Hoping 2023 is my year

CTMartins · Thu Dec 22, 2022 3:55 pm

1st year I was able to get their cousins the Tree Swallow and they had kids and then the dreaded house sparrows came !!!

Think my area ( Connecticut) is scheduled for April and there's a large colony 25m drive away but do I need to have a rock concert for them to hear the song? I was playing it on one of those solar preloaded speakers. I'm thinking I could put down a sign on my lawn but realize they can't read. Any suggestions for success going into the new year? thanks and Happy holidays

Hanover Bill · Thu Dec 22, 2022 6:33 pm

CTMartins;

Patience, patience, patience. Those are the best three words of advice I can give you. Just keep at it, and it will pay off. Took me 5 years to get a nesting pair, and there are a lot more out there who took longer than that.
Best of Luck;
Hanover Biil.

C.C.Martins · Thu Dec 22, 2022 8:57 pm

Agree,
do the right things: sparrow/pest protection (they will drive off skittish first time martin visitors), play the dawn song, make the area martin friendly in the mean time; its tough to wait but spend the time making the area martin friendly...why not put up a sign? be fun!

and I truly do hope 2023 is your year. Martins need more landlords!
Best,
Tom

brent · Fri Dec 23, 2022 9:25 pm

The best of luck to you. I have a good feeling martins are going to make a home there. Brent

Dave Reynolds · Fri Dec 23, 2022 9:51 pm

... Brent. ... Keep doing what our doing... Sounds like you are on the right track... One other thing,, Tree Swallow are ok,, but don’t let them nest in any of your gourds on the gourd rack or houses if they are on the rack along with your gourds ... They will drive away young Martins looking at your site for their first home.. ............ Trust Me!!

Keep us up to date this Spring..

Dave

flyin-lowe · Sun Dec 25, 2022 9:34 am

Unfortunately the biggest hurdle you will likely have is the tree swallows. They are usually a bigger hurdle than sparrows, starlings etc. Because the sparrows and starlings can cause issues to nesting martins they typically don't fight and chase off investigating martins. Tree swallows on the other hand will try to chase off martins. Plus you cannot handle tree swallows the same way you handle martins. Read the link below. The short version is tree swallows will protect a small range around their housing from other tree swallows. So you have to find the sweet spot, 30-50 feet away from your martin housing. Youll know it's the sweet spot when the tree swallows chase away other tree swallows but are far enough away they wont terrorize your martins. Problem is if you move them too far away and then another pair of tree swallows will move into your martin housing.

https://www.purplemartin.org/uploads/me ... cy-377.pdf

Jones4381 · Mon Dec 26, 2022 6:34 am

Nature always rewards our efforts...sometimes in different ways than you first envisioned. I'm certain you'll achieve success and I would say enjoy the anticipation of your first or multiple pairs...it only happens one time and it's a nice high and validates your place on this planet as a good person with good intentions... we need more people that cares and gives...your positivity will change many things you can't even foresee yet. Good energy your way and we are all rooting for you sir.

I found that balance referenced above with the Tree Swallows and Martins and it's rewarding to witness that coexistence, I encourage you to follow the recommendations on the advice FlyinLowe lays out...I originally did not and cost me my first year but learned a valuable lesson in the process. TS's get here a few weeks before the PM's and are nature's clock for me after learning that first lesson. The HOSP and Starlings will be a continuous battle it appears. Best wishes again.

CTMartins · Mon Dec 26, 2022 11:05 am

This osunds worse then before I posted.

C.C.Martins · Mon Dec 26, 2022 4:30 pm

Yeah, it does but when they show, you are there my friend!!!

jamesdubinjr · Wed Dec 28, 2022 9:02 am

2022 was a disaster for us newbies. There’s a colony .5 miles away at the beach but the housing doesn’t make for easy nest checks and the landlord seems to be OK with house sparrows living amongst the Martins.

Birdiegirl · Wed Jan 04, 2023 5:00 pm

CT Martins-

I highly recommend the techniques in the link that flyin-lowe posted. Getting tree swallows attached to different/non-martin housing before SY martins arrive is really important. Tree swallows are gorgeous, but pesky. When that link was shared with me on the forum, I didn't have any martins established, and I knew the tree swallows would arrive before any unattached martins would. I put up several tree swallow nest boxes at the distances and orientations suggested and had success! Good luck to you- I really hope this is YOUR year too