I Have My First Overnighters!

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Bird Brain
Posts: 229
Joined: Wed Feb 10, 2016 9:22 am
Location: Highland Village, TX
Martin Colony History: 2022 - visitors, 2023 - visitors

I know. I just recently posted my frustration about males unable to attract females to my sight. Today, my male finally convinced a female to spend the night at my sight. I'm super pumped. I've been waiting 8 years for this moment. 8 years and 1 pole relocation 2 years ago. It was interesting. When they started perching on the power lines together grooming, I knew then they were bonding. An hour before dark they both went in a gourd and copulated, I think. Then they flew off and fed themselves. Then they came back right before dark and went in for the night. He had 2 or 3 females reject him before finding this one. Anyway, I think I have my first nesting pair. Wish me luck.
My pronouns are God, guns, liberty, constitution, family.
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C.C.Martins
Posts: 2737
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:
HOSP: 35 Starlings: 23
Home colony: mix natural, super, Troyer and excluder gourds, enlarged compartment house. All SREH.
Satellite colony: Oso Bay Preserve: 36 PMCA excluder gourds, 6 room trio mini castle with troyer tunnels and enlarged compartments.
2019: Visitors
2020: 3 pair, 11 fledged
2021: 10 pair, 30 fledged
2022: 11 pair, 35 fledged
2023: 18 pair, 101 fledged
2024
PMCA member

Hey thats great news!!!! Wow, yeah thats a while to wait but you broke through. Wonderful! Worth cracking a beer, sitting back and enjoy.
Is it a subbie or ASY pair? Now those that have been coming to look will be more inclined to stay, those two will recruit for you too.
Tom
A good house sparrow is a dead house sparrow.
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Bird Brain
Posts: 229
Joined: Wed Feb 10, 2016 9:22 am
Location: Highland Village, TX
Martin Colony History: 2022 - visitors, 2023 - visitors

The male is an SY. Not sure about the female, but probably SY also. Do ASY females pair up with SY males? She is darker than him I think. So possibly an ASY female. Not experienced enough yet to know the difference regarding the females.
My pronouns are God, guns, liberty, constitution, family.
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C.C.Martins
Posts: 2737
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:
HOSP: 35 Starlings: 23
Home colony: mix natural, super, Troyer and excluder gourds, enlarged compartment house. All SREH.
Satellite colony: Oso Bay Preserve: 36 PMCA excluder gourds, 6 room trio mini castle with troyer tunnels and enlarged compartments.
2019: Visitors
2020: 3 pair, 11 fledged
2021: 10 pair, 30 fledged
2022: 11 pair, 35 fledged
2023: 18 pair, 101 fledged
2024
PMCA member

Well the SY females do like ASYs, had a subbie male pair up with ASY female last year...but she would sneak over to the ASY males for some hanky panky. I suspect he raised someone else's chicks. It is tough to tell even some of these subbie males look like females till they sing.
All in all its great news!!!!
A good house sparrow is a dead house sparrow.
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Birdiegirl
Posts: 300
Joined: Sun May 24, 2020 7:03 pm
Location: Scott County Kentucky
Martin Colony History: 34 cavities (combo of T-14, barns, and gourds)
2020- Visitors
2021- 1 pair, 5 fledged
2022- 11 pair, 36 fledged
2023- 20 pair, 78 fledged

Congratulations! Wow what a good feeling- so happy for you. It hasn't been too long since we hosted our first pair and I swear they were the most watched birds ever. If I was home, I was looking to the martin housing. Enjoy!
Laura
PMCA member
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Thomabear
Posts: 413
Joined: Tue Jun 02, 2020 10:10 am
Location: Cut Off, Louisiana

And so it begins! Congratulations on your first pair. You have a lot of patience and determination my friend and now you will reap the rewards of your hard work. That pair will get right to work establishing your colony. Fun is on the horizon!
2019- 6 Pair, 31 Hatched, 30 Fledged
2020- 8 Pair, 38 Hatched, 32 Fledged
2021- 10 Pair, 51 Hatched, 39 Fledged
HOSP count 130, Starlings 2
2022- 31 Pair, 154 Hatched, 146 Fledged
HOSP count to date 17, Starlings 1
2023- 28 Pair, 128 Hatched, 124 Fledged
HOSP count 47, Starlings 1

PMCA Member
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cabin man
Posts: 90
Joined: Tue Mar 27, 2012 11:55 am
Location: New Jersey / Tinton Falls
Martin Colony History: Got my first SY pair in 2017. Fledged 1, but died due to wing entrapment. 2018- changed all entrances and got one ASY pair. Fledged 3. 2019- Male returned. Disappeared after 12 days. Suspect hawk. No nesting pairs. 2020- 1 pair. Fledged 3. 2021- 12 pairs fledged 43.. 2022- 22pairs. 100 eggs .fledged74

Congratulations! There is nothing like getting your first pair. Enjoy every moment
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