Any hope in Northern Minnesota?

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Blammmo_
Posts: 6
Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 12:08 pm
Location: Aurora, MN

Hi all, this is my first post even though I’ve been a lurker of these forums on and off for a couple of years now.
I’m going to put up a small PM house and maybe a few super gourds to see if I can attract any PMs in the Virginia MN area.
Anyone else have any luck this far north? I figure it doesn’t hurt to try. I think the habitat would suit them perfectly, my yard is in the middle of 15acres of field, minimal to zero yard trees, and off the field is a 15 acre beaver pond.
Any members this far north in MN had any luck?
Thanks :grin:
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BillieJR
Posts: 766
Joined: Tue Apr 11, 2017 11:39 am
Location: Monroe, WI

Welcome to the clan, Blammmo!!!

I am definitely far from an expert but I would think that, because purple martins fly to Canada - why wouldn't they fly to northern MN? Good luck - go for it! Who knows - you might get lucky with your first try! I hope so!
Billie from southern Wisconsin
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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.

Welcome. I glanced at the scout reports for Minnesota last year and there are lots of martins there. Check the scout reports to see how close to you. Sounds like an ideal set up. Dan.
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.
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handyman315
Posts: 300
Joined: Thu May 12, 2016 11:03 am
Location: SW Ohio
Martin Colony History: Colony established May 20, 2017 after three unsuccessful years. Persistent and aggressive Tree Swallows plagued the site, but beyond learning - and practicing - to control them, was the return in 2017 of a 2016-SY-M previously unable to find a mate. As a handsome ASY-M, he brought along two females and a swagger that soon put the Tree Swallow issue to rest. As the anchor pair, he and his mate hatched all six of their eggs into fat and healthy babies into what settled in to be a three-pair, flourishing new colony with up to 11 birds total, including 3 SY-M trouble makers.

Took a look at the 2017 Scout reports also, and even tried to plot a few that might be closest to you. Man, they are a little scarce, BUT even more reason for you to try! Clearly the Purple Martins need you, and need to be over around Aurora.

The closest adult scout report that I see for 2017 looks to be Crosslake, west of you. And a subadult male (second year Martin) was spotted about 60 miles west of you, in Bovey.

Best of luck to you!

https://www.purplemartin.org/research/s ... =2017&S=MN
2023-42 Nests, 197 Eggs/Babies
2022-48 Nests Fledged 203
2021-43 Nests Fledged 185
2020-31 Nests Fledged 133, three early deaths due to cold & rain
2019-19 Nests Fledged 84
2018-11 Nests Fledged 48, ASY-M Arrived April 6, Despite Snow & Cold, Joined Soon by Mate & Two Adult Pairs
2017-3 Nests Fledged 13, FIRST-YEAR LANDLORD! Resident SY-M from 2016 Returned (as ASY-M) on May 20. At Least 11 Adult Residents
2016 Late-Arriving SYs, Resident Lone SY-M
2015-14 Many Visits
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kim w.
Posts: 92
Joined: Mon May 05, 2014 6:43 pm
Location: IN/Goshen

One issue I see is the population of people in that part of the state hence the lack of landlords. Good luck though!
Kim W.
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Blammmo_
Posts: 6
Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 12:08 pm
Location: Aurora, MN

Well, I’m going to put up a house and stick it out for the long haul, I’ve been housing tree swallows on the edge of my fields for years, and have all ready been trapping HOSPs and starlings that compete with the swallows and bluebirds.
I would hope that if I discourage the swallows from the PM housing that they could co-exist.
I may not get my pole set before the martins would arrive this year but hopefully it should be in and winched up by the first week of May.
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handyman315
Posts: 300
Joined: Thu May 12, 2016 11:03 am
Location: SW Ohio
Martin Colony History: Colony established May 20, 2017 after three unsuccessful years. Persistent and aggressive Tree Swallows plagued the site, but beyond learning - and practicing - to control them, was the return in 2017 of a 2016-SY-M previously unable to find a mate. As a handsome ASY-M, he brought along two females and a swagger that soon put the Tree Swallow issue to rest. As the anchor pair, he and his mate hatched all six of their eggs into fat and healthy babies into what settled in to be a three-pair, flourishing new colony with up to 11 birds total, including 3 SY-M trouble makers.

Tree Swallows, as beautiful as they are, can give a prospective colony (and the landlord) fits. I know, it took me three seasons of trying with TS being my major problem.

Follow this pdf closely; it is the TS "bible":

https://www.purplemartin.org/uploads/me ... cy-377.pdf

Pay close attention to the distance between the shepherd hook TS cavity and your Martin housing. It must not be too far away, which seems counter intuitive, but makes perfect sense when you realize that your resident TS pair is sweeping the PM area clear of MORE TSs.

Sincerely wishing you good luck.
2023-42 Nests, 197 Eggs/Babies
2022-48 Nests Fledged 203
2021-43 Nests Fledged 185
2020-31 Nests Fledged 133, three early deaths due to cold & rain
2019-19 Nests Fledged 84
2018-11 Nests Fledged 48, ASY-M Arrived April 6, Despite Snow & Cold, Joined Soon by Mate & Two Adult Pairs
2017-3 Nests Fledged 13, FIRST-YEAR LANDLORD! Resident SY-M from 2016 Returned (as ASY-M) on May 20. At Least 11 Adult Residents
2016 Late-Arriving SYs, Resident Lone SY-M
2015-14 Many Visits
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Blammmo_
Posts: 6
Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 12:08 pm
Location: Aurora, MN

handyman315 wrote:Tree Swallows, as beautiful as they are, can give a prospective colony (and the landlord) fits. I know, it took me three seasons of trying with TS being my major problem.

Follow this pdf closely; it is the TS "bible":

https://www.purplemartin.org/uploads/me ... cy-377.pdf

Pay close attention to the distance between the shepherd hook TS cavity and your Martin housing. It must not be too far away, which seems counter intuitive, but makes perfect sense when you realize that your resident TS pair is sweeping the PM area clear of MORE TSs.

Sincerely wishing you good luck.
Thank you for the link, I love having the TS around and they are what got me interested in being a PM landlord in the first place.
I will definitely follow the suggestions in the pdf and cross my fingers that I can still attract PM to my housing.
I enjoy a challenge :)
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CapnJack
Posts: 25
Joined: Wed Jun 12, 2013 1:04 pm
Location: South Dakota
Martin Colony History: 2018 23 Successful Pairs

Mixture of real and Plastic Gourds

Have you seen other housing.... Just because scout report shows no landlords does not
mean there is not any birds around.

Might want to duplicate other housing if its nearby.

Sincerely
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Lizzie
Posts: 114
Joined: Fri Apr 21, 2017 5:01 pm
Location: North Central Tx

Blammmo_ wrote:Well, I’m going to put up a house and stick it out for the long haul, I’ve been housing tree swallows on the edge of my fields for years, and have all ready been trapping HOSPs and starlings that compete with the swallows and bluebirds.
I would hope that if I discourage the swallows from the PM housing that they could co-exist.
I may not get my pole set before the martins would arrive this year but hopefully it should be in and winched up by the first week of May.
The first breeding pair I had took about 10 years to get.
I had put the house up, watched with anticipation for the first couple of years, then eventually just forgot about the house.
About ten years later, I noticed there were martin babies fledging that day! Hah!
They'd been here raising their babies, and I had no idea!
So.......don't give up. It may take awhile, but the again, you may have some right off the bat!
It never hurts to try.
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JRow
Posts: 52
Joined: Sat Mar 18, 2017 2:23 pm
Location: Eastern South Dakota
Martin Colony History: 2017--super 24 gourd rack with a mix of Troyer horizontals and natural gourds

PMCA member

Blammmo_ wrote:Hi all, this is my first post even though I’ve been a lurker of these forums on and off for a couple of years now.
I’m going to put up a small PM house and maybe a few super gourds to see if I can attract any PMs in the Virginia MN area.
Anyone else have any luck this far north? I figure it doesn’t hurt to try. I think the habitat would suit them perfectly, my yard is in the middle of 15acres of field, minimal to zero yard trees, and off the field is a 15 acre beaver pond.
Any members this far north in MN had any luck?
Thanks :grin:
I know there are lots of PMs around the Walker area. Many use the T-14s. The martins won’t be that far north for awhile-still ice on the lakes and snow on the ground in southern MN.
~Jen

2017-- 23 pair with 99 eggs: 81 hatched, 80 fledged.
PMCA member
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Blammmo_
Posts: 6
Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 12:08 pm
Location: Aurora, MN

CapnJack wrote:Have you seen other housing.... Just because scout report shows no landlords does not
mean there is not any birds around.

Might want to duplicate other housing if its nearby.

Sincerely

I haven’t seen other housing in my area, years ago growing up I remember multiple small farm yards with Martin housing.
Whether or not it was actually PMs living in them I do not recall.
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Dave Sig
Posts: 52
Joined: Sun May 25, 2014 9:37 am
Location: MN/Bovey

Hello from the Bovey Mn area...Im located half way between GR and Hibbing.....I have had a up and down ride for 7 years with martins...3 of the 7 years i had 1 pair successfully raise and fledge average of 5 each nest....2017 I had no nesters but only visitors....Actually last year was the least martins that i have seen ....2016 i had a pair nest and while the female was egg sitting a hawk got the male.....long story but she fledged all 5 young with the help of me lovering the T 14 ,, 2 to 3 times per day and drop crickets in the entrance..Just after the young fledged i had another hawk attack but this time he missed ,, the female and her 5 young all escaped....I m thinking that the hawk attack's were just too much for the female martin to return last year, or maybe she didn't survive the migration....who knows...I did have a male hang around for a few days last spring and one day he brought a female with him....Boy i thought i was back in business but she only hung around for a few minutes and was gone.....Also get all the advice you can about TS,,, take it from me they were worse than starlings as far as getting a new colony started.....I did learn that once a martin decides to stay and occupy a house the TS kind of give up and leave them alone... Glad to hear of someone in my area .....Just my thoughts.... Dave Sig
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Blammmo_
Posts: 6
Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 12:08 pm
Location: Aurora, MN

Dave Sig wrote:Hello from the Bovey Mn area...Im located half way between GR and Hibbing.....I have had a up and down ride for 7 years with martins...3 of the 7 years i had 1 pair successfully raise and fledge average of 5 each nest....2017 I had no nesters but only visitors....Actually last year was the least martins that i have seen ....2016 i had a pair nest and while the female was egg sitting a hawk got the male.....long story but she fledged all 5 young with the help of me lovering the T 14 ,, 2 to 3 times per day and drop crickets in the entrance..Just after the young fledged i had another hawk attack but this time he missed ,, the female and her 5 young all escaped....I m thinking that the hawk attack's were just too much for the female martin to return last year, or maybe she didn't survive the migration....who knows...I did have a male hang around for a few days last spring and one day he brought a female with him....Boy i thought i was back in business but she only hung around for a few minutes and was gone.....Also get all the advice you can about TS,,, take it from me they were worse than starlings as far as getting a new colony started.....I did learn that once a martin decides to stay and occupy a house the TS kind of give up and leave them alone... Glad to hear of someone in my area .....Just my thoughts.... Dave Sig
Thank you for the insight Dave, I know I’ll be fighting my local tree swallows on a daily basis, glad to here someone else has had success only an hour drive west from here.
If I can get the housing up in time for nesting season I’ll post if I have any sightings or residents. I do sometimes have hawks but usually the tree swallows drive them off.
Hopefully we both have some luck this year. I would love to get more martins established in our area.
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