Thank you for any help. Deweyneed an answer
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Guest
Will someone please tell me..will the tree swallows run the PMs away from the houses? I have had PM visitors but they were chased by tree swallows. The swallows are not nesting in the houses. Will the martins return or just give up? I am just about to give up hope of having my our colony. I just drive around and observe those beautiful birds at my neighbors colonies. Thank you for any help. Dewey
Thank you for any help. Dewey-
Sigundo
Depends on the Tree Swallows and the martins, I'd say. If this the the first year for martins at your site, then they won't fight much for it.
The problem is.. are the Tree Swallows nesting (or seriously looking) somewhere else nearby. IF not, then they might be guarding your martin house to use for themselves. If they are starting to nest nearby, and don't have eggs or young yet, feel free to move the place they ARE building in (assuming its moveable) to about 30-35 feet away from the martin house.
If they DON'T have a home yet, consider providing them one down at about 30-35 feet away from the martin house. Even if it means taking down a martin gourd (one NOT being used) and giving it to the TS. Just stick in on one of those 5-6 feet poles, or even hang in off a nearby phone pole or something. Block the martin house/gourds and they'll move into the other one, usually. A lot of the time, you don't even have to block the martin house, but its easier that way.
They're great birds, if properly maintained, and will raise holy heck on sparrows (at least mine do) even if the sparrows aren't bothering them usually. They make a great martin support system. At my place, its the martins that aggressively bother the TS, but its calming down now a bit.
The problem is.. are the Tree Swallows nesting (or seriously looking) somewhere else nearby. IF not, then they might be guarding your martin house to use for themselves. If they are starting to nest nearby, and don't have eggs or young yet, feel free to move the place they ARE building in (assuming its moveable) to about 30-35 feet away from the martin house.
If they DON'T have a home yet, consider providing them one down at about 30-35 feet away from the martin house. Even if it means taking down a martin gourd (one NOT being used) and giving it to the TS. Just stick in on one of those 5-6 feet poles, or even hang in off a nearby phone pole or something. Block the martin house/gourds and they'll move into the other one, usually. A lot of the time, you don't even have to block the martin house, but its easier that way.
They're great birds, if properly maintained, and will raise holy heck on sparrows (at least mine do) even if the sparrows aren't bothering them usually. They make a great martin support system. At my place, its the martins that aggressively bother the TS, but its calming down now a bit.
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Mary Dawnsong
- Posts: 1685
- Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2003 8:17 pm
- Location: Michigan, Livingston County
Hi Dewey,
I'm going to elaborate on the good advice Sigundo gave you.
If those Tree Swallows nest in your martin housing they will prevent you from starting a martin colony.
We need a little more information from you...
Have the Tree Swallows started a nest elsewhere? If so, have they laid an egg yet? Once they have laid an egg they are strongly committed to their nest, but until then they may be trying to claim more than one nest site.
If they do not have a commitment to a nest elsewhere, then they may have claimed the martin housing. In that case, you must properly house the Tree Swallows before you can become a Purple Martin landlord.You must CLOSE UP your martin housing and erect a separate house or gourd for the Tree Swallows located precisely 25 - 35 feet away from the martin housing. Then you must WAIT for the Tree Swallows to be fully committed to their new nest site before you open the martin housing.
Please read Dan Drew's website carefully and follow the instructions:
http://www.drugfreeworkplace.com/~Dan/T ... GENCY.html
There are many other forum participants with Tree Swallow problems. Just look for posts with "Tree Swallow" in the title or do a search. Dan Drew answers many of those posts. Here are some posts of his that I recommend you read if you want to have a martin colony:
http://purplemartin.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2663
http://purplemartin.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2578
http://purplemartin.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2572
Now, if the Tree Swallows do have their own nest away from the martin housing then that's a different story. Investigating martins truly interested iin your housing should be able to fight them off. This may become easier to do when the Tree Swallows have started incubating eggs and raising their family.
Good luck, Mary
I'm going to elaborate on the good advice Sigundo gave you.
If those Tree Swallows nest in your martin housing they will prevent you from starting a martin colony.
We need a little more information from you...
Have the Tree Swallows started a nest elsewhere? If so, have they laid an egg yet? Once they have laid an egg they are strongly committed to their nest, but until then they may be trying to claim more than one nest site.
If they do not have a commitment to a nest elsewhere, then they may have claimed the martin housing. In that case, you must properly house the Tree Swallows before you can become a Purple Martin landlord.You must CLOSE UP your martin housing and erect a separate house or gourd for the Tree Swallows located precisely 25 - 35 feet away from the martin housing. Then you must WAIT for the Tree Swallows to be fully committed to their new nest site before you open the martin housing.
Please read Dan Drew's website carefully and follow the instructions:
http://www.drugfreeworkplace.com/~Dan/T ... GENCY.html
There are many other forum participants with Tree Swallow problems. Just look for posts with "Tree Swallow" in the title or do a search. Dan Drew answers many of those posts. Here are some posts of his that I recommend you read if you want to have a martin colony:
http://purplemartin.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2663
http://purplemartin.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2578
http://purplemartin.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2572
Now, if the Tree Swallows do have their own nest away from the martin housing then that's a different story. Investigating martins truly interested iin your housing should be able to fight them off. This may become easier to do when the Tree Swallows have started incubating eggs and raising their family.
Good luck, Mary
Click here to see my colony
"In Michigan every martin matters"
"In Michigan every martin matters"
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Guest
Thanks for the information. I will follow the advice and watch what happens. I am very new at this crazy, wonderful world of PMs. I agree the TSs are a beautiful bird and would love to be landlord to both. I have housing set up for the TSs and BBs about 30 feet from PMs. The TSs are building in houses: but there are so many. Glad to hear they will thin out I have not had a PM to stay yet..just visitors. I enjoy reading all the comments on this forum I found it by accident. Thanks Dewey
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Guest
I live in VA and have a similar problem (see http://www.purplemartin.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2663).
I also like the TSs but they are definately the boldest of the three (TS, BB, PM) when it comes to finding a new home. TSs will let me walk to within 5 feet of the house while they are perching on it and it's fun to hear them talk to each other. But I've seem them attack BBs on 2 occassions even though I've put the houses up in pairs so that they can coexist.
Good luck with your efforts.
I also like the TSs but they are definately the boldest of the three (TS, BB, PM) when it comes to finding a new home. TSs will let me walk to within 5 feet of the house while they are perching on it and it's fun to hear them talk to each other. But I've seem them attack BBs on 2 occassions even though I've put the houses up in pairs so that they can coexist.
Good luck with your efforts.
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CUL Lou~Mich
Ive had TS nesting for about four years now. Three years ago was the last time I personally saw a PM checking out my set up. I always laid it to an ornery Eastern King Bird. Now I'm not too sure. I do NOT let the TS nest in the PM set up, but they do sit on it quite a bit. I guess I'll have to watch and see what the TS do if any PM show up. I do know that TS seem to be pretty abundant around here. There's a PM set up across the airport (Maybe 3/8th of a mile away), that also has TS. There are always a couple pair here, and I've seen up to six or seven at the other place. Perhaps they are the next EHS that is going to be a detriment to PMs. I sure hope not though. CUL Lou
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Guest
Thanks everyone for the help. I will be following all the discussions from everyone and sure hope we all get our BIRDS this year 