After 50 years no Martin's yet
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joyjazz
- Posts: 25
- Joined: Thu Mar 13, 2014 3:13 pm
- Location: MN/Ceylon
- Martin Colony History: Have had Martins for over 50 years
We have had Martin's for over 50 years, we are the 2nd generation caregivers for about 20 years. We are located in southern MN, it is extremely dry here. Our normal low wetlands are dry in places where we have ALWAYS had water, though we do have a lot of lakes. Could that be why they've not come? Normally they are here somewhere between Apr 8-20th, but none are here. I was wondering if anyone else has had this happened. We did trim a few tree limbs last year, actually to open the space even more for them. Houses are the same, with the exception of one. Any ideas?
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flyin-lowe
- Posts: 3788
- Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2006 8:49 am
- Location: Indiana/Henry Co.
How many pairs have you had each year the last few years? Usually predators are the main reason a large established colony goes to zero in a a year.
2026 HOSP 26
2025 62 pair HOSP 20
2024 60 pair, HOSP 44
2023 60+ pair, HOSP 8
2022 60 nests with 262 eggs, HOSP 14
2021 62 pair, HOSP 9
2020 42 nest, HOSP 8
2019- 31 pair
2018- 15 pair 49 fledged
2017 3 SY pair, 12 eggs , fledged 10. 4 additional lone SY's
2016 1 pair fledged 4
2015 Visitors
2014 Visitors
2013 Moved 6 miles, 1 pair fledged 2.
2012 30 pair fledged 100.
2011 12 pair 43 fledged.
2010 5 pair 14 fledged.
2025 62 pair HOSP 20
2024 60 pair, HOSP 44
2023 60+ pair, HOSP 8
2022 60 nests with 262 eggs, HOSP 14
2021 62 pair, HOSP 9
2020 42 nest, HOSP 8
2019- 31 pair
2018- 15 pair 49 fledged
2017 3 SY pair, 12 eggs , fledged 10. 4 additional lone SY's
2016 1 pair fledged 4
2015 Visitors
2014 Visitors
2013 Moved 6 miles, 1 pair fledged 2.
2012 30 pair fledged 100.
2011 12 pair 43 fledged.
2010 5 pair 14 fledged.
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Ed Svetich-WI
- Posts: 815
- Joined: Tue Jan 13, 2004 10:05 pm
- Location: Brooks, Wi (McGinnis Lake)
- Martin Colony History: 24 Super and Excluder Gourds on two gourd racks, all SREH. Full occupancy. My philosophy is to maximize fledge % with existing cavities rather than adding gourds to grow colony, thus providing opportunities for new colony expansion. Fledge over 100 nestlings yearly from 24 gourds. Band nestlings in cooperation with state university. 2019 Adendum: Reduced colony size to 12 gourds to focus on more intensive management regimen.
Joy,
I'm in south central Wisconsin. I am also slow filling up. My first martin was 10 days later than last year. Others around Wisconsin are seeing a slow spring. I had two ASY show up today with SE winds. Our high temps have been in the 40s. It may be to our( and their) advantage if they are late.Temperatures are expected to be in the 70s later this week. I am expecting an influx of birds this week.The southern past of the US had some ugly westher a couple weeks ago. It could have thinned the returning birds or hopfully just delayed them.
Good luck.
Ed
I'm in south central Wisconsin. I am also slow filling up. My first martin was 10 days later than last year. Others around Wisconsin are seeing a slow spring. I had two ASY show up today with SE winds. Our high temps have been in the 40s. It may be to our( and their) advantage if they are late.Temperatures are expected to be in the 70s later this week. I am expecting an influx of birds this week.The southern past of the US had some ugly westher a couple weeks ago. It could have thinned the returning birds or hopfully just delayed them.
Good luck.
Ed
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Donnie Hurdt MN
- Posts: 1723
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2004 11:14 pm
- Location: North Prairie, MN
It is slow here in east central MN. too. At my neighbors colony where I have some of my housing they have seen very few martins and they are not staying the night. It has just been too cold, it has snowed here the past three days, and now we have rain with a current temp of 37. Even the tree swallows are slow to come back in this weather. 
PMCA member and Martin fanatic....
2011 A pair of subbies fledged three young but none returned in 2012
2015 One Pair of subbies came and stayed a few nits but got chased away by Bluebirds and Tree swallows.
2017 0ne pair of subbies nested and fledged 4 young
2018 Tree Swallows AGAIN chased away any martins that wanted to nest
2019 Same old story................
2011 A pair of subbies fledged three young but none returned in 2012
2015 One Pair of subbies came and stayed a few nits but got chased away by Bluebirds and Tree swallows.
2017 0ne pair of subbies nested and fledged 4 young
2018 Tree Swallows AGAIN chased away any martins that wanted to nest
2019 Same old story................
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Ed Svetich-WI
- Posts: 815
- Joined: Tue Jan 13, 2004 10:05 pm
- Location: Brooks, Wi (McGinnis Lake)
- Martin Colony History: 24 Super and Excluder Gourds on two gourd racks, all SREH. Full occupancy. My philosophy is to maximize fledge % with existing cavities rather than adding gourds to grow colony, thus providing opportunities for new colony expansion. Fledge over 100 nestlings yearly from 24 gourds. Band nestlings in cooperation with state university. 2019 Adendum: Reduced colony size to 12 gourds to focus on more intensive management regimen.
Strong SE winds today brought a big influx of newly arriving martins ,barn swallows and rough wing swallows. Hopefully, those further North will experience the same thing. Mother nature knows best.
The noise from all the new arrivals trying to find cavities is nice to hear.
Raise a lot of fledglings.Do nest replacements.
Ed
The noise from all the new arrivals trying to find cavities is nice to hear.
Raise a lot of fledglings.Do nest replacements.
Ed
I’m in southern Middle Tennessee. We have had Purple Martins for 16 years. There are five houses with provisions for sixty nests.
We should see them in the 3rd to 4th weeks in March. The first scout arrived in early April then disappeared, then appeared several days later, repeat a third time and finally last week I saw two pair.
That’s it - two pair who act like they aren’t sure they should stay because they seem to leave at night.
My male Barn Swallow that was born here two years ago appeared, but he didn’t stay either; they are cousins of Purple Martins.
I cannot figure this out. from what I can see, the critter and bird population hasn’t changed, except for two pair of Blue Jays have nested somewhere nearby. We have always had a plethora of seed eating song birds and their presence has never deterred the Purple Martins.
We were caught up in the ice storms a few weeks back, that had trees and limbs falling to where it sounded like a war zone up on the ridge. The ice was so thick, I kept my horses out of the main pastures for five days.
I don’t know if this unusually cold weather and all that ice may have killed many of the migratory birds. I checked on the Hinckley Buzzards in Cleveland, OH and they arrived on March 15th, right on schedule.
We should see them in the 3rd to 4th weeks in March. The first scout arrived in early April then disappeared, then appeared several days later, repeat a third time and finally last week I saw two pair.
That’s it - two pair who act like they aren’t sure they should stay because they seem to leave at night.
My male Barn Swallow that was born here two years ago appeared, but he didn’t stay either; they are cousins of Purple Martins.
I cannot figure this out. from what I can see, the critter and bird population hasn’t changed, except for two pair of Blue Jays have nested somewhere nearby. We have always had a plethora of seed eating song birds and their presence has never deterred the Purple Martins.
We were caught up in the ice storms a few weeks back, that had trees and limbs falling to where it sounded like a war zone up on the ridge. The ice was so thick, I kept my horses out of the main pastures for five days.
I don’t know if this unusually cold weather and all that ice may have killed many of the migratory birds. I checked on the Hinckley Buzzards in Cleveland, OH and they arrived on March 15th, right on schedule.