Hello

[Dave Duit]

Hi Rob,
Welcome to the website and association. A bunch of friendly people here with tons of good info and insights. Love the pictures, thanks for sharing.

[Robert]

Hi Rob and welcome to PMCA and it’s forum , looks like you have done your homework on purple martins , nice set up it looks great with open flyaways , it looks like you have two females and one male good luck to you I hope you have a great season .

[rrmartins]

I would turn the audio off and put some predator guards on your poles, I think your on your way!!

[steger424]

That looks awesome! I hope one day i can upgrade my telescopic pole to the one you have. How tall is that pole, it might just be the phot but looks very short.

I also have been playing the songs and trying to get a pair to stay. Good Luck!

[flyin-lowe]

Welcome fellow Hoosier. I am from down just south of Muncie. Looks like you purchased a quality set up and have a nice location. You will get different opinions on turning off the audio. I am one who used to play the dawnsong every morning but once I started getting regular visitors I would turn it off. I feel that nothing can do better then the real thing, and I have also witnessed a martin at my old colony that was either confused or infatuated with it. At that place I had a CD player alarm clock that set under the eave of my barn wrapped in a trash bag to help keep it dry. One martin would just constantly swoop at it, land and flutter on it, etc. the entire time it was playing. As soon as I turned it off he would go back about his normal business. If those ASY martins you have there stick around and look like they are going to nest I would leave the audio off. If they just happen to be stopping by to get some rest before they head further north then I would turn it back on once they leave.

[deancamp]

Great set up Rob. You are lucky to have Martin action so quick. My take on the dawn song is to play it until it is apparent they are going to stay or you can see they are uncomfortable with it or turn it off when they're there and back on when they leave. It looks like they might stay, but if they don't, you don't want to miss out on drawing others in. Watch the birds they will tell you. I agree that Martins can attract Martins better than anything else. You will know alot more in a few days. I wish you luck.

[deancamp]

I don't think those ASY ( after second year) birds are just passing through. I think of passing through as spending the night and then moving on, weather permitting. Did the Martins land on your gutter all season long? If so I would say there has to be a colony near you. Sorry, I can't help with the raised platform.

[deancamp]

I don't know what the Martins home range might be. Someone more knowledgable than me will have to answer to that, but 5 miles doesn't seem that far for them.

[Robert]

Rob I have two platforms I made each at 6 feet high one 12 by 12 for crushed egg and oyster shells and the other is 12 by 24 for nesting material . Both are about fifteen feet from the gourd rack and the martins love them.

[flyin-lowe]

I have never read anything about feeding platforms and distance. I have a perching station with feeding platform, a gourd rack, and 2 T 14's. I space each of them about 12 feet apart. All are evenly spaced and I wanted enough that if everything was lowered I could still get my large mower between them. I don't think there is a concern about it being too close or too far away.

[rrmartins]

I would turn the audio off and put some predator guards on your poles, I think your on your way!!

Thank you! And I purchased the guard with the setup, I just couldn't fit in the previous pictures.
let the audio play only at certain times?

Nice to see the guard on there. If you’re still seeing birds daily you no longer need the audio playing. The martins will do a much better job naturally. Good luck!!!

[Robert]

Rob the only time I’ve had other birds on the platform was if I put mealworms or crickets out then I’d have a robin or mockingbird visit it however they never have bothered my purple Martins , the martins would wait for their turn when I had just crushed oyster or eggshells the other birds didn’t bother going on the platforms , that’s just what I’ve experienced , someone else may have had a different experience than I.

[flyin-lowe]

So far I haven't had too much wind. My two T 14's are on 3 1/2 inch poles so they don't budge. I lower my AAA gourd rack when heavy storms are forecasted. I live in the country where there always seems to be a little windy.