Martins in Shelbyville, Indiana

JJ Jones · Thu Mar 30, 2006 11:04 pm

Came home today around 4:30 pm and was preparing to cut the grass. I happened to notice something flew close to my head. I looked up and it was a ASY Martin. 3 years ago I finally started a colony here. They came back for 2 years; then mysteriously last year they never came back. I figured they might have been killed because of the Hurricane activity. I guess I'll have to wait and see if this one stays. This is the earliest I have seen ASY Martins in this area. Generally, they never arrive here until April 15th. SY's normally arrive around the 9 or 10 of May every year. It will be interesting to see if the SY's come early too. Happy Easter to everyone !

rickluc · Fri Mar 31, 2006 5:15 am

JJ Jones

LUCKY good luck from further north

rickluc · Fri Mar 31, 2006 5:15 am

JJ Jones

LUCKY good luck from further north

Guest · Sat Apr 01, 2006 10:23 am

I'm south of you near Hope and had PM's on March 29 last year. Really suprised that I have not seen them yet given the nice weather the past 3 days. Not sure if that nasty storm last night could affect them or not. Good luck!

jonkertb · Sat Apr 01, 2006 2:14 pm

Hey fellow Hoosiers,
I had some show up Thursday March 30 which is a day later than last year so amazing how close they can be!!
Tons of tree swallows and a bb pair so the air space is full!!
Hope they like my new house made this winter for their enjoyment!!
tom in Coatesville

Guest · Wed Apr 05, 2006 11:23 am

Good news1 I just saw several here in Newbern.

rickluc · Wed Apr 05, 2006 6:19 pm

Had a couple of ASY males setting on house tonight. Mid north Indiana.

I was getting worried that I had'nt seen any yet. Last year it was April 3, so I started playing dawnsong this afternoon.

JJ Jones · Thu Apr 06, 2006 1:23 am

jonkertb wrote:Hey fellow Hoosiers,
I had some show up Thursday March 30 which is a day later than last year so amazing how close they can be!!
Tons of tree swallows and a bb pair so the air space is full!!
Hope they like my new house made this winter for their enjoyment!!
tom in Coatesville

It looks like you have quite a large colony started. Anyway, you stated above that you have a lot of tree swallows in the area. Have you had any trouble with them taking over your housing not allowing the martins in ? Good Luck in 2006.

JJ Jones

JJ Jones · Thu Apr 06, 2006 1:28 am

rickluc wrote:JJ Jones

LUCKY good luck from further north

Thanks for the introduction. I use to live up your way; around the LaPorte, IN area. I tried for about 10 yrs while I was a engineer up there and just couldn't get any martins. Moved back to my hometown area here in Shelbyville and still took sometime to get them. Had them for two years; then never showed up last year at all. This spring a male ASY had been staying at my site and here since the 30th of March. Hopefully he will find a mate and everything will return to normal. I'm glad that your martins returned and Good Luck in the season.

JJ Jones

John Kendall · Fri Apr 07, 2006 9:42 pm

Being an avid birder, I can attest that the overall spring migration has slowed or stopped and birds are a week or two "late" if you accept human calendars as the schedule for bird migration.

For instance, we are still seeing major waterfowl counts on the lakes up here in N. Indiana. The peak waterfowl dates by human schedules is the last week of march into april 1.

Hawks haven't been moving much and there are very few early warbler reports. So,...........be patient, they are coming.

Guest · Fri Apr 07, 2006 11:01 pm

Hello,
I am from valparaiso.... this is my seconed year trying to attracted
PM to my yard..Not even a drive by last year...Still trying though..
I still think i have to manny trees around..

Will good luck

If i dont get them there always next year..

Stanton

rickluc · Sat Apr 08, 2006 6:33 am

stanton21
Are you playing the dawnsong? Good luck