Dawn Song question

[Guest]

Apri l15, started Dawn Song playing today. My stereo amplifier is driving two 50 watt speakers. Depending on the wind, how far away can a PM be expected to hear. We are out in the country. Seven miles from a small community.

I recently read that when starting a new PM community, housing should be closed for three to six weeks after spotting the first PM. This does not make sense. Can anyone explain?

[Guest]

I am a newbie but this is how I understand it. The adult martins return at different times dpending on where you are located. These birds have already bred the previous season and are very site loyal. You have a very slim chance of attracting them to a new site. Four to six weeks after the adults arrive, the sub-adults arrive. These are the birds that are looking for new nesting sites. These are the birds that you and I are after. I believe you keep the housing closed until the subbies arrive to prevent house sparrows and starlings from setting up shop there - if that happens you have a BIG problem. I'm located near Binghamton NY. I put my housing up last weekend and left it open. I only did it because I will shoot any sparrows or starlings that show up. In NY, the adults arrive around mid April and the subbies arrive between mid to late May. If I'm wrong someone will correct me (I hope!)

Carmine

[oneidalaker]

Carmine, you got it exactly right. Best thing for you two to do is to keep an eye on SY migration on the Scout report and then start playing the dawn song when they approach your general area if someone close by reported ASY birds or general latitude for Carmine's case as there have been no reports in the Binghamton area, Best of luck battling the starlings and sparrows. So far I'm finding a pair of starling to be elusive. I'll get them eventually though.
Keep reading and posting questions on the forum,, theres a lot of knowledge to be found here.
Bob

[CUL Lou~Mich]

Carmine and Richard. I completely disagree with the idea of waiting Six to Eight weeks. I feel that too often, there are colonies that are overtaken by S&S, colonies that have been removed by their owners, colonies where the owners have died, etc, and there are ASY birds there that leave. Where are those birds going to go??? That's why when the first date comes up in my area, I open my housing. Sure I have S&S, but I also have a pellet gun, and five different traps for them. If an ASY male PM comes around, he will NOT find the doors shut. They'll be open, and the welcome mat will be out for him. However, If you all are South of me, Please leave your doors shut. Send them right on up to me. I've been waiting long enough. ha ha. CUL Lou

[oneidalaker]

Carmine, check out the Scout Report for 2001. Shows a May 19th arrivial in Maine, NY which is where your friend lives. You may want to have your friend e-mail the reporter and ask him about the current status of his colony.
CUL Lou is right, if you are willing to keep tabs on your housing, open it up (as you did) when the scouts are due because you never know whether or not ASY birds need to look for a new home. People get too old to care for their colonies, people move and take their housing with them and if martins failed in last years nesting attempt whether due to predator attack or housing failure, they'll be looking for new housing and it might as well be yours.

[Guest]

Thank you all for the advice. I will keep the housing open. Looks like it will be a while before the PMS arrive. Meanwhile I have 20-30 pair TS looking over my 33 BB houses. I have only one clutch of BB eggs at this time.

As I said I am way out in the country where it is safe to use my .22 with a scope. I usually get one, sometimes two starlings a day. I rarely miss.

Richard

[Guest]

I find it very interesting. If I dispose of a female sparrow that seems to end the building activities, for a day or two, at that compartment. Starlings get cagey real quick. I dispose, of a couple, in any manor wherein they may disappear, for a week. They will be back and stay, in an instant, if they find a cavity nesting song bird they can molest.

They have cleaned out a Titmouse nest, in five minutes or less, in my apple tree. I let my watch down, for a trip, to the bathroom. When I returned it was all over. The female Titmouse was killed and the eggs all broken. I think losses like this can only be reduced not controlled.

[Sandy - NC]

Open up your housing as soon as ASY birds are in your area, and then battle with the S&S to keep them out. When I say battle, I mean battle. Like docgipe says, let your guard down for a moment, and they will do their dirty little deeds. Show them no mercy as they will show no mercy to any bird, or birds, in a cavity that they want. Shoot and trap to kill, don't move them else where or try to run them off. ELIMINATE THEM, that is the ONLY THING that positively works.

I know of many colonies started by ASY birds, and had the landlord done the "recommended" way, would not have a colony. Last year, I had two subbie pair nest. Logic would say, providing both survived, that I would have 2 ASY males this year. How come I got 5 ASY males this year? Somebody around is losing ASY males, and because my stuff is open, they are coming here. Do I regret taking someone else's birds? No, because like Lou said, they probably didn't control S&S, and here the martins ARE safe. I open all my stuff up and then the battle begins, and I win, the S&S lose. I got through the S&S first nesting attempt, and really don't have to worry much any more until mid May when their second attempt starts.

[Guest]

Adding to what has already been said I find myself, in a low Martin population area. I split the advise leaving eight, of twenty two available compartments open. There is a mixture, of types and direction orientation, for the first arrivals. I am having enough activity keeping the Sparrows away, from the few open compartments. Professional shooters would have, to be considered, if I had it all opened, up for the unwanted. Trapping alone just does not cut it. My belief is that one must use every trick, in the book, to reduce the unwanted populations interest.
....Funny how I noticed someone spilled some cracked corn on the treat about a hundred yards or so downwind from my area. That corn was covered with sparrows most of which were of the English type.