should chase sy from nest hole?

[Guest]

I have one pair of martins and one sy male. the sy male flies around trying to get the mated female to come to his compartment when she is out flying. the asy mated male won't let the sy male claim a gourd or hole on his side of the t-14.
today the sy male is on the porch of the nest looking in. should I be chasing him away when I see this?
the asy male and sy male were trying to get a female yesterday, but not successful.
thanks
sharon

[Guest]

Sharon. I just wanted to congratulate you on getting your first pair after all those years of trying!!! I don't know if I would chase away your young guy. Remember, he should return next year and as an ASY male, he will have no trouble attracting a mate. You wouldn't want him to think of you as an enemy. Maybe just lower your housing, coincidently, while he is being a bother? See my post to hear what is going on at my site!

[Guest]

Dennise....read your post. glad you are getting newcomers. I might be also....yesterday two martins in addition to my three were flying around.

just not sure the sy male (unmated) is OK to look at the other pairs babies. I was confused by the posts talking about unmated sy males causing trouble. not sure if that means they would kill the females babies like lions do to get the female.
thanks for response

[John Miller]

Sharon

I often see SY males flapping at the nest entrances, causing commotion. I doubt they disrupt more than the occasional nest. I guess you could walk out and clap, but most of the time the SY male is just peering in.

I've also been thinking/observing that SREH entrances may slow SY males from entering established nests, as SY males often are not as experienced at going through these.

John Miller

[Guest]

thanks dennise and John.
guess I will just leave sy male poke his head in the nest.
thanks for helping
sharon

[CUL Lou~Mich]

Sharon. Yes, it has been reported that some SY males who are unmated will kill the babies, to try to get the female to mate with them. There have been a couple this year, before the forum lost everything a couple weeks ago. I've also seen it stated in years past. I think I would try to chase him away, but not do so too strenuously/forcefully. CUL Lou

[drdoo55]

Sharon I too have the same thing going on here.But I have seen this before and I would not worry about it. If he is fighting with the ASY male then I would watch things really close.Just today I had a SY male show up and was builing a nest in the same gourd rack as my one pair that has five little ones that are five days old and the SY male went in their gourd while they out getting food,they came back and he came and they did not fight.But keep an eye on him,if he spends too much time in there,that could be trouble.I live about 40 miles north of you in a little town called Leroy,if you have any extra martins tell them about my place and I will give them a good home. Tony Oechsner

[Guest]

thanks for letting me know your experience. glad to hear of another Wisconsin colony!!! When I first moved to Wisconsin in 1985 I knew of one colony in Racine Wi, 3 colonies in Milwaukee on the north side near the lake. All of these colonies are gone now, and I don't know of any new ones in Milwaukee county. I know of one new one in Ozaukee county, which is the county just north of Milwaukee.

So somehow we need to get young people interested. so it was good that someone in the south had school children out to their colony.
sharon

[drdoo55]

Sharon If you ever get some time you will have to take a ride up here around the Horicon marsh.I live a mile or so away from it and there is a fair amount of colonies around that are older,but these people all have the old tilt poles yet and they wont change.Ive talked to a few of them and they think that I'm weird,but at least I tried.Anyway if you ever get up this way give me a shout and I wil show you around. Tony

[Guest]

Tony....thanks for the invitation.
The Horicon marsh area would be a great place to live!
I will keep your email. I have some extra "martin" gear you or someone might be able to use too.
sharon