Scared away a female???

[detioh11]

I have had three pair hanging around for 10 days after only having 1 pair last year. All three pair are using gourds that I have underneath my two T14’s. About 4-5 days ago I had a couple pair of sparrows trying to move in. This morning about 10am I decided I would lower one of the houses down to put a trap in the cavity the sparrows were using. I plugged the other holes in the t14 but left the gourds open. The single pair using that house had been carrying nesting material in all 4 of the gourds under that house. The pair using those gourds was around when I lowered it. They flew around over head while I was doing it and came back shortly after. I lowered the house down a couple hours later to check the trap and had not caught anything. The birds were around when I did that also. All afternoon there was no sign of any of the birds. They were off flying around. When I got home later this evening I dropped the house to remove the trap. I hadn’t caught anything and the female from that house was nowhere to be found the male was flying around and the other two pair were sitting over on the other house. I watched until dark and the male sat out on the porch of the gourd and she never showed up. Could lowering the house a couple times have scared her off? This is a new pair that was not here last year. They are both asy birds.

[deancamp]

I'm thinking no as well. Sometimes it is easy to miss them coming in or other times I think there is none in the housing and then one comes out of a nest. I have noticed they get more comfortable with the housing being lowered as they realize you are doing no harm and it becomes parr of the routine.

[flyin-lowe]

Just lowering a couple times won't scare them off. As long as you are not lowering after dark you are good.

[Buckdog122]

So can to much activity around the house cause problems early on if you are a newbie? I have an adult male and an sy competing for a female? Will they be disturbed if there is lots of activity by humans? Or the more the merrier?

[Spiderman]

I wouldn't say "The more the Merrier".

Martins are pretty shy at a new location. For simple brains they are evaluateing risk from nature, type of housing, & predators.

They really aren't "your" birds until they start laying eggs. Before that they can leave for a bunch of reasons.

[detioh11]

Update, she came back the following morning. I got up early to watch and the male came out of that gourd by himself and was flying around and calling a bit. The other two pair were just sitting on their gourd very calm like normal. After they had been outside for about a half hour I was outside and heard two of the males start acting excited and the female came flying in from the east and la see on her gourd with the lone male. Hard to say what she had been doing last night. Did she sleep in a tree somewhere? At least she came back about 45 mins after day break. I wasn’t around to see if she came back last night or not. I think I will be more cautious until they have eggs.

[C.C.Martins]

It can be worrying when they dont return for a bit, glad she showed up for you. Time the lowering right and they will be fine, unless theres a real emergency like a trapped bird etc, dont lower early in the morning when egg laying activity may be on going. Avoid dusk or at night. I wait till they are done preening and socialising in the early afternoon. Ill do nest checks once a week when they first arrive, looking for bugs/mites and wet nests after rain. When egg laying has started, same thing.
When hatching or have active older chicks i take more care. Theres lots of good discussions in the forum on techniques. Eventually they will be landing on the rack before you take 3 steps away.
Dont hesitate to be active around the yard they will accept it as the environment and will be safer for them and rewarding for you.
Please get those sparrows, continue to trap. Or shoot but its got to go.
Let us know.
Tom

[detioh11]

I was able to find a time this afternoon that the martins were gone, so I lowered the house and put the trap back in. I was able to catch the male sparrow. The female is being reluctant now but hopefully I will get her as well.

[deancamp]

Good to hear. I think your fine lowering the housing from time to time. Just don't overdue it and pick your times. Keep after the invaders.