South Central PA
My last pair had fledglings fly on 8/14. I was on vacation and and came back on 8/21. Had 6 return to roost that evening. Only saw one other return since then. To my surprise, I was barbecuing some lamb chops tonight and heard a familiar sound. three stopped by this evening. Hope to se a few more.
Trying since 2006, started hosting in 2012
T14 with 4 THG and 4 modified SG's
Gourd rack with 3 TVG's and 3 modified SG's
T14 with 4 THG and 4 modified SG's
Gourd rack with 3 TVG's and 3 modified SG's
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Dan G
- Posts: 446
- Joined: Thu Jun 12, 2014 7:52 pm
- Location: PA/Bellefonte
- Martin Colony History: Several colonies with in 6 mile radius.
Have had visitor every year 2014-24.
Two large trees removed in fall 2024 and moved T-14 to a more open location.
2025- 1 SY pair. Fledged 2.
2026- no pairs. One daily SYM here daily. Named him Riggs!
How many pairs did you have RJM? I heard, and saw a few 8-19, but not in my yard. This has been a strange year from start to finish, according to what I have read. Not sure what next year will bring, but i'm in count down made.
Bellefonte PA
2014, 1st year-a few lookers, no nests
2015-23. Visitors each year. But no pairs.
2024- most active year. 2-4 SY male’s hang out most days.
2025, 1 SY pair. 2 eggs, 2 fledged!! Other martins visited daily.
Still eliminating starlings and sparrows.
2014, 1st year-a few lookers, no nests
2015-23. Visitors each year. But no pairs.
2024- most active year. 2-4 SY male’s hang out most days.
2025, 1 SY pair. 2 eggs, 2 fledged!! Other martins visited daily.
Still eliminating starlings and sparrows.
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ToyinPA
- Posts: 2227
- Joined: Mon Apr 10, 2006 6:07 pm
- Location: PA/Avis
- Martin Colony History: The 1972 St. Agnes flood wiped out all the Martins in my area. One day, in 1997-98, 5 or 6 Martins landed on the power wires crossing my back yard. I had no house for them. They kept coming back day after day. We got a martin house a few weeks later & they have been coming back every year since. I average 12-15 pair per year.
I still have an SY Female & her 3 chicks coming in for the night. They fledged on August 22nd. SY Male went missing the same afternoon. Am sure a hawk got him :(.
Will be interesting to see how long Mom keeps them here before she takes them to a roost.
Toy in PA
Will be interesting to see how long Mom keeps them here before she takes them to a roost.
Toy in PA
PMCA Member
Dan,
I had 26 pair that laid eggs (115), but a few nests did not hatch any fledglings. In total I had 20 nests hatch a total of 75 eggs with 69 fledge. It was a strange year, but overall, I think it finished pretty well. I know of a few amish farms near Millheim that have had housing up over the last couple of years. I have yet to see any martins in or on the housing when I am up that way. There are a few houses near Mifflinburg along Rt. 45 that are occupied, and have been for a number of years.
Richard
I had 26 pair that laid eggs (115), but a few nests did not hatch any fledglings. In total I had 20 nests hatch a total of 75 eggs with 69 fledge. It was a strange year, but overall, I think it finished pretty well. I know of a few amish farms near Millheim that have had housing up over the last couple of years. I have yet to see any martins in or on the housing when I am up that way. There are a few houses near Mifflinburg along Rt. 45 that are occupied, and have been for a number of years.
Richard
Trying since 2006, started hosting in 2012
T14 with 4 THG and 4 modified SG's
Gourd rack with 3 TVG's and 3 modified SG's
T14 with 4 THG and 4 modified SG's
Gourd rack with 3 TVG's and 3 modified SG's
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Dave Reynolds
- Posts: 2444
- Joined: Mon Jan 31, 2011 4:35 pm
- Location: Little Hocking, Oh.
- Martin Colony History: Satellite Site “Oxbow Golf Course”..
2018 - 15 Pair, 36 Fledged
2019 - 26 Pair, 97 Fledged
2020 - 30 Pair, 137 Fledged
2021 - 30 Pair, 144 Fledged
2022 - 27 Pair, 125 Fledged
2023 - 31 Pair, 130 Fledged
2024 - 41 Pair, 198 Fledged
2025 - 44 Pair, 168 Fledged
Home Site "Little Hocking, Ohio".
2019 - 1 Pair, 5 Fledged
2020 - 1 Pair, 4 Fledged
2021 - 8 Pair, 36 Fledged
2022 - 13 Pair, 46 Fledged
2023 - 16 Pair, 84 Fledged
2024 - 22 Pair, 104 Fledged
2025 - 28 Pair, 83 Fledged
That does sound kind of late ,,, but not to sure... Saw a note the other day, where a person in North Dakota still had young fledging on Aug 25th... Crazy year for sure..
Dave
Dave
PMCA Member
Little Hocking, Ohio
Little Hocking, Ohio
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bwenger
- Posts: 1057
- Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2005 7:24 pm
- Location: Pennsylvania/Espyville/Pymatuning Reservoir Area
- Martin Colony History: Taking care of 11 active public colonies and trying to start two more in northwestern PA. Also attempting to restart another one in southwestern PA, in Collier Township's Hilltop Park. In 2017, not sure what happened but the ASY male returned and then a couple of weeks later he was gone. It could have been weather related. No other birds showed up. I had a starling nesting at the Public site that I had trouble getting rid of.
In 2018, we fledged 629 martins at all of the sites.
Pennsylvania Martins,
Richard, glad you had a good year. Sounds like your colony has grown quickly in the last couple of years.
Dan, we all hope that you get some nesting martins next year. I know it's really difficult to decide what to do and when, but if you cut some more trees down this winter, would it be best to see if you can attract some martins to your current housing location, rather than moving your housing to a location further from your house? Some colonies really take off after getting one or two pair. Here in northwestern PA, I had 2 pairs with 9 fledging at my personal site last year, and this year my site grew to 10 pairs with 40 birds fledging. I would have never thought that this growth would have skyrocketed like this in just the one year.
Toy, we sure hope that you have a much better year next year than you did this year! Hopefully most of your ASY birds will make it back and you'll have a good nesting season for a change. You have been trying to grow the martin population for so many years, and it seems that you are just able to hold your own. One of these years, some new colonies are going to get started in your area, thanks to you!
Bill in Northwest PA
Richard, glad you had a good year. Sounds like your colony has grown quickly in the last couple of years.
Dan, we all hope that you get some nesting martins next year. I know it's really difficult to decide what to do and when, but if you cut some more trees down this winter, would it be best to see if you can attract some martins to your current housing location, rather than moving your housing to a location further from your house? Some colonies really take off after getting one or two pair. Here in northwestern PA, I had 2 pairs with 9 fledging at my personal site last year, and this year my site grew to 10 pairs with 40 birds fledging. I would have never thought that this growth would have skyrocketed like this in just the one year.
Toy, we sure hope that you have a much better year next year than you did this year! Hopefully most of your ASY birds will make it back and you'll have a good nesting season for a change. You have been trying to grow the martin population for so many years, and it seems that you are just able to hold your own. One of these years, some new colonies are going to get started in your area, thanks to you!
Bill in Northwest PA
Bill Wenger
Building the Purple Martin population one bird at a time!
Building the Purple Martin population one bird at a time!
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ToyinPA
- Posts: 2227
- Joined: Mon Apr 10, 2006 6:07 pm
- Location: PA/Avis
- Martin Colony History: The 1972 St. Agnes flood wiped out all the Martins in my area. One day, in 1997-98, 5 or 6 Martins landed on the power wires crossing my back yard. I had no house for them. They kept coming back day after day. We got a martin house a few weeks later & they have been coming back every year since. I average 12-15 pair per year.
Bill:bwenger wrote:Pennsylvania Martins,
Richard, glad you had a good year. Sounds like your colony has grown quickly in the last couple of years.
Dan, we all hope that you get some nesting martins next year. I know it's really difficult to decide what to do and when, but if you cut some more trees down this winter, would it be best to see if you can attract some martins to your current housing location, rather than moving your housing to a location further from your house? Some colonies really take off after getting one or two pair. Here in northwestern PA, I had 2 pairs with 9 fledging at my personal site last year, and this year my site grew to 10 pairs with 40 birds fledging. I would have never thought that this growth would have skyrocketed like this in just the one year.
Toy, we sure hope that you have a much better year next year than you did this year! Hopefully most of your ASY birds will make it back and you'll have a good nesting season for a change. You have been trying to grow the martin population for so many years, and it seems that you are just able to hold your own. One of these years, some new colonies are going to get started in your area, thanks to you!
Bill in Northwest PA
Thanks. All I need is decent weather & more insects. I had the most ASY Males this year ever, so I hope they all come back next year. My colony has doubled since it started, but at a very slow pace. I am limited to 20 pair, which is what I feel I can care for. Overflow, if any, will probably end up on an Amish farm. The Amish keep adding housing south of me & there are no colonies north of me. Too much forest. A few others near me have tried & failed.
If I could, I'd send some to Dan
. Many years ago there used to be another colony west of me some place. They'd show up to help fledge chicks. I haven't seen them in several years now. My colony is the only one here. I held 2 events with local people, some from a local Audubon group, and most were not interested in caring for a colony. Too much work & expense they said. Dan was the only one really interested & I pray he gets his start next season. Toy in PA
PMCA Member
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Dan G
- Posts: 446
- Joined: Thu Jun 12, 2014 7:52 pm
- Location: PA/Bellefonte
- Martin Colony History: Several colonies with in 6 mile radius.
Have had visitor every year 2014-24.
Two large trees removed in fall 2024 and moved T-14 to a more open location.
2025- 1 SY pair. Fledged 2.
2026- no pairs. One daily SYM here daily. Named him Riggs!
RJM, you had a good fledge rate of the eggs that hatched. Good job. I know of several houses around millheim. One Amish farm had two nesting pair, but their house is not visible from the road. One other amishman has two T 14's and had several visitors but no nests. From his house though, two more t14s at his neighbors are visible and they each had one pair. Good news for him in a few years if his neighbors don't add housing.
Bill, thanks for the encouragement. I planed some lumber two weeks ago and ordered a 24 foot pole yesterday. So I think the plan is to leave my original housing alone and put another house up about twenty feet away and remove some trees. That's my winter project. Someone else on here talked about raising there house so I'm trying that as well
Toy, if it was only as easy as having someone like you sending me some martins(and I know you would), the reward wouldn't be as great. But I appreciate the thought. It will happen some day.
Bill, thanks for the encouragement. I planed some lumber two weeks ago and ordered a 24 foot pole yesterday. So I think the plan is to leave my original housing alone and put another house up about twenty feet away and remove some trees. That's my winter project. Someone else on here talked about raising there house so I'm trying that as well
Toy, if it was only as easy as having someone like you sending me some martins(and I know you would), the reward wouldn't be as great. But I appreciate the thought. It will happen some day.
Bellefonte PA
2014, 1st year-a few lookers, no nests
2015-23. Visitors each year. But no pairs.
2024- most active year. 2-4 SY male’s hang out most days.
2025, 1 SY pair. 2 eggs, 2 fledged!! Other martins visited daily.
Still eliminating starlings and sparrows.
2014, 1st year-a few lookers, no nests
2015-23. Visitors each year. But no pairs.
2024- most active year. 2-4 SY male’s hang out most days.
2025, 1 SY pair. 2 eggs, 2 fledged!! Other martins visited daily.
Still eliminating starlings and sparrows.
I am in tyrone pa. I got martins in 2015 at a farm 1 mile away. This year I got them at our house. 13 fledged here and 29 fledged up the road. Don't give up it sounds like your starting out in a better area than I was. We have a lot of amish that moved onto farms in our area. They seem to be big on attracting martins. I tried getting martins since 1988.