Playing Dawn Song

switchgrass2001 · Fri May 19, 2023 9:26 am

I had my first nesting pair last year - a SY male and SY female. It was a very late spring this year in MN and I had an ASY male and ASY female show up on May 6th. They began building a nest on May 10th and continue to do so - I have yet to see them bring any leaves into the nest.

I have had only one other visitor (ASY female) since the nesting pair arrived on the 6th. This is about the time the sub-adults begin to arrive in years past. Should I start playing the dawn song or let nature take its course with the presence/singing of the nesting pair. I sure would like an additional pair or two to nest this year and increase the chances of starting a colony. What should I do?

millerjr88 · Fri May 19, 2023 10:46 am

I don't believe playing dawn song would bother your current ASY birds, but they should do a fine job of attracting SYs by themselves. For what it's worth, here is my experience. 2021 used dawn song and attracted 2 pair SY and a couple lone males. 2022 two pair ASY showed up May 10, did not use dawn song and got 4 pair SY for a total of 6 pair. 2023 first ASY showed up April 21, no dawn song and currently have 6 pair ASY and another 4 or 5 pair ASY with what seems like more every day. Bottom line is continuing dawn song is probably just personal preference as nesting ASY should attract SYs without it but I know some people keep dawn song active. I did not keep it after I had returning ASY and just gave my songbird magnet to a friend to get him started.

Jones4381 · Fri May 19, 2023 11:15 am

I played Dawn song in 2020 after putting up first rack and struck out first year.
2021 played it and finally got 1 pair that started my colony (ASY-M)
I did not play it in 2022 and ended up with 5 pair 4SY and 1 ASY.
Did not play in 2023 and don't really know for sure the count this year as I'll do my second nest check Saturday but expecting around 30 pair this season from what I can tell from 1st nest check.
I enjoy the natural and observation method more than intervention...but either way it shouldn't hurt anything.

switchgrass2001 · Fri May 19, 2023 11:30 am

Thank you for your responses. Two hours after I posted this an SY pair showed up and is perched with the nesting pair atop the pole. We'll see if they hang around. I think I leave the dawn song alone. Thanks again.

millerjr88 · Fri May 19, 2023 12:05 pm

Sounds like you are on your way to a successful Martin colony! Just a note, those ASYs will start showing up earlier the older your colony gets. My dad had an active colony for 15 years, he would sometimes have a few show up in late March. Here in northeast OH it gets hard to keep from losing some when they show up that early.

flyin-lowe · Fri May 19, 2023 8:12 pm

Ive always been a believer that the martins will do a better job than the dawnsong will. I've started 2 colonies and both times one of the best things about getting martins established is knowing I don't have to mess with the dawnsong and player. Of course when I started over 15 years ago getting music playing outside was not as simple as it is now.

John Miller · Fri May 19, 2023 8:49 pm

I can't say with certainty, but I'd leave it off. Martins are the best attractant to other martins, and playing the audio may keep your existing pair from relaxing and going about their routine. It could even put them at risk of hawks. If the audio is playing and no one is sounding an alarm, your pair would not be alerted.

randyM · Fri May 19, 2023 11:48 pm

If you're interested in maximizing the likelihood of migrating martins stopping in to check out your site, I'd suggest playing the dawn song or daytime chatter CD from now through most of July. One or two pair of resident martins from your site may be able to attract a few martins to check out your site, however if these limited number of resident birds are out feeding 5 miles away from your site when migrating martins pass near your colony with no martins around, these migrants might keep moving through without stopping at your site for a peek, thus missed opportunities to attract additional migrating martins to your site. Once you have 6 or more pairs at your colony, that number of birds should be sufficient to cover more aerial territory in more directions at a single point in time around your site and be able to "invite" most migrating martins passing through your area back to your colony. Thus, once you have 6 resident pairs, playing the dawn song CD would have a minimal impact of attracting additional martins to your site. However, after your resident pair(s) and young are gone from your site for the season I'd also suggest playing the CD again through at least Labor Day to attract southward migrating hatch-year birds to inspect your site. I do this each fall even with a well-established colony. The young of the year martins that stop by may remember the location of your site during their migration northward the following spring and stop by to hopefully take up residency in the spring. I usually attract a few dozen fall migrants from late August through Labor Day weekend at my site each year. The more opportunities you create to entice passing martins to stop at your site, the higher the probability to grow the resident numbers at your colony.

Best of luck this season!

Randy

DuckCamp · Sun May 21, 2023 7:08 am

Randy,
That's a very interesting idea to utilize the call after your birds leave for the year in hopes of putting yourself on the map for southbound migrants. This was my first year not using a call at all as I had 5 pair last season. Looking to be around 12 pair and counting as SY birds have been arriving daily this week and was just recently thinking I wouldn't need my call anymore. I guess I won't get rid of it just yet!