Urgent Decoy Advice

[Guest]

Note, I have been "trying" for over 10 years doing everything this website suggests. So far, no luck. I have visitors but so far no settlers. For the last three days, I've had a subadult female visiting quite often. She came back this morning and continues her routine. I have two decoys on my 18 natural gourd rack. She has done everything but drag these two decoys off the perch. She is clearly flirting but, of course, they don't move. I had recently ceased playing my "dawnsong" tape. I hooked it up and as soon as it started to play (about 75 feet from rack), she circled the "song" area and almost landed on the tape player. FOR MY QUESTION---Should I remove these decoys? Are they confusing her, and keeping her from searching for a mate? Should I just be patient?

[John Miller]

Hi Mike

I've never heard of this. Usually sub adult males investigate sites, and they are hard to distinguish from sub females, espeically if you don't have two side by side. Maybe this is a sub male.

I see no reason to remove the decoys. I'm not really enthusiastic about their value, but I think they do no harm. Well, if your martin is fighting them, they must appear real. I read one report of a male trying to copulate with a decoy, so they must evoke some reponse from martins, but I can't imagine they do much harm.

Good luck to you,



John M

[CUL Lou~Mich]

NC Mike. I'd say NO. You don't have to take the decoys down just yet. IF it seems to be distracting the PM, or if they start fighting with it, then by all means take them down. Until then, I'd just hang tight. CUL Lou