Additional house for Newbie

[Buckdog122]

Good Morning all,
I had a question about adding a new house to a new site. Last year was my second season and I was fortunate enough to get get a couple pair and fledged 8. There was several birds at the end of the season hanging around so I am hopeful for the next season to have success.
I had been using a S&K Barn with 6 gourds hanging under. The entire season I had worried about the strength of the pole and the setup and after making it though the season began making a T-14. Now that it is complete (with a 3 inch square pole) I was wondering about how I should approach the new season.

Should I have the house up and ready in March/April when they begin arriving or should I wait until the arrive(hopefully!) and then raise it after they have become more used to its presence?

Thanks for all of your incite:)
Buckdog

[GFB]

Now that you have a chance of having your adult birds returning early, a few weeks before the sub adults arrive, scouting for the best compartments at your colony. I would have the house on the pole but lowered and even block off the compartments with some pieces of pool noodle until the second week of April or until you see the martins flying around, otherwise if you put it up to early you would be battling off starlings. Don't worry about thinking that you might miss that one opportunity that they showed up and you didn't have the house up because they will leave for a while and then return when you do have the house up. Best of luck new landlord.

[GFB]

One other thing I forgot to mention was that I was assuming that you were still going to put up The S&K barn and place the new house a few yards from it,which would be your best option. If it is being replaced, what I think you are saying it still should be OK but a little less certain. I would place the gourdes under the new house so it looks a little more familiar to them.

[Buckdog122]

GFB,
I am planning on putting up the original housing and the new box is approximately 15 feet away so I think everything should be good. MY main concern was that While looking through the Troyer plan book I read in the "Commandments" that a additional houses should not be put up before they return so that they can see you making the changes to the environment. It said to wait until the birds have become accustomed to after the return to make changes so I just wasn't sure how to approach the upcoming spring.
Thanks

Buckdog

[GFB]

Buckdog,
I did the same thing this year. I had the original house up from last year that had two nesting pair and that fledged 10 chicks. This year 15 foot from that house I put up a T14 prior to when the scouts arrived the second week of April. The Adults from the previous year went to the original house initially but in time they liked the new house better and were successful to fledged 10 more. We also were lucky enough to get 13 more pairs on top of that to fledge a total of 70 birds. I don"t think the new addition will bother them at all.

[Dave Duit]

Hi Buckdog,
Here is the link on the purplemartin.org website that explains new and replacement housing.
https://www.purplemartin.org/purple-mar ... e-housing/
Best of luck my friend.

[Dave Reynolds]

.... Buckdog122.... That is a great question.. and I’m sure there are a lot of different answers.. I can only tell you what I did,, in 2018 I put up a 3 inch pole with two Trio houses and four gourds under the houses.. I was lucky to get 15 pair.. So in 2019 I put up another 3 inch pole with two Trios houses and four gourds.. The two poles and houses with gourds looked identical to each other and I got 26 pair this year... So if they look alike I don’t think it will bother the Martins.

Now at a friend’s site (Who had Passed away a few yrs ago) the new owners removed all of his old Trio houses (8) and put up a new T-14 to replace the old houses. I was at the site, early in the spring and I saw Martins sitting around his property on some power lines near where the old houses were. But the new T-14 must have been to confusing for them because they didn’t stay at his site this year... I tried to convince them to leave a few of the old houses up for the returning Martins, but they took them down anyway..

So now to your question,,, I would put the T-14 up. I would plug the holes for sure until your returning start showing up this coming Spring.. I would open the rooms up that face your other houses.. If the Martins start looking at the T-14, then I would open up more rooms for them.. It’s only my opinion.. I wish you great success in 2020...

Dave

[flyin-lowe]

I have a little different thought in the topic then others. If it were me I would have the T14 up and waiting when they arrive and not the old house. My thoughts are that if you do have returning ASY martins that we're at your place last year the site fidelity will likely keep them there. I too started with a Barn house as I wanted to make sure there were even martins in my area before I put the money into a T14. I had visitors the first year but none stayed. Once I saw some I built and put up a T14 the year. Others feel differently but I think the more years you leave the barn up the more likely additional pairs are to use it and you might have to displace 4 or 6 pair from it instead of just two. I could very well be wrong but I don't buy into the theory that you should erect the new housing while they are there to see it. I sometimes think we humans give them more credit then they deserve when it comes to their thoughts and perceptions.
When trying to get a new colony started I have the house up a few weeks early and keep the entrances blocked. The first visitor I see I open some cavities. If they stay great, if they leave I might close them back up, it just depends on what issues I have with TS, BBs etc.

[Dave Reynolds]

......flyin-lowe....... Nothing wrong with your thought process... I like it,,, Thanks for you input...

Dave