray.
Good luck and hopefully you will get some qualified advice. Sorry I could not help

Okie · Tue May 17, 2016 5:41 pm

BTW Mitch I also have water about the same size as your pond behind the housing addition. I do see martins flying high probably from other sites to get water.

Okie · Wed May 18, 2016 11:28 am

I guess this is as good a topic as any to post this observation. Did not want to start new topic
My #1 ASY male is a real gentleman. When his lady was gathering nesting material he went with her every time & returned with her.
Then AFTER she laid 6 eggs on the bare floor, he helped her gather the pear leaves. On last nest check she now has all 6 eggs on a nice bowl of leaves. Now that she is incubating he stands guard on the porch, then relieves her on the nest so she can forage.
She is blessed to have such a dedicated man in her life.

Is this usual behavior? #2 pair are on back side of house so cannot keep that good track on their behavior. But I don't think he always went on the gathering missions.
Any comments?

Okie · Wed May 18, 2016 11:35 am

BTW #2 has 3 eggs
#1 with the 6 eggs are due to hatch next week maybe as early as Sunday
Don't think I can wait 5 days to check next week. Will probably check every day. Am I being too smothering??? Just excited to witness this for the first time.
Comments & your experience please

Kyler · Wed May 18, 2016 2:48 pm

Wow!! That's good he's like that!! My ASY male is the only one that I have seen bring back nesting material. I have never seen the female ever go out looking for stuff for her nest!! Its really weird! I'm not sure about the SYs because neither pair has started to bring anything in???

I will be the same way when my martins are incubating!! I just cant wait!! I know that felling because I went through it with my pair in 2014!!

Kyler,

marcus · Wed May 18, 2016 3:01 pm

Kyler,
I have a nest that is that way. The male brought green leaves in and that is all the nest they built.(I had put pine straw in.) I'm almost certain it's an ASY pair. I also think that female nested in that gourd last year.(It is at a different place under the house.) Her breast is very dark.

Okie · Wed May 18, 2016 4:18 pm

Ok so the excitement & anticipation is contagious

And I presume the birds will not mind?

Kyler · Wed May 18, 2016 5:41 pm

Every time I did I would tap on the pole and she would come out and fly away. I would raise it back up after im done and she came right back and went back in!!

Kyler,

Kyler · Fri May 20, 2016 6:11 pm

Okie,
This is the process of taking a sparrow out of the spare-o-door! Sorry the pictures are kind of bad!

End result!

Evan337 · Sat May 21, 2016 8:17 am

Mitch Booth wrote:Okie,

I need some help!!!

Struggling to get colony started and I think I'm too tree encroached until I look at your photos! Lol. My pond about 1-1/2 acres in surface area and house sit in the middle of a 12 acre parcel completely surrounded by trees. I have two gourd racks to left of beach and one to right of beach about half way down to the end of pond. Nearest tree is about 120 feet. Pool cabana in rear of house is 28x24 ft to give you a sense of scale.

Your thoughts?

Mitch

Mitch,

That site looks like it could be incredible for martins. I'm still not sure i understand where you housing is located. Your site reminds me of Ron Vasser's site in Rome, GA. He has a pretty large colony made up of T-14s and gourd racks. He used to post some incredible pictures but I haven't seen him post in a while. His housing lines his driveway between the driveway and the pond.

If I had your site I would place my housing in one of the following locations:

1. Lining the pond along the driveway
2. Lining the pond on the side/behind the garage
3. The open area behind the garage and on the side of the pool cabana.

I highlighted the area that I think would be the best locations fro housing and give you the best chance of attracting martins. What type of housing do you have? What type of housing is most prominent in your area?

Mitch Booth · Sat May 21, 2016 3:13 pm

Evan337,

I have two gourd racks off the front porch to left of beach. Most housing in my area uses gourds. The T-14 was here when I bought the house but is much too close to tree line. In 2013 and 2015 the gourd racks in front of house to left of the beach housed one pair each year. I'm thinking of taking one of the gourd racks down that is front of the house and move it across the pond.

Right now I'm battling tree swallows. Next year there will not be a tree swallow or bluebird nesting on the property!! Evan did you use Microsoft paint or Photoshop to draw on that picture?

Mitch

Okie · Sat May 21, 2016 10:28 pm

Colby Awesome pics Thank you that's pretty neat.
How are your martins doing? Any hatchlings yet?

Evan337 · Sat May 21, 2016 11:35 pm

Mitch Booth wrote:Evan337,

I have two gourd racks off the front porch to left of beach. Most housing in my area uses gourds. The T-14 was here when I bought the house but is much too close to tree line. In 2013 and 2015 the gourd racks in front of house to left of the beach housed one pair each year. I'm thinking of taking one of the gourd racks down that is front of the house and move it across the pond.

Right now I'm battling tree swallows. Next year there will not be a tree swallow or bluebird nesting on the property!! Evan did you use Microsoft paint or Photoshop to draw on that picture?

Mitch

Mitch,

I think your doing everything right on placement. What about moving the T-14 closer to your house? Or to the spot where you were going to move one of the gourd racks?
Which type of gourds do you offer? Which type of entrance holes do you have?
Do you offer other housing/nesting boxes for the bluebirds and tree swallows?
For 12 years and between three sites I have always had bluebirds nesting within 100 feet of my Martin colony. Never had an issue with the bluebirds trying to use the Martin housing. I offer a lot of boxes across the property for bluebirds and normally have 3-4 pair that will nest.

The program I used to do the mark up is called Snagit. It's a screen shot software that allows you to highlight and outline on top of images. I use it a lot for work. It's a pretty handy tool.

Kyler · Sun May 22, 2016 11:27 am

Okie,

It has still been a little cold in the mornings I just think the martins don't know when to lay their eggs and if it is the right time! Their doing really good I think I'm going to end with three or four pair! The subadults are starting to bring nesting stuff in!

Kyler,

Mitch Booth · Sun May 22, 2016 8:37 pm

Evan

I use super gourds and Troyer horizontals with either crescent entrances or Conly II tunnels and porches. I don't seem to have any issues with the Bluebirds but the tree swallows are next to impossible keeping them out of the gourd racks. I wait until they select a gourd and then move it down to a shepards hook.

I've yet to see a SY bird this year. Not sure if the tree swallows are keeping them away or not.

Mitch