Had Martins again but no breeding. Looking for some advice

[MY FYN 79]

Hi All,

Looking for some advice if possible. This was our second year having gourds out, and again we had Martins visiting. I couldn't ID whether this years were male or female, but they were Martins and the song is obviously not mistakable. Over a 2 day span we had a pair messing around popping in and out of multiple gourds. Both before and after those couple days it was only one at a time though. And now I havent seen any Martins for over a week.

So this makes the 2nd year we've had Martins here, but no luck with mating. In everyones experience, is it harder to draw them in, or to get them to stick around and mate? Hoping for some advice before I make any big changes, maybe I'm just not patient enough.

I would gladly get pictures of my setup if it helped. Currently have 6 BO9s with all the bells and whistles added on.

Thanks!!!

[Dave Duit]

Hi MY FYN,
It can take years before a martin pair might make a nest and have nestlings. I waited 6 years until my first pair, other landlords wait even longer. I suggest going on this website under the "Purple Martins" heading and pull down to "attracting". There you will see a great deal of info on assisting you in starting a new colony. Make sure your housing is deep enough, 12 inches and it is located away from tall trees and shrubs near the ground. There are other techiniques such as playing the dawnsong on CD player or smearing a little mud on the outside entrances to make it appear as if there was a successful nest prior. Prenesting with soft white pine needles, offering crushed egg shells on a feeding tray, and a few other tactics can be found in the website. The hardest thing about attrracting a martins to our location is the waiting game.

[Black Jack]

I had your same gourds for 2 yrs and had visitors but never took to the gourds. This season i grew my own gourds and have attracted 12 nesting pr. Last season i had 1 nesting pr of ASY which came back from the year before. They nested in a heath gourd which i have since taken down and put up my home grown gourds. You might find they work for you. Be sure to paint them white and cure them. You can go on line and find out all the details.

[flyin-lowe]

To answer your other question, in most parts of the US that have normal martin populations it is easy to get them to visit, not as easy to get them to stay. Some part north into Canada it is hard to even draw them in because there are very few martins in some of those areas. Some members on here have only seen a couple martins in 15-20 years.

[Ed Svetich-WI]

Google the Wisconsin Purple Martin Association and you will find some groups to contact. Realistically, it can take a long time to attract martins. Location is the most important criteria. There are quite a few martin colonies within a short drive from you. Being between Lake Michigan and Lake Winnebago puts you in an ideal location if you have a good site and housing.

Search out an active colony and ask for assistance. We do not have as many martins here as other parts of the country, but I know of at least a dozen near me down by the Wisconsin Dell's. A good location has a good chance to attract a pair. Two years is not a long time to wait. Patience.

Good luck.

Ed

[MY FYN 79]

Thanks for the advice everyone.

I'll continue doing some research and be more patient. Just tough seeing them hang around and not hook up.

[Cjs180]

You should have plenty of martins around you. I just bought my used T14 from a guy in Chilton quiet a ways away from the lake. If you take a drive by boat on the east shore of Winnebago there are houses all over. Most probably have no idea of this organization.

On the west shore where my parents live on the lake, in the bay they live in I bet there are at least 10-15 landlords and all have birds.

It took us 4 years to get a nesting pair. I am on the west shore between Oshkosh and Neenah about 2 miles from the lake. Putting gourds up last year I think really helped.

We had 5 eggs but only one hatched. Hopefully that one makes it and the couple return next year.

Good luck. Chris

[Dave Reynolds]

,,,,,,,,,,,, I hate to start with the old line,, " Just hang in there"" I did and I can't tell you how many years I have tried. But about every two or three years I moved my houses to a different spot in my yard.. Finally last year I got a pair to stay and they had 5 babies.. This year they came back and have four babies at the moment, and they will fledge around the end of this month.. So keep on trying different things from year to year, and hopefully they will return and nest..

Dave

[maddaug]

Hi All,

Looking for some advice if possible. This was our second year having gourds out, and again we had Martins visiting. I couldn't ID whether this years were male or female, but they were Martins and the song is obviously not mistakable. Over a 2 day span we had a pair messing around popping in and out of multiple gourds. Both before and after those couple days it was only one at a time though. And now I havent seen any Martins for over a week.

So this makes the 2nd year we've had Martins here, but no luck with mating. In everyones experience, is it harder to draw them in, or to get them to stick around and mate? Hoping for some advice before I make any big changes, maybe I'm just not patient enough.

I would gladly get pictures of my setup if it helped. Currently have 6 BO9s with all the bells and whistles added on.

Thanks!!!

My two thoughts, were these PM's just recently going in and out of your gourds? Here's how our season has played out. First year and have one pair in gourds and one pair in the house both with nestlings.
Within the last two weeks we've had SY and some ASY birds coming and going probably because of our babies I imagine. The ASY have been going in and out the gourds and singing the mating song. We did look this up and it's said that they are looking for next years sites and claiming ownership to those gourds. If true then we will have many more hopefully coupling up. It is too late for them now to breed.
Don't know if this helps but I do hope yours were shopping for next year!!!