Finally, I get to change my avatar from a fish to a martin. Returned Thursday from a two week vacation hoping to find a martin or two had arrived. Was disappointed not to see any. However, yesterday, I was working in the yard, looked up and saw my first scout sitting on my housing. This ASY male arrived almost three weeks earlier than last year when I did not receive my first martin till March 28. Pretty sure it is one of my four males from last year since it went right in one of the crescent openings without hesitating. The picture I took was in a dense fog but he found his way to the house.
My season has started.
Tim
First Arrival
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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
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Scott D.- La
- Posts: 823
- Joined: Thu Jun 08, 2006 8:35 am
- Location: Louisiana
Tim,
Congrats on your arrival. I like your Crappie avatar!!!
Congrats on your arrival. I like your Crappie avatar!!!
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Bob Flam
Cool Tim...did you have the owl guards on when you started or did you add them later?
I liked the Crappie too:)
bob
I liked the Crappie too:)
bob
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Adam Romain
- Posts: 289
- Joined: Sat Apr 24, 2004 5:40 pm
- Location: Texas, Fulshear
Way to go Tim!!! A huge congrats for your season starting!!! Hope you have plenty of them this year!!! 
Adam
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Guest
I Have the dense fog here this morning also, but am hoping when it lifts that today might be my day. Lynn
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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
Bob:
I purchased the Troyer gourds over the winter and added the owl guards before installing the gourds under the house.
Tim
I purchased the Troyer gourds over the winter and added the owl guards before installing the gourds under the house.
Tim
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Carlton
- Posts: 1959
- Joined: Tue May 17, 2005 6:42 pm
- Location: Florida/Deerfield Beach
- Martin Colony History: I moved to South Florida, from Delaware, in August of 2015.
I care for a 6 condo Sunset House as well as two Deluxe Gourd Racks, with 24 Chirpynest/Excluder gourds, along a canal in Pompano Beach, Florida.
At Quiet Waters Park, nearby in Deerfield Beach, I care for a Deluxe Gourd Rack with 12 TVG's. I also care for a Deluxe Gourd rack with 12 Excluder gourds with Modified Excluder entrances. I am substituting 6 Chirpynest boxes for 6 of the Conley II entranced gourds in 2026.
At another local park, Tradewinds Park in Coconut Creek, I care for a Trendsetter 12, 5 gourds rack with 60 Excluder gourds with Modified Excluder Entrances and 1 Deluxe Gourd Rack with 12 Troyer Vertical Gourds with Starling Stoppers over the Conley II's to keep out smaller starlings.
Tim,
Do you have the doors taped shut? Appears that way. I am wondering how that has worked out for you. Would certainly give them more protection from preadators prying them open. If so, what kind of tape did you use? Can you pull it off and reattach it to do nest checks? Seems like a good idea and no glue is exposed to the martins' feathers either.
Carl
Do you have the doors taped shut? Appears that way. I am wondering how that has worked out for you. Would certainly give them more protection from preadators prying them open. If so, what kind of tape did you use? Can you pull it off and reattach it to do nest checks? Seems like a good idea and no glue is exposed to the martins' feathers either.
Carl
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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
Carl:
The tape you see on the house, duct tape, is from last season. I had a problem with several of the doors opening so I had to tape them shut between nest checks. I am not using tape this year. During the winter, I drilled a hole through the roof and all floors just outside the doors and inserted a 3/16" dia. aluminum rod which is an inch or two longer than the height of the house. This rod keeps the doors from opening. When I do a nest check, I will just lift the rod straight up and out so I can open the doors. When done, I just replace the rod. It works great!
Tim
The tape you see on the house, duct tape, is from last season. I had a problem with several of the doors opening so I had to tape them shut between nest checks. I am not using tape this year. During the winter, I drilled a hole through the roof and all floors just outside the doors and inserted a 3/16" dia. aluminum rod which is an inch or two longer than the height of the house. This rod keeps the doors from opening. When I do a nest check, I will just lift the rod straight up and out so I can open the doors. When done, I just replace the rod. It works great!
Tim
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Carlton
- Posts: 1959
- Joined: Tue May 17, 2005 6:42 pm
- Location: Florida/Deerfield Beach
- Martin Colony History: I moved to South Florida, from Delaware, in August of 2015.
I care for a 6 condo Sunset House as well as two Deluxe Gourd Racks, with 24 Chirpynest/Excluder gourds, along a canal in Pompano Beach, Florida.
At Quiet Waters Park, nearby in Deerfield Beach, I care for a Deluxe Gourd Rack with 12 TVG's. I also care for a Deluxe Gourd rack with 12 Excluder gourds with Modified Excluder entrances. I am substituting 6 Chirpynest boxes for 6 of the Conley II entranced gourds in 2026.
At another local park, Tradewinds Park in Coconut Creek, I care for a Trendsetter 12, 5 gourds rack with 60 Excluder gourds with Modified Excluder Entrances and 1 Deluxe Gourd Rack with 12 Troyer Vertical Gourds with Starling Stoppers over the Conley II's to keep out smaller starlings.
THANKS for the tip. I am always learning something new on The Forum.
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Guest
Congrats Tim.....the flood gates have opened here.....had 5 as of yesterday(Asy males and 2 females)as of this evening I had 14(12ASY males and still 2 females)makes you wonder where the ladies are?You should see arrivals this week as well...........P>S> I am and avid bass fisherman (tournaments and such)but I do want to learn to Crappie fish.......maybe we can trade out sometime!!!!!!!!!!!
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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
Mr. Lodi:
Sounds like you are getting your birds back in bunches! Need some females up here.
Use to do the bass tournaments but not anymore except for one. SBC has an annual tourny at Table Rock Lake for active and retired employees. I fish that one each year. We have from 100 to 130 boats from seven different states with some really good fisherman. I have a really good partner and in the last four years, we have gotten a 3rd place and won it two years ago. Last year, we blew our engine right off the bat so we were not successful in defending. Try again to regain our title next month.
Happy to take you crappie fishing up here anytime after mid April. This is an EXCELLENT crappie lake.
Tim
Sounds like you are getting your birds back in bunches! Need some females up here.
Use to do the bass tournaments but not anymore except for one. SBC has an annual tourny at Table Rock Lake for active and retired employees. I fish that one each year. We have from 100 to 130 boats from seven different states with some really good fisherman. I have a really good partner and in the last four years, we have gotten a 3rd place and won it two years ago. Last year, we blew our engine right off the bat so we were not successful in defending. Try again to regain our title next month.
Happy to take you crappie fishing up here anytime after mid April. This is an EXCELLENT crappie lake.
Tim
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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
Mr. Lodi:
We live on Lake Hamilton, which is just outside the Hot Springs city limits but still considered part of Hot Springs.
Tim
We live on Lake Hamilton, which is just outside the Hot Springs city limits but still considered part of Hot Springs.
Tim
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Guest
I gotcha yaeh....I seen the Table Rock and got confused..................I live about 30 minutes from ya.......yes lets go let me know....I fish Degray Greeson Lake Ouachita and Dierks alot.dont know much about Hamilton though???