I just do not know whether I am coming or going! In the mornings I have tree swallows that SEEM interested in the gourd I provided for them out front but still show additional interest in my martin gourds. I lower the gourd rack and plug the gourds with wadded up plastic bags and the tree swallows return to their gourd out front. I even put some white feathers on the ground out front hoping the TS would pick them up and put them in the assigned gourd and feel at home.
In the late morning, for the past three days, I have had a lone ASY male show up and hang around coming back repeatedly. Around 2PM today I had five ASY show up on my gourd rack VERY INTERESTED in the plugged gourds. I lowered the gourd rack and took the plastic bags out of only the Troyer Horizontals. That was four gourds out of eight on that rack. They carried on sticking most of their bodies into the cavities and flying all around. They would leave but kept coming back and looking in the gourds. They seemed very interested - 4 males and 1 female. I am sure that the tree swallows will be back in the morning though and it will all begin again.
I just keep raising and lowering & plugging and unplugging. I have never had a nesting pair before and want to get ONE SO BADLY! I do not know if they are just curious and teasing me or if they might seriously claim a gourd and defend it against the TS.
A week from today I have to leave town for two weeks and have been advised to plug the gourds as the TS will take over. Still, I hate to block out the ASY's as I would prefer to have them since they are more aggressive and would probably defend against the TS and EUHS.
HELP!
Perplexed - HELP!
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Carlton
- Posts: 1959
- Joined: Tue May 17, 2005 6:42 pm
- Location: Florida/Deerfield Beach
- Martin Colony History: I moved to South Florida, from Delaware, in August of 2015.
I care for a 6 condo Sunset House as well as two Deluxe Gourd Racks, with 24 Chirpynest/Excluder gourds, along a canal in Pompano Beach, Florida.
At Quiet Waters Park, nearby in Deerfield Beach, I care for a Deluxe Gourd Rack with 12 TVG's. I also care for a Deluxe Gourd rack with 12 Excluder gourds with Modified Excluder entrances. I am substituting 6 Chirpynest boxes for 6 of the Conley II entranced gourds in 2026.
At another local park, Tradewinds Park in Coconut Creek, I care for a Trendsetter 12, 5 gourds rack with 60 Excluder gourds with Modified Excluder Entrances and 1 Deluxe Gourd Rack with 12 Troyer Vertical Gourds with Starling Stoppers over the Conley II's to keep out smaller starlings.
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Guest
I know what you are going through Carlton! You have to be very persistent with the tree swallows and don't let them in your martin housing. I try not to even let them get comfortable sitting on it either.
It is too early for the TS to be nesting here in this part of the country so you need to wait them out. It will be hard for you to keep them out of your martin house since you don't have martins yet but it can be done. In our area (yours and mine) Tree Swallows nest earlier than the SY martins so by the time the martins begin to nest build the TS should be well under way in their egg laying/nesting. Once they have laid thier eggs they will not bother the martins anymore. They will even perch together peacefully on the rack.
You will get VERY tired of chasing the TS away but keep at it and you will eventually win! It sounds like you are already on your way to having a colony of your own. Just don't give up - all your efforts will pay off!
Joyce
It is too early for the TS to be nesting here in this part of the country so you need to wait them out. It will be hard for you to keep them out of your martin house since you don't have martins yet but it can be done. In our area (yours and mine) Tree Swallows nest earlier than the SY martins so by the time the martins begin to nest build the TS should be well under way in their egg laying/nesting. Once they have laid thier eggs they will not bother the martins anymore. They will even perch together peacefully on the rack.
You will get VERY tired of chasing the TS away but keep at it and you will eventually win! It sounds like you are already on your way to having a colony of your own. Just don't give up - all your efforts will pay off!
Joyce