Sy's still arriving in PA

[ToyinPA]

Saw a new SY Male yesterday. He's really dark faced with a very speckled chest.

Just a few minutes ago a new SY Female arrived. She was doing the fly-by check the site out thing, while a few males were doing their best singing & flying trying to get her to land on their balcony & check out the digs. She landed o top of House #1 & took off, as the males were right on her. I can use a few more females. I'm always short a few compared to males.

I would guess we still have 2-3 weeks for SY's to arrive in northern states. So those hoping don't give up yet.

Toy in a very humid PA

[Thais G]

Hi Toy,
I had visitors again today, but nobody stayed so far. It is still fairly chilly for this time of they year - I am hopeful for more activity when wheater warms up again tomorrow and Monday.
Thanks for the support!
Thais

[Dan G]

I hope your right, but I am no longer hopeful this year. Last year was a poor fledging rate for my area due to the cold snap last june and hawk attacks on the nearby colonies. So far, this has been a much better year weather wise and i am hoping for more SY's for next year. One of the local amish have 84 cavities and he has a martin nest in each. I will bide my time with TRES and BBs for this year. I even have a pair of tufted titmouse that started nest building in the house where the bluebirds fledged three from. ( i had cleaned the house out and a few days later discovered moss that was being brought in). So, like Bill Murray said in Caddyshack, " I got that going for me."

[ToyinPA]

Dan:
You need to get rid of the BB & TS. They create too much competition & the Martins will use up energy constantly trying to chase them off.

I am expecting to hold a event with some from the local Audubon club on the 18th or the 25th. Time 7:00 PM to dark. It all depends on my neck surgery (June 13th) and the hatch timing. I currently have 14 pair & 2 spare. 50 eggs so far. If you're interested in attending drop me an e-mail.

Toy in PA

[Ed Pace]

Dan ,Toy is right a lot of people have wasted a lot of time trying to get a Martin colony started but trying to mess with blue birds and trees at the same time. Unless you live in a rich Martin area , don't mess with the BBs and Trees wait until you have your colony established first then you can have all three . And yes the subs are still coming in I have picked up probably eight new pair of subs ,males and females in the last 10 days . Good luck.
Ed

[Lozinger]

Dan ,Toy is right a lot of people have wasted a lot of time trying to get a Martin colony started but trying to mess with blue birds and trees at the same time. Unless you live in a rich Martin area , don't mess with the BBs and Trees wait until you have your colony established first then you can have all three . ...
Ed

Ed, I'm confused...are you and Toy referring to BB and TRES in the Martin housing, or in their own dedicated housing in accordance with the Drew Protocol? As a potential landlord, I followed the Drew Protocol and have a dedicated BB and TRES box 20' from my T-14 (although the TRES box is unoccupied). The BBs have been nesting in their box for a few months, although they have taken to perching on the T-14. When four subs arrived last week, they chased the BB away with a close pass and then stuck around to investigate the T-14. They stopped by a few times after that but didn't remain.

Does the presence of BBs in their own housing negatively impact the chances of PUMAs sticking around? The good news is that nothing has tried to nest in the T-14 since I opened it a week ago.

Thanks!
Dave

[Thais G]

I understand many say TRES will be competition, but I don't have the heart to get rid of them... They keep me going while the martins don't come and while I understand they may delay my colony establishment, I enjoy them just as much. My TRES house is a good 100' from the martin house and I have not observed them trying to defend it (they do not dive-bomb visiting martins.)

Yes, for the best-ever chances, I agree one should probably get rid of them, but I don't think they are prohibitive of martins coming (unless they are indeed perching on the house and defending it.) I guess it is up to each person to define how badly they want to try for the martins and how far they want to go in measures to try to get them.

My site is at a VERY urban (read: wildlife-depleted!!) location where I mostly get S&S - the TRES are a blessing at such circumstances and I would be afraid of never getting them back if I ever displaced them. (I already lost a pair this year due to S&S battling...)

In summary, for me, anything that is not S&S is a win!!! But if you are confident of your location diversity and comfortable with the risk of "losing them" - you could try that.

Best,
Thais

[Dan G]

I plan to move the TRES box further away for next year, but i hope i dont have to eliminate their housing. I have not seen a martin in my yard this year. I work during the day, so i'm not saying they havent been here and the TRES an BB chased them off, but i do have a pair of house finches that i allowed to nest in the gourd rack, not the T14. They all have been on the perches at the same time an i have not seen them aggressive towards each other. If the TRES landed on the BB house, or vice versa, they would chase them off, but the T14 perch seemed like neutral ground.

For next year( oh how i hate saying that) i am going to move the BB and Tres at least 50 feet away and make the line of sight not towards each other. I also have permission to put a house or rack up in a field about 500 feet from my house. It will be closer to the neighbor who has been growing sparrows, but it is wide open with power lines nearby. Maybe i will put some gourds up there with SRE's, but I wont be able to be monitoring it as close to control sparrows. What to do, What to do. If i could attract them there, maybe i could get them that last 500 feet to my house the following year.

I' not sure if i would be able to visit you Toy. My job often requires that i remain in Centre County. Let me know when you plan to have folks over and i will try to schedule a visit. I didnt see your email address, but i believe mine is visible. If you email me, i can respond. Good luck with your surgery.

[gary1702]

I saw a pair of Martins fly around my house and gourds this morning, one landed on my gourds (back side) and maybe pocked his head into the gourd and that fast they flew off. This is the second time I saw them, they come from the West of my setup and fly off the same way. I am guessing someone has housing setup in that area? Fingers still crossed!

[Thais G]

Any luck Gary? Last year I got my pair on June 8th :-D
Cheers,
Thais

[gary1702]

Nothing yet:(