I have it all set up with the entrances CLOSED. Should I leave it this way until I possibly see a martin? Or should I leave it open and risk the undesirables taking up residence?
thanks for any help
closing entrances?
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Guest
My house is up, doubt I will attract any pm's this year, BUT I am hoping
I have it all set up with the entrances CLOSED. Should I leave it this way until I possibly see a martin? Or should I leave it open and risk the undesirables taking up residence?
thanks for any help
I have it all set up with the entrances CLOSED. Should I leave it this way until I possibly see a martin? Or should I leave it open and risk the undesirables taking up residence?
thanks for any help
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Emil Pampell-Tx
- Posts: 6743
- Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 1:26 pm
- Location: Tx, Richmond (SW of Houston)
- Martin Colony History: First started in Gretna, La in 1969 with a small homemade house, have had martins ever since at 2 different homes in Texas
You really need it open, or the martins will leave if its closed...That is a problem, when the martins come, so do the sparrows...Sooner or later you must open the house to get the martins to stay, as they may not wait for you to open the house.
AFTER you have an established colony, then the martins may wait for you to open their house.
AFTER you have an established colony, then the martins may wait for you to open their house.
PMCA Member, 250 gourds, 6 poles, 2traps
I have a different opinion due to the amount of nest competitor's in my area. I guess it depends on your situation. I would leave it closed up till you actually see PM's around it know they are in the area. Somebody reporting PM in you town don't mean there Buzzing your house. Some well established colonies will get PMs early most all the time and they don't look else where IMO.
Also, IMO new colonies gets PM's that are looking to start a new colony or got evicted from a established colony and they check out several new sites before they pick one. When I was starting my two new colonies I never left the house open before I seen PM in my immediate area.
IMO if you just leave the house open the male sparrow will take control over most of the cavities and drive off most all PM's specially Sub-adults early in the season. You'll have to fit them off soon enough why let them think is their house before you see PM's interested.
Also, IMO new colonies gets PM's that are looking to start a new colony or got evicted from a established colony and they check out several new sites before they pick one. When I was starting my two new colonies I never left the house open before I seen PM in my immediate area.
IMO if you just leave the house open the male sparrow will take control over most of the cavities and drive off most all PM's specially Sub-adults early in the season. You'll have to fit them off soon enough why let them think is their house before you see PM's interested.
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Guest
thank you for your opinion too! Now I am lost as what to do. I read somewhere to maybe leave one or two entrances open and block the rest.
Maybe getting some more opinions here, I can finally come to a decision lol
I am in central TX and believe they might show up here soon. I really hope to see one this year, if not, maybe next
Maybe getting some more opinions here, I can finally come to a decision lol
I am in central TX and believe they might show up here soon. I really hope to see one this year, if not, maybe next
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Emil Pampell-Tx
- Posts: 6743
- Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 1:26 pm
- Location: Tx, Richmond (SW of Houston)
- Martin Colony History: First started in Gretna, La in 1969 with a small homemade house, have had martins ever since at 2 different homes in Texas
I will revise my recommendation to this: leave it closed for about 2 or 3 more weeks as the main bunch of martins has not arrived yet so your chances of getting martins in the next 2 or 3 weeks are slim at best. when the main bunchs get here, then I would leave it open.
So much of when to open depends upon how well you control the sparrows & starlings..if you don't control them, there never is a good time to open, as the S&S will quickly move in no matter when you open the housing.
it is a struggle until you thin out the sparrows..
So much of when to open depends upon how well you control the sparrows & starlings..if you don't control them, there never is a good time to open, as the S&S will quickly move in no matter when you open the housing.
it is a struggle until you thin out the sparrows..
Last edited by Emil Pampell-Tx on Sun Feb 05, 2006 10:32 am, edited 1 time in total.
PMCA Member, 250 gourds, 6 poles, 2traps
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Guest
This is one area where I have seen differences, of opinion. In our archives there are several opinions but, for a new colony, the opinions run strongly, in favor, of the Martin's average arrival patterns.
These archived reports and advisements indicate that first, to arrive are the scouts....who actually do no scouting. They are simply resting inroute, to their homes, of last year. The one you saw today might be moving on and the one or one's you see tomorrow would be different birds.
The rest, of the migration, follows as much as a month later and continues moving through any area, for up to six, to ten weeks. All including last years birds are returning, to the place, of their birth last year.
Apparently when things get all organized and sorted out any that could not, for any reason stay, in the colony area where they were born start, to look about the neighborhood, for new housing.
It seems, to make sense that those, of us wishing, to establish a new colony would be successful, in direct relationship, to our distance from a strong neighboring active colony.
Once females start to show and peek about is the time, to have the apartments open. Even these first few may be resting and move on, but now you really don't know so at the time, of their first arrival we would want, to be open for sure.
The use of Dawnsong may attract females a bit earlier but they will try, to go home first and then come back if they can not reestablish where they were last year. Sight, of the first females is time, to be open, at the earliest. That is usually three, to five weeks, after the appearance, of the scouts. It could be even later when you see the first truly nesting birds. I gather, from some comments, that several years may be invested before a new colony establishes.
These archived reports and advisements indicate that first, to arrive are the scouts....who actually do no scouting. They are simply resting inroute, to their homes, of last year. The one you saw today might be moving on and the one or one's you see tomorrow would be different birds.
The rest, of the migration, follows as much as a month later and continues moving through any area, for up to six, to ten weeks. All including last years birds are returning, to the place, of their birth last year.
Apparently when things get all organized and sorted out any that could not, for any reason stay, in the colony area where they were born start, to look about the neighborhood, for new housing.
It seems, to make sense that those, of us wishing, to establish a new colony would be successful, in direct relationship, to our distance from a strong neighboring active colony.
Once females start to show and peek about is the time, to have the apartments open. Even these first few may be resting and move on, but now you really don't know so at the time, of their first arrival we would want, to be open for sure.
The use of Dawnsong may attract females a bit earlier but they will try, to go home first and then come back if they can not reestablish where they were last year. Sight, of the first females is time, to be open, at the earliest. That is usually three, to five weeks, after the appearance, of the scouts. It could be even later when you see the first truly nesting birds. I gather, from some comments, that several years may be invested before a new colony establishes.
I wait till I see the first one wether a scout or not to open housing. If I see 2-3, I'll open 2 compartments, then monitor to see what happens. Of course, if I'm not home when they come by they may leave, but that could be scouts moving Northward. They seem to let me know, when they want there apartment open by making a bunch of noise atop the perches.
When more come, I'll gradually start opening more compartments and gourds.
Of course, that's when you S & S control needs to intensify. It seems once you open these compartment or gourds, they are like S & S magnets.
I trap year round using the S & S Controller averaging one Starling in the off season per week, picking up with 3-5 as martin season kicks in.
For a new colony, I would still wait till I see one land on the housing. By using the Dawn song and other items like decoys etc. I think you should have no problem.
When more come, I'll gradually start opening more compartments and gourds.
Of course, that's when you S & S control needs to intensify. It seems once you open these compartment or gourds, they are like S & S magnets.
I trap year round using the S & S Controller averaging one Starling in the off season per week, picking up with 3-5 as martin season kicks in.
For a new colony, I would still wait till I see one land on the housing. By using the Dawn song and other items like decoys etc. I think you should have no problem.
I'm a "nestcamaholic" Is 18 hours a day a bad thing? (I have 2 this year, luckily I have 2 eyes!)
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Guest
I have an established colony in my yard and am trying to get martins to establish a new colony at Wheeler Wildlife Refuge and this is my plan. In the yard I plan to open a few that face the porch (shooting position) about Feb 15-20 and am using all SREH and will watch for occupancy and open more as martins move it to keep the sparrows out with my help. At Wheeler I plan to keep them all closed for about 4 more weeks and then follow a simular plan for opening them.