I guess they’re not coming here!

[Vixen55]

Well I’ve been anxiously waiting but I don’t think they’re coming this year. It seems late but maybe I just don’t know enough! I think I have a good house and gourds and I play the attraction songs but no sign! Any thoughts?

[jhcox]

Have you had Martins before or are you still trying?? If you do not have an established colony then you most definitely have time because for the most part your looking for the subadults. There are those who have been started by adults but in general the subies are the ones you want. And they are just starting to move into the country. So don’t loose hope sometimes it can take several years to get a colony started. Good luck

[John Barrow]

Vixen 55,
Be patient! Migration is just beginning in earnest. There was nearly total mortality of older arrivals last year during the polar vortex that impacted migration in the southern half of Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi and to a lesser extent east of there along the Gulf Coast. That thwarted arrivals this season and also extended last season's nesting cycle about three weeks. In Corpus Christi and other sites along the Gulf Coast (where inward migration begins) the first scattered arrivals were near the end of February and were sparse until last week. At my established site I had about 15 martins in residence leading in to the arrival of the cold front last Friday afternoon. That evening my colony intercepted and brought in a group of migrants that numbered 40 to 50 birds (probably 3 yoa and older). That is the first significant arrival of migrants and duplicates early March arrival numbers in prior years. As weather and winds build a sense of normalcy, expect arrivals for the remainder of the season to build dramatically..

My opinion is based on reports that indicate that although the states impacted by the vortex lost a meaningful percentage of their colony members (I estimate 5-10 percent in TX; 10-15 percent in LA, and diminishing in mortality moving eastward as the vortex weakened); numerous landlords have reported that their end of season numbers covered their loss, filling many impacted colonies.

I am calling March, 2022, the new February (for migration), and predict that by the end of the month, colony numbers will be more normal. I expect large arrivals of the 2yoa class to start building toward peak late this month, followed by the SY peak sometime after mid-April. The younger the class of birds, the greater the population.

Wishing you good luck and total enjoyment of your purple martin colony this spring and summer!

[Vixen55]

Thanks! This gives me hope (again LOL)! I don't have an established colony yet. Last year 2 came, but the sparrows chased them off. I am prepared for that with traps (already set and being monitored for activity) in both house and gourds. Usually by this time I see martins flying over and can hear them so I know they are at someone's nearby, but this year I haven't heard or seen ANY yet. Your comments give me hope and make so much sense. That snow, while beautifull to those of us who never get to see it must have been devastating to insects and birds! Ok! I'll keep looking and playing my martin song to attract them. We've got nice weather from here on out so we'll see! Best wishes for everyone who is up and running!

[C.C.Martins]

Your doing the right things; sparrow control, playing the dawn song, now its a waiting game unfortunately. Perhaps you can add a nest box trap? PMCA sells some very nice ones, or you can get a bird house with a van ert trap. Having a few diffrent types helps never know what they will go for.
I wish you lots of martins! The young birds are coming soon.
Tom

[deancamp]

Lots of knowledge in the previous posts. The season is still young. Good Luck and don't give up it will happen.

[Bird Brain]

You're not alone. There are many still waiting, just like you, for that first nesting pair. Patience, diligence, and perseverance are required. If your site is suitable, you will be rewarded eventually.

[gmmajor]

About a dozen finally showed up here in Galveston County with the last norther. The next two days they were harassed by a hawk and have not returned.

[Jones4381]

I do so love to hear the exacting information and knowledge Mr. Barrow shares in here... As I wait here I too get down with that wonderment of will the Martins show or not show this year (and I'm only in year 3 with 1 pair last year) and the despair as you read the PMCA daily 'scout reports' and the rejoincement and enthusiasms of those that are experiencing Martin fever again, yet you've seen blank skies.
Today I sat 75 feet away from a Coopers that was basically scanning my yard and doing low flyovers perusing the skies and ground as his domain and not mine.... Red Tails above and nature happening all around but I'm most focused on the birds...
After worrying about the Coopers being so brazenly and daring in the proximity to my house...I then realized the harmony of it all and it's what I've been wanting...rabbits galore in the sides of the fields, field mice, and other grass fed wild animals roaming about. The prey always brings in the predator and they've always coexisted...I'm hoping for Martins and do expect them to flourish here in harmony with everything Im envisioning. The Martins will show...I know it!

[vondeckbar72]

My numbers are way off thus far. Had 3 pair hanging around 2 weeks ago and now nothing. 2 solo males since last Wednesday and they have not returned. I'm holding out hope for a late arrival. This is going to be my 10 year mark for the colony. I had 5 gourds out of 8 filled last year, a new record for me. Only lost 2 out of 27 eggs laid. On a a side note I have not seen or heard a single Starling which is baffling in my area. I don't know my fellow Martin peeps.