One Bird, Two Nests

[Guest]

I have one ASY who's decided he likes the view from my house, and has started to hang out. I guess he's been here for about a week now. I hung three gourds under my house, and I'm not kidding, within hours he started checking it out. Anyway, when I pulled down the house on monday, I was surprised to find that he was filling the gourd up with nesting material. Then in further checks through out the week I noticed that mud and everything going into the gourd. However I also noticed he was doing the same thing in the gourd next to it. Now, today is the first day I have been able to watch the nest building activities, and I've watched him carry material into two compartments. My first hope was that it was another male working on the other gourd, but I've never seen more then the one male on the house at a time. And he hangs out all the time. My wife thinks he's the "true" landlord and he's fixing up the other gourds for others to stay. haha. Is this normal?

On another note, my neighbor just replanted his yard and it's been a trip to see all the martins stealing the straw and carrying it back across the lake to the other colony... what a treat. And my martin has taken his fair share also. I try not to show my neighbor his nest because it's all straw and mud.. ha.

I'm hoping my ASY keeps chirping away to find some friends.

Speaking of that... I've quit playing the dawn song since he's here. I want him to attract others to the house. Is this the right thing to do? It seems that when I turn on the dawn song he takes off.... so I quite playing it.

Thanks, Mike

[Guest]

Hi Mike,

I posted a thread on this a little while ago and it seems PM's will occupy or claim more than one gourd at a time. Guess they are just being dominate.

I would not play the Dawn Song either since you have a PM staying. He will attract the others and the Dawn Song is said to attrack predetors.

Good Luck,

Ken.

[klcretired]

Mike, Like ken said..it's pretty common for the PM's to occupy more than one cavity ......no worries!!!!!