Anyone near Norfolk/Va Beach?
Hello, this is my second year trying to get martins. Last year I simply put up a house and hoped for the best, this year I got some decoys and started playing the dawn song. My question is, at what point do I stop playing the dawn song and give up hope for the season? I assume people in my area would know when all is lost for the season. I have at least 2 martin colonies within a mile of me and a body of water a couple hundred yards from me, so I have hope, but not sure when to give up .Thanks for any feed back.
-
Birdiegirl
- Posts: 362
- Joined: Sun May 24, 2020 7:03 pm
- Location: Scott County Kentucky
- Martin Colony History: Two poles: 2 T-14s and 8 gourds
2021- 1 pair, 5 fledged
2022- 11 pair, 36 fledged
2023- 20 pair, 78 fledged
2024- 32 pair, 109 fledged
2025- 34 pair, 117 fledged
2026-
Hello and welcome to the forum! I got my colony in central Kentucky started just three years ago- and the bird that started it didn't arrive until the second week of May. Our states are similar in latitude, so you definitely have time to attract martins to your site!
The birds that are returning now are ones that nested last year (scouts). Your best chance at starting a colony is to attract birds that aren't already attached to a site- basically last year's young. They generally return about 4-6 weeks after the scouts. If you have your housing up and the Dawn Song playing you are already doing the right things. You can keep the Dawn Song playing until you have visitors hanging around your site.
There is a wealth of information out there on how to maximize your chances in starting a colony. If you haven't already, search this forum for 'how to attract martins' and/or check out information from the Purple Martin Conservation Association's website. The link below is one I found helpful in getting started.
https://www.purplemartin.org/uploads/me ... ge-417.pdf
And as you have questions, post them here! The folks on here are wonderful about answering questions, sharing experiences, and encouraging new landlords. I am certain I wouldn't have my colony without the kind advice shared here.
Good luck to you and keep us posted!
The birds that are returning now are ones that nested last year (scouts). Your best chance at starting a colony is to attract birds that aren't already attached to a site- basically last year's young. They generally return about 4-6 weeks after the scouts. If you have your housing up and the Dawn Song playing you are already doing the right things. You can keep the Dawn Song playing until you have visitors hanging around your site.
There is a wealth of information out there on how to maximize your chances in starting a colony. If you haven't already, search this forum for 'how to attract martins' and/or check out information from the Purple Martin Conservation Association's website. The link below is one I found helpful in getting started.
https://www.purplemartin.org/uploads/me ... ge-417.pdf
And as you have questions, post them here! The folks on here are wonderful about answering questions, sharing experiences, and encouraging new landlords. I am certain I wouldn't have my colony without the kind advice shared here.
Good luck to you and keep us posted!
Laura
PMCA member
PMCA member
-
C.C.Martins
- Posts: 3368
- Joined: Fri Apr 14, 2017 11:15 am
- Location: Corpus Christi Tx
- Martin Colony History: 2016- Visitors.
2017- 5 pair. 15 fledged
2018- 18 pair. 85 fledged
2019- 17 pair. 81 fledged
2020- 25 pair. 111 fledged
2021- 28 pair. 118 fledged
2022- 33 pair. 151 fledged
2023- 33 pair. 165 fledged
2024- 40 pair. 185 fledged
2025- 40 pair. 181 fledged
HOSP:
Home colony: mix natural, super, Troyer and excluder gourds, enlarged compartment house. All SREH.
Satellite colony: Oso Bay Preserve: 49 PMCA excluder gourds; 16 room Lonestar Goliad with Modified Excluder entrances.
2019: Visitors
2020: 3 pair, 11 fledged
2021: 10 pair, 30 fledged
2022: 11 pair, 35 fledged
2023: 18 pair, 101 fledged
2024: 39 pair, 181 fledged
2025: 51 pair, 216 fledged
PMCA member
I'll second Laura. Your doing the right things, keep at it. You never know what happened to a colony near by. My colony was started by an ASY pair. Remember, martins new to a site are wondering if its a safe place, they will be nervous until they settle in. They will appear out of nowhere and act as if they have always been there once they settle.
At times they will look and go for a few days, then come back.
Is your housing similar to the nearby colonies? It helps.
Tom
At times they will look and go for a few days, then come back.
Is your housing similar to the nearby colonies? It helps.
Tom
A good house sparrow is a dead house sparrow.
HOSP: 17. Starlings: 23
HOSP: 17. Starlings: 23
-
Jones4381
- Posts: 830
- Joined: Sat Apr 25, 2020 10:54 pm
- Location: Southwestern VA
- Martin Colony History: 2020- 0
2021- 1 pair-5
2022- 5 pair-20
2023 34 pair-44
2024 30 pair-122
2025 54 Pair -178
Mid-March to Mid-May is your most opportune times. Birdie and CC gives sound advise and encouragement. Like Birdie, I too had my first ASY pair show up May 5th, back in 2021. Most experience hope and anticipation which can slowly turn to dejection, frustration, and all but giving up. Stay vigilant keeping competitive birds out of your rack. The other advice I would give is to keep listening more than watching as you'll often hear a Martin before seeing a Martin I discovered along my journey. Good luck, it's very likely you'll attract several SY birds when they hit here in mass around last week of April through the end of May. It's really just beginning in VA.
"Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you." - Lao Tzu
-
dsonyay
- Posts: 1677
- Joined: Fri Jul 02, 2010 3:10 pm
- Location: Louisiana/Broussard
- Martin Colony History: 2010-2014 located in Slidell LA. Gourd rack with 16 gourds. Max of 2 pairs during this short period in Slidell. Plenty of fledglings.
2014-present.. moved to Broussard LA. Same Gourd Rack but added a 6 room house (modified from a 12 room)
2020: after a long drought of nothing, 4 pairs and 4 nests, 23 eggs total.
6 fledges.
2021: 9 pair, 47 eggs
36 hatchlings
30 fledged
2022: about 12 pairs.. many eggs, all fledged.. only had one hatchling die.. probably because of our schnauzer. :(
2023: 16 pairs. So far about 60 chicks with about a dozen eggs to go.
2024: 13 pair. About 60 eggs
2025: 14 pairs .. 69 eggs.
Hi-
Do you see PMs flying around the area or very close by? Or hear them? It’s still early where you are, so keep playing the audio recordings. Definitely won’t hurt. If they are anywhere within site of your housing, curiosity will draw them in. If other colonies are very close by- it’s only a matter of time. Keep at it.
I moved to a new location a few years ago and it took me a few seasons to finally be successful- and they were all over the area.. I would see and hear them daily and every now and then they would land on the gorge and check them out, but it wasn’t for until the fifth season, where I actually had nestings. I had such a perfect location- much like you- ponds right around me in the immediate area, other colonies within a mile it was very frustrating.
I always jokingly thought that my gourd rack was too perfect and maybe they thought it was a trap. My friend told me maybe I should lean it over 20° and trash it up a little bit and let a few of house sparrows mess it up nest material sticking out of some of the holes lol. — like the other places around me.. hahaah
Do you see PMs flying around the area or very close by? Or hear them? It’s still early where you are, so keep playing the audio recordings. Definitely won’t hurt. If they are anywhere within site of your housing, curiosity will draw them in. If other colonies are very close by- it’s only a matter of time. Keep at it.
I moved to a new location a few years ago and it took me a few seasons to finally be successful- and they were all over the area.. I would see and hear them daily and every now and then they would land on the gorge and check them out, but it wasn’t for until the fifth season, where I actually had nestings. I had such a perfect location- much like you- ponds right around me in the immediate area, other colonies within a mile it was very frustrating.
I always jokingly thought that my gourd rack was too perfect and maybe they thought it was a trap. My friend told me maybe I should lean it over 20° and trash it up a little bit and let a few of house sparrows mess it up nest material sticking out of some of the holes lol. — like the other places around me.. hahaah