Another unsuccessful year

jhcox · Mon Jul 03, 2017 2:25 pm

It has been yet another unsuccessful year trying to attract PM here in East Tennessee. We just returned from 3 week vacation all over the northern mid west area. Ten states in 3 weeks Yellowstone, The Grand Tetons, Mount Rushmore, The Crazy Horse monument, The Bad Lands and so much more. But the whole time we were gone all I could do was hope that when we would return that I would find my first pair of nesting PM or maybe even 2. But on returning home I saw no martins. I did a nest check to see if maybe there was a nest and Martin were just off feeding or something. But at last NO there were ni nest or any signs of nest building. But late last night after we had gotten all settled back in here at home. I went and sat outside until dark and my single subadult male showed up just at dark. Assuming it's the same one and he did enter the same gourd as always that mean he's been here for over 2 months with no success in finding a mate. All I can do is look to next year. I'll spend the winter making some up grades to the lift system on the racks and clean gourds. Better luck next year I guess. JHCox

Martinfarmer · Mon Jul 03, 2017 3:09 pm

JHCox, this is my first year to have martins. They started showing up in April. What's crazy, I have a pair that has eggs one week old and I think I have one more pair trying to nest as well.
My point being, I would not quit trying to attract them until at least September. For some reason ( I give credit to dawn song) last year I got several visitors over a period of a month. I think they were newly fledged birds, but I can't be sure of that. I believe all the time they spent last fall at my setup developed site fidelity. They then returned this year. I have around fifty now, with only five of them being ASYM. That tells me most all my martins are young birds.
Good luck, you will get martins at your site.

C.C.Martins · Mon Jul 03, 2017 6:08 pm

JHCox, I think your little fellow will return as a full adult, decked out in purple! Keep everything up as Martinfarmer suggests. look forward to hear from your updates!

taxidermy lady · Mon Jul 03, 2017 6:38 pm

Jhcox keep that dawnsong on until they've reached Brazil! I did it last year and had my most visitors in August I ever had! The more often they visit the safer they'll feel at your site! Just keep at it like Martinfarmer said! They'll come and stay next year! Good luck!

jhcox · Mon Jul 03, 2017 7:28 pm

I just keep playing the dawn song and keep looking to the sky. I do hope to see some young ones this fall. But we will see. Like I said I'm just going to try to make my setup alittle more appealing for the PM. And make some adjustments to the gourd racks to make it alittle easier to raise and lower them next year. JHCox

handyman315 · Tue Jul 04, 2017 6:47 am

First-year landlord here.

Agree with the other posts.

Clearly what I previously thought were "failure" years were not. You can see in my Signature and in my History that my anchor PM, now a handsome ASY-M, claimed my site last year (as an SY-M) but was unable to attract a mate.

Hang in there, get ready over the winter . . . and do not give up completely this year, i.e., continue to showcase that East TN location!

Good luck.

cabin man · Tue Jul 04, 2017 6:32 pm

Never give up, my friend. So many times I wanted to, but I didn't. So glad that I hung in there. It will happen! Keep doing all the basics. That's what worked for me. Open flyways and sparrow and starling control. And yes, the dawn song.

MarkinMn · Tue Jul 04, 2017 9:25 pm

....that's right jh.....never give up! I tried for 20+ yrs and only got my first pair 2 years ago.....2 pair last year with a loss of 5 babies (and with 5 surviving)......this year I've got 4 pairs w/18 babies, and 2 sy males and 1 sub female that can't seem to get it right.......never!.....ever give up!!....."stay safe"......Mrk

[email protected] · Wed Jul 05, 2017 6:37 am

jhcox wrote:It has been yet another unsuccessful year trying to attract PM here in East Tennessee. We just returned from 3 week vacation all over the northern mid west area. Ten states in 3 weeks Yellowstone, The Grand Tetons, Mount Rushmore, The Crazy Horse monument, The Bad Lands and so much more. But the whole time we were gone all I could do was hope that when we would return that I would find my first pair of nesting PM or maybe even 2. But on returning home I saw no martins. I did a nest check to see if maybe there was a nest and Martin were just off feeding or something. But at last NO there were ni nest or any signs of nest building. But late last night after we had gotten all settled back in here at home. I went and sat outside until dark and my single subadult male showed up just at dark. Assuming it's the same one and he did enter the same gourd as always that mean he's been here for over 2 months with no success in finding a mate. All I can do is look to next year. I'll spend the winter making some up grades to the lift system on the racks and clean gourds. Better luck next year I guess. JHCox

I know the feeling buddy. I started a bit late last year and have had a few visits but very disappointing. I guess we just hang in there and see what happens.

taxidermy lady · Wed Jul 05, 2017 6:39 am

Mark in MN wrote:....that's right jh.....never give up! I tried for 20+ yrs and only got my first pair 2 years ago.....2 pair last year with a loss of 5 babies (and with 5 surviving)......this year I've got 4 pairs w/18 babies, and 2 sy males and 1 sub female that can't seem to get it right.......never!.....ever give up!!....."stay safe"......Mrk

You got that right! Never ever give up! Keep making it right for them and they will come! GOOD LUCK

pmlover · Wed Jul 05, 2017 7:16 am

it took me 17 years to get them keep trying and God bless you
dick

jhcox · Thu Jul 06, 2017 2:57 pm

Thanks for all the words of encouragement . I will keep trying sometimes it just gets so frustrating when you think you have done everything write and still no mating pair. Ill just clean them up this fall and make some adjustments and be ready for them next year. It would help if there was a colony near by. But the closest that i know of is a good 10 to 15 miles away. Maybe my one subadult male can call in a young female from this years hatch and she will come back here next year. But again thank for all of the encouragement. JHCox

randyM · Thu Jul 06, 2017 11:55 pm

You should be somewhat optimistic about your chances for next year given you had a SY male stay for a number of weeks. He's claimed your site, so you know your site is at least acceptable to some martins. I live in a very rural area on a 200 acre lake with very few trees in the area or in my yard, lots of bugs and damselflies and dragonflies everywhere...ideal site for martins. However no martin colonies within 20 miles of me. I played dawn song all spring, summer and fall for nearly 10 years before I had extended luck with nesting martins. I had a SY male stay at my site for the month of June in 2015...he came back the next year with a SY female and raised 2 young. He's back this year with 4 other pairs and a few extra SY males. Many folks on this site had their colonies started the same way (with a lone SY male one year and a pair or two the following year). If your male survives the migration to south America and back, you should be in business next year. Keep playing the dawn song past Labor day, as last year I had 12 migrating young and adults spend a day or two the week after Labor day last year. I'm quite a ways north of you, so birds could pass over your site through the month of Sept. Best of luck.