1st year in PA, throwing in the towel

[gary1702]

Well, I have my S&K house and gourds put up in a good open spot. I put pine needles in the gourds, I just found 2 decoys today and installed them. I play the dawn song now and then, NO purple martins :( I think I had one or two fly around and check it out but that is it. I have a bluebird that sits on top of the house! Maybe next year

[gary1702]

Oh ya, my dad who is about 10 miles away is having a record year. He has about 15-18 birds this year. However he has had his house and gourds up for several years!

[Lozinger]

I'm about 30 miles away, in Bangor PA. We had four sub PMs stop by last week and check out the housing. They visited twice that day for ~30min, came the next morning but never stayed after that. They have been flying over in the mornings and afternoons since then. My initial thought is they found a colony nearby.

I remain hopeful that they or some others might take hold in the next few weeks. I will continue to play the dawn song continuously through June. Even if they don't take occupancy this year, I am still thankful that a) we have PMs in our area, and b) that they honored us by going in and out of the housing a few times. It was magical when they first showed up!

[gary1702]

I looked out the window at 7:45am this morning and saw what appear to be a Purple Martin flying around my house. Low and behold a pair of Martins flew to the gourds and poked their heads in!!!!!! I don't think they actually went in them, but they checked them out. Fingers crossed!

[Forum Admin]

It's too early to call it quits - you have until the end of June to attract nesting martins, as your visit just demonstrated. Martins are still arriving and nesting in all northern states, and even in the south (a friend who has tried for years just has her first pair, in NC).

Don't allow bluebirds or tree swallows to nest, thinking it's too late for martins, or that at least you will have some birds that way, because sure as shootin', martins will show up as soon as you let other birds claim the house.

We hope things stay active at your site. Go ahead and play the dawnsong daily, pull more martins in for a look. Let us know how things go - good luck!

[ToyinPA]

Don't give up yet. SY's can arrive into late June, possibly early July.

Try to make your nests look used...smear a little mud around the entrances and just inside. Make a nest bowl with your fist towards the back. They like the used look as it tells them the site was used by PM's before.

They also like perching wire AKA power lines close to the housing, as they like to sit back & watch. If you have none perhaps you can erect a perching wire or a pole or attach wire from your house to garage or out building. Electric companies will often give away old wire for free.

Good luck,
Toy in PA

[Mitch Booth]

I had an SY pair show up this morning and a single SY male hanging around also. The SY pair were run off by a pair of tree swallows. This will be the last year tree swallows are nesting at my site. I will be closing all bluebird and not make any gourds available for the tree swallows. I'm going to plug every available hole early in the season hoping the tree swallows move on as they always seem to appear month to two months prior to the Sy's visiting my site.

Mitch

[gary1702]

Wow, I am hoping I still may get Purple Martins this year. I have pine needles in the gourds, but I will try the mud trick also. My house and gourds have SREH that look like a half moon shape. When I first put it up the Starlings tried to get in with no luck, and they used to sit on top of the house. Nothing is nesting in the house or gourds at this point.

[Mitch Booth]

Gary,

I came home this evening and had 5 or 6 birds here for a few hours. I think 4 may be spending the night. We have a solid two to three weeks left to attract birds.

Mitch

[Lozinger]

I'm about 30 miles away, in Bangor PA. We had four sub PMs stop by last week and check out the housing. They visited twice that day for ~30min, came the next morning but never stayed after that. They have been flying over in the mornings and afternoons since then. My initial thought is they found a colony nearby.

Regarding my quote above, I have a question regarding the potential impact of my Bluebirds on PUMA visitors. I have an occupied BB nest box 20' from my T-14 in accordance with Drew Protocol. The BBs spend a lot of time perched above the T-14.

When my PUMAs showed up, the BBs flew away after the PUMA 'buzzed' them, but did not bother the PUMAs while they were investigating the T-14 and gourds.

Should I be worried about the BBs perching on the T-14? (Note: I have four gourds and eight T-14 compartments open with no occupancy or any interest from others. I think they were closed for so long that everyone forgot about them!)

[Thais G]

Hey Mitch, that's great news!! Good luck!
I keep anxiously looking everyday - like you, I had a pair, but no successful fledglings.... so hard... after you have a "taste of it", I feel it is even harder to curb anxiety!!!
I hope they stay!
Best,
Thais