My Tentative Purple Martin Colony Layout For 2006
For several months I have been planning and re-planning my martin colony set-up for 2006. The more I evaluate my colony the more I want to change! But I am getting close to a final layout. I keep saying this and I still keep thinking of more housing changes! However, I enjoy the planning phase of preparing for the upcoming martin season and getting my housing ready.
In 2005, I attracted 81 pairs of martins the first year and 76 were successful. There were 28 ASY pairs and 53 SY pairs. My colony is located next door to a large super colony that hosted around 176 martins in 2005. So my neighbor?s colony provided MANY martins to populate my new one. It is interesting that I use round holes and he uses crescents. Both our colonies flourished without any starling problems, clearly showing that there is place in purple martin colony management for both entrance holes.
For 2006, here is what my colony layout is looking like so far, but it may change again, particularly as the martin season progresses:
Three Lone Star gourd racks with 16 natural gourds per rack for a total of 48; these gourds will include traditional ones with the entrance holes cut on the fronts and others that maximize vertical/horizontal depth. The exact number of each is still to be determined. I have posted numerous pictures on the Forum showing martins using these various gourd designs.
Six PMCA Deluxe gourd racks, 1 with an 18 gourd capacity and the other 5 with 12 gourds apiece for a total of 78 gourds. These racks will contain both Supergourds and naturals, including ones which maximize vertical/horizontal depth.
One Natureline gourd rack system with 8 natural gourds.
One Lone Star Alamo aluminum house with 14 rooms.
One Lone Star Goliad aluminum house with 12 rooms.
Possibly another Lone Star Goliad aluminum house with 16 rooms.
Possibly 2 WatersEdge 8 room suites and 4 natural gourds on a PMCA multi-purpose pole for a total of 20 cavities.
So my tentative set-up will include 33 Supergourds, most of which are painted beige or black inside, 105 natural gourds, including traditional ones with holes cut on the front and ones that maximize vertical/horizontal depth (the exact numbers of each are still to be determined), and 58 aluminum house compartments. This will give me a tentative total of 196 cavities for 2006.
In 2005, my 130 cavities attracted 81 pairs of martins for an occupancy level of 62% for my first year at this site in northwest Louisiana. In 2006 I believe I can nearly double that number to 150 + pairs of martins in 196 cavities. I have often quadrupled my colony size at previous sites the second year when I lived in north Florida. However, I attracted a huge number of martins this first season in 2005 and I doubt I could quadruple 81 pairs in 2006! But I believe I could attract perhaps 200 pairs of martins if I erected around 250 cavities. Martins are plentiful in this area of northwest Louisiana. However, the impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita could have adversely impacted some of the martins that migrated from my area. Only time will tell.
In 2005, the first martin appeared at my neighbor?s colony site on February 6. So, the season is approaching and I can?t wait. Good luck to everyone.
Steve
My Tentative Purple Martin Colony Layout For 2006
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Donnie Hurdt MN
- Posts: 1723
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2004 11:14 pm
- Location: North Prairie, MN
Steve, Planning for the next season helps the winter go by faster. I believe it was you who posted some time ago about round holes for WatersEdge houses were you able to find out any more about this?
PMCA member and Martin fanatic....
2011 A pair of subbies fledged three young but none returned in 2012
2015 One Pair of subbies came and stayed a few nits but got chased away by Bluebirds and Tree swallows.
2017 0ne pair of subbies nested and fledged 4 young
2018 Tree Swallows AGAIN chased away any martins that wanted to nest
2019 Same old story................
2011 A pair of subbies fledged three young but none returned in 2012
2015 One Pair of subbies came and stayed a few nits but got chased away by Bluebirds and Tree swallows.
2017 0ne pair of subbies nested and fledged 4 young
2018 Tree Swallows AGAIN chased away any martins that wanted to nest
2019 Same old story................
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Steve Kroenke
- Posts: 4342
- Joined: Fri Nov 28, 2003 6:49 pm
- Location: Louisiana/Logansport
Hey Dhurdtmn,
The Coates Company, which manufactures the WatersEdge suites, is supposed to build me two houses with round holes according to the vendor who coordinated my request. So, I believe I will get the round hole WatersEdge suites. Hopefully, my request will encourage Coates to offer both crescent and round hole houses like all other quality commercial martin housing manufacturers do. If for some reason, this does not finally work out, then I would use modified Trios or regular Coates houses.
Steve
The Coates Company, which manufactures the WatersEdge suites, is supposed to build me two houses with round holes according to the vendor who coordinated my request. So, I believe I will get the round hole WatersEdge suites. Hopefully, my request will encourage Coates to offer both crescent and round hole houses like all other quality commercial martin housing manufacturers do. If for some reason, this does not finally work out, then I would use modified Trios or regular Coates houses.
Steve
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John Atteberry
I just wanted your opinion on my set-up on the location of my multi-purpose pole! Look on my post on the set-up! And please give me your opinion! Thanks John!
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Steve Kroenke
- Posts: 4342
- Joined: Fri Nov 28, 2003 6:49 pm
- Location: Louisiana/Logansport
Hey John,
I think your set-up sounds fine. You are opening the area up even more with removal of some pine trees and the lake is an enormous attractant to martins. The gazebo will not block all the airspace and should have little, if any adverse impact on the attractiveness of your multi-purpose pole. The gazebo is a small structure compared to a huge tree or house. You could even put a tall perch on top of the gazebo if you wanted to and I bet the martins would love sitting on it! The key is open airspace in several locations where the martins can fly nearly level to and from their housing. I have erected martin houses in the past within 10 or 20 feet of human dwellings that completely blocked all the airspace to the top of the martin housing and the martins readily nested. When I was a boy, I even attached martin housing to the sides of buildings and gourds to TV antennas on top of human houses, and the martins nested. In these situations the martins still had at least one or two completely open avenues to fly to and from their housing.
Accipiter hawks can use large buildings/trees to hide the hawks as they sneak up on a martin colony. The gazebo probably is not that efficient in providing such coverage and the martins can probably see approaching danger more easily. You do have both resident and migratory Cooper?s hawks in the Pensacola area and I have corresponded with a Pensacola landlord who lost many of his martins to these hawks.
At my current site, I will have some martin houses/gourd racks within 40 feet of the front of my house and the martin housing will be just a few feet higher. It is open all around the martin housing.
You live in a historically ?rich martin environment?. The Pensacola and southern Alabama around Mobile/Gulf Shores areas have supported large martin populations in the past. Plus you live on a lake. You have an excellent location for martins and I would suspect your colony will continue to grow and flourish. I believe I mentioned this to you before, but you may even attract martins from the hurricane ravaged areas of Mississippi and Alabama. Many of the returning martins will probably not find any housing for them. So these martins will be dispersing to find nesting sites. Your colony may attract some of these martins.
I am looking forward to your martin reports in 2006! Good luck.
Steve
I think your set-up sounds fine. You are opening the area up even more with removal of some pine trees and the lake is an enormous attractant to martins. The gazebo will not block all the airspace and should have little, if any adverse impact on the attractiveness of your multi-purpose pole. The gazebo is a small structure compared to a huge tree or house. You could even put a tall perch on top of the gazebo if you wanted to and I bet the martins would love sitting on it! The key is open airspace in several locations where the martins can fly nearly level to and from their housing. I have erected martin houses in the past within 10 or 20 feet of human dwellings that completely blocked all the airspace to the top of the martin housing and the martins readily nested. When I was a boy, I even attached martin housing to the sides of buildings and gourds to TV antennas on top of human houses, and the martins nested. In these situations the martins still had at least one or two completely open avenues to fly to and from their housing.
Accipiter hawks can use large buildings/trees to hide the hawks as they sneak up on a martin colony. The gazebo probably is not that efficient in providing such coverage and the martins can probably see approaching danger more easily. You do have both resident and migratory Cooper?s hawks in the Pensacola area and I have corresponded with a Pensacola landlord who lost many of his martins to these hawks.
At my current site, I will have some martin houses/gourd racks within 40 feet of the front of my house and the martin housing will be just a few feet higher. It is open all around the martin housing.
You live in a historically ?rich martin environment?. The Pensacola and southern Alabama around Mobile/Gulf Shores areas have supported large martin populations in the past. Plus you live on a lake. You have an excellent location for martins and I would suspect your colony will continue to grow and flourish. I believe I mentioned this to you before, but you may even attract martins from the hurricane ravaged areas of Mississippi and Alabama. Many of the returning martins will probably not find any housing for them. So these martins will be dispersing to find nesting sites. Your colony may attract some of these martins.
I am looking forward to your martin reports in 2006! Good luck.
Steve
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John Atteberry
Thanks for your opinions on my set-up! I did see only one cooper's hawk fly over my lake and the martins went after it! But didn't see it anymore! I do have a pair of redtail hawks that nest close by and glide over the lake area! But they don't bother the martins and the martins don't bother them either! There is a pair of crows that nest by too! They fly over the lake too! When I say close by, I mean they could be anywhere in the area that I can't find or see! I do have an osprey that comes and dives for fish right in front of me, I say 20 feet away! I saw him or her in the spring and part of the summer but not anymore! The martins don't bother it either. I could explain the site on the lake a little better! My brick cottage sits back about 30-40 feet from the lake. When you come into the subdivion you will come down to a hill toward a valley type setting! There is a total of four of us that owns this private lake. When the hurricane winds came, They just blew over the house! No damage at all! So I sit in a valley on a lake! It is very open on all three sides except the left side where I'm going to cut down some pine trees! Then it would be more open on that side! The martins can see over my house at all sides too! Matter of fact, I had one pair that flew right over my house down to the trio house all the time! Your right too, that there will be alot of martins looking this year here in the south because of the storms! I'll be ready too! I might be posting for you later in spring to find out how to attract and put the gourd over on the left side of lake to attract those flycatchers! So be ready! Ha! Thanks again Steve! John!