Question about posting a Scout arrival for the Study

[sle62]

I had a ASY land on the house this past Saturday, January 31, 2026. He went inside and stayed a bit there and then on the perch for about 15 minutes total. I have not seen him since. Would this be considered as a Scout Arrival date for the "Scout arrival study"?
I would like to help keep the study as accurate as possible.

[Phil01]

Hi Susan,
Yes, it would be considered a scout for the arrival study. The PMCA wants you to report the first Martin you see to track their migration. It doesn’t matter if it is one from your colony or not.

Good luck this season,
Phil

[brent]

I had two males at my site on the 1st but haven’t seen them since. I posted them as my first sighting.

[flyin-lowe]

If I remember correctly the PMCA addressed this some time ago. Some people wait until "their" martins are at their site to report. The point of the study is to track the migration of martins. So if you observe a martin it should be reproted so they know where the martins are.

[Conrad Baker]

Yes, I think it is a good idea to post the sighting of the first Martin you see regardless of the amount of time he spends at your colony. This gives all the other landlords a heads-up (literally standing in the back yard with my head up) looking for a Martin. Post the report if you see em. Good Luck this season everybody !!!

[sle62]

Thank you all for the responses. I did post it on the Scout Arrival study, as this seems to be the unanimous answer to my question.

[SSMartin]

The two males I had return have only been seen once more flying above. I haven’t seen them since. Usually they are busy in the early mornings checking out gourds or at least flying overhead.

This is the strangest season ever

[LCM]

This is only my opinion, of course. The last 2 years I have been and have earned the true identity of “landlord “, I’m not happy about that statement since realizing, since joining website with you model landlords I had failed as what I needed to be for the martins.
Moving forward, let the past be the past. I’m not going to mention this subject again.
For the last two years, what is being written is normal typical behavior of these birds.
Last year I had one scout and one only for weeks. I couldn’t even determine if he was spending the night. Here’s what I do know. I would hear him more than once a day, everyday, way up in the sky, watching his prospective home.
Occasionally, I would notice him gone for a couple days in a row.
He never moved in and he at first never acted like he was putting down stakes
Until all of a sudden, a couple months later, there began to drift in, more couples. They generally came in pairs.
It was so exciting and I can’t wait for it to happen again.
Can someone send a picture of how you have placed straw within your nesting boxes? Also would you advise putting down say 1/4 tsp of Carbyl when I put straw in?
Thank you for responding. LCM

[LCM]

Addendum: I do realize this behavior I’m calling normal is not behavior for established colonies and experienced landlords, that take care of their colony the right way.

[Conrad Baker]

I put Sevin dust or carbaryl in each compartment (about 1/4 teaspoon) before I put the pine needles in. Try to get it into the corners too. Then I just kinda take a handful of pine needles and shape them into a somewhat round configuration and put them in the compartment. The birds will shape them the way they want anyway. I have had PM actually remove most of the pine needles from their chosen compartment and bring oak leaves and other vegetation to make their nest.

[brent]

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This is what I do. Martins build with the pine needles placed in…they like it. Of course they can change it any way they want.

[LCM]

Thank you so much for those pictures, I have learned something.
You’re so right too about the green leaves, there are as many of them in each nest as anything else.
My husband and I farm and this pm house is at the end of the garden rows,
Every year I would take down the houses and these nests would have dirt packed roots as nests. Mind you, these were houses that I couldn’t take down and look inside which many of you know, I regret, and thats in the past.
Now, since my son gifted me the trendsetter, and the pulley system, I can tell what the nesting material is, without waiting until end of season . the PM’s bring lots of green leaves and pine straw, and yes, some dirt covered roots but not as much dirt covered roots like they used to, and I do not understand at all this nesting material change. Undoubtedly they utilize what they have available, as you would imagine.
I’m following your direction this year and help them out with nest building. Last year I did utilize the sevin, but couldn’t find Carbyl as many of you know.
I did quite a few nest changes too, due to mites.

[scottfreidhof]

I believe "scout" reports are specific to active or established colonies based upon the instructions. However when a martin shows up at a new site and sticks, it would be important, when reporting, for the lucky new colony manager to answer the question about how many years their site has been active with the number zero (0) if that makes sense. That way the PMCA would know that this report is from a new site rather than an active site.

[mjfog]

Hi to all, My response has nothing do to with "posting arrival " but with "pre-nesting." I have 3 racks of 24 gourds each. Last year (or maybe year before) I "pre-nested" half of my gourds and left the other half empty. Nesting success was 50-50. All said and done - the empty gourds had the same nesting success as the ones pre-nested. I gave up on what I consider a "feel good" job. But if it gives a land lord satisfaction, go for it. This season I will be 86 and managing 72 gourds - reporting my results to the Association. I'll leave "pre-nesting" to the girl martins. They seem to do an admiral job without my help. Mike

[brent]

Hi Mike! What can I say? You can do what ever you want. If there was an Olympic Gold Metal for martin land lording you’d get it!!! 86 and managing 72 gourds!!! You have my vote. I have only 16 compartments and it’s a job…72???? Salute to you. And lucky martins. Good luck this season! BTW thanks for sharing your study. Good information.

[LCM]

Mr Brent, Mr Mike would get my vote too.