Moving - What To Do With Housing

[birdman in buckhead]

Greetings all,

I'm moving in a few months into a new house I'm building on Lake Oconee that's about 1 mile away as a crow flies. I certainly want to have purple martins at my new house, but don't want to leave my colony here with no housing when they return next year. After all birds have left for the season, my plan is to bring the house with 6 units and 2 gourds attached and one wagonwheel with 6 gourds (if the new owner of my house allows it), and leave one wagonwheel with 6 gourds, (if the new owner of my house allows it). There are martins at the lake, so I don't antcipate any problems attracting birds at my new house.

Any comments? Should I leave all of the bird housing (if allowed) and buy new bird housing for my new house? Should I relocate all of the bird housing to my new house? Is it possible for my current colony to find the relocated bird housing since it's not very far away? Thank you in advance for any comments!

[LoneOakMartin]

I would take some housing and leave some housing if the new owner will agree to take care of the martins. That being said, we moved 3 years ago to a house 4 miles away from my previous location where I had 56 pair. Moved 4 miles....and still have not had a nesting pair in 3 years. I brought some of the gourds and left some of the gourds thinking they would easily find my new set up. I did have a few martins last year stay several days, then left. No nesting pair in 3 years, just 4 miles down the road. That's a head scratcher for me. Good luck on your move and hopefully they will find your new location suitable.

[flyin-lowe]

I was in a similar situtaion back in 2012, I moved 7 miles away. When we negotiated the sale of the house (in the spring) the new owners agreed to leave the housing up that season, but did not want them there the following year. In my situation I sold my house in th spring but didn't buy a new house unitl later in the summer so it worked out good without me having to store the housing somewhere while I was between houses. I also thought that the martins getting displaced the following spring would improve my chances of them finding my new housing. I also knew that leaving the colony up that spring would also result in more SY's being fledged, again helping to increase my odds at my knew place.

The year I left there were 30 pair of martins at my original colony. The next year I set the housing up at me new property in the same orientaion as it was originally at the original place. I really got my hopes up because that spring I had 6 ASY martins show up the same day. They stuck around for about 4 days and I assumed they were possibly from my old colony. Weird thing was the following week I got up one morning, they flew off to feed and never returned. So I will never really know if they were from my old site or not or just passing through. A few times that spring I would drive by my old house and see martins circling in the yard where the housing used to be. They would typically arrive and stay in the area for about a week then take off. I felt bad, but also knew that I was either going to help someone start a new colony, or help strengthen someone martin colony. Obviously they were distressed for a week or so but knowing how communal they are I am sure they found a nearby colony and fit right in. It took me a few years to get my new colony going but now have 60+ pair every year.

[Conrad Baker]

Are there any other Martin colonies at the lake where your new house is, or would yours be the only one? I would say that if the new owner will not take care of the housing you leave there and just allow Hosp or Starlings to take over, don't leave them up. I would move the whole shebang to your new home site in hopes that you would attract Martins there. If it's only a mile or so away from your existing site, the birds probably would fly near there anyway in search of food, and could possibly recognize the housing if you put it up in the same configuration that you have it now. I think too the lake attracts Martins so them flying in that area is probably a common occurrence.
I would not want to leave anything where Hosp or Starlings can take it over.

[dsonyay]

If there are other PM houses around the old location, and the martins are active at those locations, I’d take everything to the new place. The martins will quickly readjust and settle into the neighboring houses. When I moved from Slidell to Broussard , same thing happened with me. My old colony (3 or 4 pairs) settled in among the neighbors (we had a few houses in the neighborhood).

I guess if the new homeowner wants to help you out, you could always leave some if it there .. probably ideal.

PS. Don’t forget to leave a sign near the old housing notifying the PMs where the new housing is located. They’d appreciate it.