Scout Question for experienced landlords

[randy741985]

I plan on opening a few of my gourds as soon as my established neighbor's do. Or when I hear or see martins. I know the scouts are asy Martin's, I have read that some people believe that asy Martin's will sometimes leave their previous site for a site they like better.

Would anyone like to weigh in on this? Thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

[rrmartins]

They can, the other site would have to be very bad though. It’s more likely to get them from a site being no longer available, it could have been taken down etc., people move and sometimes new home owners are not interested in them. Good luck!!!

[Glynn B - LA]

I second rrmartins reply!

You most likely will benefit from a possible over flow from your neighbors colony. Let’s hope your neighbor has a banner year and fills all compartments so you then might start your own colony with all the late comers. You will certainly have a great chance at the Subbies that come later. So don’t get depressed if you don’t attract a ASY. It will happen if you have a decent site and you keep those pesky sparrows and starlings out of your housing. Good luck!

Glynn

[Spiderman]

Years ago I was able to expand my number of birds because a neighbor didn't clean out his houses after the season was over. Both colonies were on the lake and water front.

His Colony was 700 yards across the lake from me. As the years passed eventually all of his Martins nested at my colony.

So sometimes it doesn't take that much to make them move.

[randy741985]

That's encouraging,

Thanks

[Wildriver]

I plan on opening a few of my gourds as soon as my established neighbor's do. Or when I hear or see martins. I know the scouts are asy Martin's, I have read that some people believe that asy Martin's will sometimes leave their previous site for a site they like better.

Would anyone like to weigh in on this? Thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Many landlords up here in Minnesota believe in the philosophy " Build it and they will come" The wood craftsman who built my cedar wood T-14 houses told me that the cedar T-14 is so deluxe that it will steal martins from another landlord because their house was not as nice. There are many unoccupied martin houses on my lake. However my cedar T-14 houses are at full capacity. It gets really cold at times up here and I believe the wood houses offer better protection from the climate than a metal or plastic house. I am adding a third T-14 this year and I will offer 42 compartments for my birds. It is almost a shame to paint because the cedar looks and smells go great!

[Dave Duit]

Site fidelity is very well engrained with asy martins and therefore unlikely to pick up asy martins. But, as mentioned there is always a chance if they abandon their colony due to severe parasite infestations or constant owl and hawk predation. If you are willing to keep your set up free of sparrows, and follow the attraction techniques of smeared mud on outside of entrances, daytime chatter and dawn song CDs, decoys, prenest white soft pine needles in cavity; I feel you will have a chance of attracting either overflow ASY martins and or a month after your neighbors ASYs arrive the possibilities of SY martins.

[flyin-lowe]

I think having a colony that close will definitely help you but unless their housing is completely run down or suffering predator attacks you are more likely to benefit from their SY birds then you are to likely to steal their ASY's. I have seen some pretty run down housing and some pretty tree encroached housing that ASY's return to each year, even though better housing is close by.

[randy741985]

If someone had asy "scouts" take to a new site early I understand they dont start nesting immediately, would they defend it from tree swallow swallows etc.

Thanks in advance

[Emil Pampell-Tx]

Much depends upon how open your site is. A wide open site is most likely to attract martins, but the sites that have trees too close will not attract new martins. Good luck

[flyin-lowe]

Don’t get hung up on the term scout, that’s what the early arriving Martins are offended referred to but they are no different then any other returning Martins. As was said above they have strong site fidelity so if you have adult Martins staying at your site more then likely there was/is a problem at their old site. If they are interested in a location they will defend it, if they are not going stay at your location they won’t fight back against any competitors and will give up and move on.

[randy741985]

Don’t get hung up on the term scout, that’s what the early arriving Martins are offended referred to but they are no different then any other returning Martins. As was said above they have strong site fidelity so if you have adult Martins staying at your site more then likely there was/is a problem at their old site. If they are interested in a location they will defend it, if they are not going stay at your location they won’t fight back against any competitors and will give up and move on.

Ok thanks alot.