Martins = 0; Bluebirds = 2

[Lislou]

Well, back from a week in California (so glad to be home! Wondering how I ever lived there with all the cars and the traffic. Yuck!). I have 4 natural gourds and 4 Big Bo's. Before we left there was a male martin coming by daily just chirping away. I assume calling for a female or other males to join him. This made me very hopeful that I was beginning a colony.

Well, not so apparently. As of today, there are no martins but I do have a bluebird pair busy nest building in one of my naturals. I thought blue birds liked being closer to the ground and in boxes? I'm not about to rip their nest out but I'm afraid my chances of attracting martins with them around are probably nil, correct? I'm going to put my S&K barn back up a few feet away from the gourds - maybe that will help attract the subbies? Will this blue bird pair help attract other blue birds - and are they like martins in that they will come back next year to the very same gourd? That would be a problem. I don't mind the blue birds. At least I'll be able to watch some birds fledge from my set-up. I really want to be a Martin landlord, however. They just don't seem to like my gourds or my SREH's. At least the little blue birds will be safe from starlings.

Will martins nest in a gourd rack with a pair of blue birds already in residence?

[yvesquad]

Hy,

Unfortunately !! No Martin will have a chance to nest or what so ever wile you have BB around !!
BB are very much territorial and they wont let any bird come around their nesting site.

If you want some Martin, you will have to destroy the BB nest before they lay their eggs and maybe block your entry to the gourds for a couple of days >>>.

Good luck

Yves

[Mary Dawnsong]

Hi Lislou,

You can have nesting Bluebirds and martins, but each must have their own separate housing -and- the housing must be carefully located.

Please read this webpage carefully:
http://www.drugfreeworkplace.com/~Dan/T ... GENCY.html