New Martineer
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Guest
I currently have EABB and TRES nesting on my property I am planning on getting a martin rig this year and get it all ready and set up for next spring. If you had 1 piece of advice to give a new martineer what would it be? I live in NE Ohio.
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Tim Mangan-Kansas
- Posts: 1728
- Joined: Wed Mar 15, 2006 7:25 am
- Location: Kansas, Pittsburg
- Martin Colony History: 2016 - 22 Pair
tglassburner, I am a newcomer myself this year. I am learning the hard way, as I go and wished I had done quite a few things differently than I actually did. You can get books, as I did, but there is still a lot of information, especially for beginners, that is just not addressed or doesn't totally sink in.
My one piece of advice to someone wanting to get into martineering would be to try and find a long time "successful" landlord in your area. Take the time to introduce yourself and go visit him; look at his setup and ask as many questions as you can think of. In my opinion there is nothing better than practical experience for learning anything. Try and locate this person, even if it is several hours from your location and visit him now, while he/she has martins in residence.
I guess there is also a second piece of advice. Be committed to the martins. They are truly a joy to watch and be around.
Tim
My one piece of advice to someone wanting to get into martineering would be to try and find a long time "successful" landlord in your area. Take the time to introduce yourself and go visit him; look at his setup and ask as many questions as you can think of. In my opinion there is nothing better than practical experience for learning anything. Try and locate this person, even if it is several hours from your location and visit him now, while he/she has martins in residence.
I guess there is also a second piece of advice. Be committed to the martins. They are truly a joy to watch and be around.
Tim
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Guest
Thanks Tim,
I am dedicated to my birds. I have the Eastern bluebirds trained to take mealworms from my hand. The are always nearby when I'm outdoors. i usually have a small film container of mealworms in my pocket so i do not disappoint them.
My friends and family will tell you i spend too much d@mn time with my birds.
I am dedicated to my birds. I have the Eastern bluebirds trained to take mealworms from my hand. The are always nearby when I'm outdoors. i usually have a small film container of mealworms in my pocket so i do not disappoint them.
My friends and family will tell you i spend too much d@mn time with my birds.
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Donna - TX
- Posts: 889
- Joined: Fri Feb 03, 2006 6:44 pm
- Location: Texas/Pearland
I looked at your site, I think you are very DEDICATED to your birds. I hope you do get into martins and are as successful at it as you are your other birds.
Donna Gillbee
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Guest
I agree with Tim I was fortunate to have an established Landlord close by and have learned more from Emil in two short vists than I have learned any other way ,questions and reading tho I tend to let genralities vs hands on face to face fall thru the crack. I do get a lot of info and help from the forum members with questions and just learrning by listening to the trials and trivulations of real life experiences with their birds.
I hope to get a small colony started next year as I have a pair that is looking successful at the moment and some subbies roosting here at my site.
dick
I hope to get a small colony started next year as I have a pair that is looking successful at the moment and some subbies roosting here at my site.
dick
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Mary Dawnsong
- Posts: 1685
- Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2003 8:17 pm
- Location: Michigan, Livingston County
Hello and welcome to the forum,
Martins in the Great Lakes states desperately need good landlords. It can be very difficult to start a colony in the Great Lakes area. However, once you get that colony established excellent management practices will enable it to thrive year after year. A single, well-managed colony in the Great Lakes area can produce enough fledglings to positively affect the population of martins in an entire township or county.
As an avid birder, you are probably familiar with the North American Breeding Bird Survey. Here are two graphs showing Purple Martin population declines in the Great Lakes regions...
Great Lakes Plain:
http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/cgi-bin/pl ... /06110.s16
Great Lakes Transition:
http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/cgi-bin/pl ... /06110.s20
This map shows the loss of population in the Great Lakes regions relative to the entire breeding range:
http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/bbs/htm03/ ... r06110.htm
The good news is that your immediate area appears to have an increasing population of martins and that could help you start your colony. You are also fortunate to live fairly close to some of the greatest sources of knowledge and experience with Great Lakes-area martins.
The Purple Martin Conservation Association is located in Erie, PA.
http://purplemartin.org/main/contact.php
The famous super colony of Andrew Troyer is located in Conneautville, PA.
http://www.purplemartin.org/LOY/LOY1993.html
You need to be very sensitive to the issues of competition between Tree Swallows and Purple Martins. If Tree Swallows claim martin housing, they will drive away investigating martins and you will not start a colony. Careful placement of TRES boxes and timing of opening the martin housing can resolve this problem. Please read the protocol on Dan Drew's website. It has worked for many: http://www.drugfreeworkplace.com/~Dan/T ... GENCY.html
As Tim stated, it is important for you to seek out successful landlords in your area and learn what kind of martin housing has attracted birds for them. If you have property with open habitat, I believe you can start a colony and make a difference for martins that breed in the Great Lakes area.
My best, Mary (a Purple Martin, Tree Swallow, and Eastern Bluebird landlord)
Martins in the Great Lakes states desperately need good landlords. It can be very difficult to start a colony in the Great Lakes area. However, once you get that colony established excellent management practices will enable it to thrive year after year. A single, well-managed colony in the Great Lakes area can produce enough fledglings to positively affect the population of martins in an entire township or county.
As an avid birder, you are probably familiar with the North American Breeding Bird Survey. Here are two graphs showing Purple Martin population declines in the Great Lakes regions...
Great Lakes Plain:
http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/cgi-bin/pl ... /06110.s16
Great Lakes Transition:
http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/cgi-bin/pl ... /06110.s20
This map shows the loss of population in the Great Lakes regions relative to the entire breeding range:
http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/bbs/htm03/ ... r06110.htm
The good news is that your immediate area appears to have an increasing population of martins and that could help you start your colony. You are also fortunate to live fairly close to some of the greatest sources of knowledge and experience with Great Lakes-area martins.
The Purple Martin Conservation Association is located in Erie, PA.
http://purplemartin.org/main/contact.php
The famous super colony of Andrew Troyer is located in Conneautville, PA.
http://www.purplemartin.org/LOY/LOY1993.html
You need to be very sensitive to the issues of competition between Tree Swallows and Purple Martins. If Tree Swallows claim martin housing, they will drive away investigating martins and you will not start a colony. Careful placement of TRES boxes and timing of opening the martin housing can resolve this problem. Please read the protocol on Dan Drew's website. It has worked for many: http://www.drugfreeworkplace.com/~Dan/T ... GENCY.html
As Tim stated, it is important for you to seek out successful landlords in your area and learn what kind of martin housing has attracted birds for them. If you have property with open habitat, I believe you can start a colony and make a difference for martins that breed in the Great Lakes area.
My best, Mary (a Purple Martin, Tree Swallow, and Eastern Bluebird landlord)
Click here to see my colony
"In Michigan every martin matters"
"In Michigan every martin matters"
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Stingray
- Posts: 426
- Joined: Wed May 11, 2005 9:45 pm
- Location: Plantation/Florida
- Martin Colony History: 2005 to present
tglassburner wrote:I currently have EABB and TRES nesting on my property I am planning on getting a martin rig this year and get it all ready and set up for next spring. If you had 1 piece of advice to give a new martineer what would it be? I live in NE Ohio.
Hi,
First of all...welcome!!
You came to a great place. There are many friendly, helpful people here.
I am very new to Martins also, but would encourage you to look into Starling Resistant Entrance (SRE) housing.
Starlings spoiled my first year (last year), but I was ready for them this year and will hopefully fledge some martins from one pair.
I wish you the very best!
Regards,
Pedro
Hi,
First thing I would do is make sure you have well made proper housing along with a heavy duty winch or lanyard operated pole. The first house I purchased was a trio house. The trio house is a good house but there are a number of modifications that were needed to make it better suited for the martins. It would have been nice if I had just started off with a house meeting all the proper specifications as proposed by the PMCA. And what ever house you get, make sure you purchase a trap which will fit it's compartments.
First thing I would do is make sure you have well made proper housing along with a heavy duty winch or lanyard operated pole. The first house I purchased was a trio house. The trio house is a good house but there are a number of modifications that were needed to make it better suited for the martins. It would have been nice if I had just started off with a house meeting all the proper specifications as proposed by the PMCA. And what ever house you get, make sure you purchase a trap which will fit it's compartments.
Fledge on!
Nanette
Nanette