We are finally approaching that time of year again in NE Ohio. The weather has been warm for a few days now. I'm sure I'll hear rumor of PM sightings from Amish country any time now.
I opened my S&S Controller yesterday and was greeted by 2 starlings this morning .
I put all of my TS & BB gourds out yesterday. Within half an hour a pair of BB were checking out the gourds.
This will be our 4th year trying to get a PM colony started. I'm looking forward to the "challenge." Actually, I'm just looking forward to all of my feathered friends returning for the summer!
Good luck Patrick. This is my fourth year trying as well. Do you ever get visitors in the spring or have you seen them going south in the fall with the little ones in-tow?
I always have a lot of PM traffic to my site the entire season. Last year was a slow year for subbies compared to the previous 2 years. I generally have ASY PM in & out daily. We just have not had a pair stay. The previous 2 years I battled TS the entire seasons. Last year I supplied alternative housing for the TS (and had no problems with them), but we had very few subbies show up. 2 years ago I had a subby male hang around for about a week. When he finally found a female, she took a look at the place and then they flew off and never returned. I seem to have learned to manage S&S and TS. If we get a better influx of subbies this year, we should have better luck with attracting a pair!
Well, let's hope it's a beter spring this year. Seems a lot of Martins were tricked again by a 5 day cold snap after a couple weeks of warmer waether and many of course starved along the northern Indiana/Ohio and southern Michigan area and across into PA and WI as well. I hear that's usually the case with the earliest returns. I can't help but wonder if their were no HOSP's and Starlings to take nest sites, if Martins would make a more leisurely return north. Perhaps they'd just be battling more Bluebirds and Tree Swallows.
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