The Eastern Shore of MD & DE
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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.
Does anyone have any martins yet other than a passing scout? I am not seeing anything here yet in Rehoboth Beach, DE. Getting impatient here now. So hard to wait! Feels like Christmas morning when we were told to stay in our bedrooms until our parents were up and about. :-)
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Guest
Hi Carlton. I am in Chesapeake, VA. So far I have no martins. I have seen one or two visit and just pass through. I feel your pain and am trying to be patient. Good luck!
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marilena~MD
- Posts: 25
- Joined: Wed Feb 18, 2004 7:07 pm
- Location: Maryland/Denton
We are here in Denton (mid shore) MD and thus far haven't seen any either. I have been very anxious to see the first one. However, someone about 7 miles from here has a few. Hope we will get them soon. Would love to hear from others in this area.
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Guest
Carl--I don't expect them up here for another 3 or 4 weeks. They came around my mother's birthday last year, and that's April 25.
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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 everyone for your input. MUCH appreciated! I THINK that last year I saw my first martin at my setup around the third week of
April but I am not sure. This year I am going to keep a log of what I observe and dates. I hope to have some for the weekend of April 20th when my family will be here to celebrate Mom's 92nd birthday! That would be fun to sit on the screened porch and watch martin antics.
Carl
April but I am not sure. This year I am going to keep a log of what I observe and dates. I hope to have some for the weekend of April 20th when my family will be here to celebrate Mom's 92nd birthday! That would be fun to sit on the screened porch and watch martin antics.
Carl
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Guest
Carl--I saw an adult male on an Amish house west of Wyoming today, and later I saw a group of six birds flying around the man-made wetlands area just after the Route 1 canal bridge. Couldn't tell the sexes of the group--I was looking into the sun and my binoculars aren't anywhere near strong enough! I rushed home tonight at dusk, only to be horrified to find a hawk buzzing my house and gourds. There seem to be hawks everywhere I look, and I'm terribly discouraged and frightened at what will happen when the subbies get here. I'm going to put a big cage around the house, but I have to confess to everyone that I'm really not looking forward to the martins coming anymore. I just have a really bad feeling about this year.
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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.
Hi Karen,
Hopefully the hawks are migrating. I understand that Cape May, NJ, just a stone's throw from us really, is one of the main areas in the country for viewing migrating hawks. Also, there is a Hawk Mountain, over in PA too somewhere that is a very popular spot for viewing the hawk migration. Good luck with that! I know what you mean though. We worry so about our martins. Sometimes we need to sit back and remember that these species have been coexisting for many thousands of years but of course that does not help US any as we love our martins! Are they Coopers or Redtailed Hawks? I do not think the Redtailed are nearly the threat to martins as are the Coopers or Sharpies. Again, good luck. Keep me us up to date. I had a Coopers are attacking birds here this winter but I have not seen him now in a few weeks.
THANKS for letting me know about the sightings Karen. I have not yet raised my gourd rack as I was waiting until the martins were actually in the area and not just a couple scouts around. I did not want to encourage the tree swallows to grab them. The tree swallows returned a couple weeks ago and "my pair" seems very content and possessive of the Supergourd & Troyer Horizontal Gourd that I hung in the FRONT yard for them. In fact, I saw them attack a third TS that was caught investigating a gourd in the lowered martin setup. They chased him off FAST! I have my two Trio houses up as the TS do not seem interested in them.
I have one of those owl cages for my MSS-12 too Karen. Hope I am able to use it without upsetting the martins.
Carl
Hopefully the hawks are migrating. I understand that Cape May, NJ, just a stone's throw from us really, is one of the main areas in the country for viewing migrating hawks. Also, there is a Hawk Mountain, over in PA too somewhere that is a very popular spot for viewing the hawk migration. Good luck with that! I know what you mean though. We worry so about our martins. Sometimes we need to sit back and remember that these species have been coexisting for many thousands of years but of course that does not help US any as we love our martins! Are they Coopers or Redtailed Hawks? I do not think the Redtailed are nearly the threat to martins as are the Coopers or Sharpies. Again, good luck. Keep me us up to date. I had a Coopers are attacking birds here this winter but I have not seen him now in a few weeks.
THANKS for letting me know about the sightings Karen. I have not yet raised my gourd rack as I was waiting until the martins were actually in the area and not just a couple scouts around. I did not want to encourage the tree swallows to grab them. The tree swallows returned a couple weeks ago and "my pair" seems very content and possessive of the Supergourd & Troyer Horizontal Gourd that I hung in the FRONT yard for them. In fact, I saw them attack a third TS that was caught investigating a gourd in the lowered martin setup. They chased him off FAST! I have my two Trio houses up as the TS do not seem interested in them.
I have one of those owl cages for my MSS-12 too Karen. Hope I am able to use it without upsetting the martins.
Carl
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Guest
I don't think any of the hawks I'm seeing are migrating. Last summer was when we had that hawk explosion. If you drive the whole length of Route 1 and watch the lightposts and trees on the side of the road, you will see one every mile. I am not exaggerating. And they didn't leave for the winter, either. We have bald eagles here in Middletown. I wonder if they eat hawks for breakfast?
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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.
I know that they will eat martins but I do not feel that they are a major threat to martins as are the Coopers and Sharpies They would much rather catch a squirrel, rabbit or other small mammal. I know what you mean about them sitting on the poles though as I have seen that too.
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Guest
Karen those hawks you are seeing on the sides of the road are more than likely Red tail hawks. There are many of them here in South Jersey as well. They prey on ground critters, but will eat birds, provided of course it's an easy target (I've seen ground feeding birds that weren't paying attention get nabbed by my feeders before).
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Guest
I'm seeing 3 different sizes of hawks. Small, medium, and large. Let me know if I start to get too technical with my terminology. HA!
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Guest
Not too technical at allKaren G. wrote:I'm seeing 3 different sizes of hawks. Small, medium, and large. Let me know if I start to get too technical with my terminology. HA!
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~Ray~Gingerich
- Posts: 2122
- Joined: Mon Jan 05, 2004 10:24 pm
- Location: Delaware/Dover
Carl,
It looks like we have just started a major movement of martins into the area, I took a ride west of Dover last night and noticed a few locations in the amish settlements that now have a martin or two where I didn't see any over the weekend. There was also a martin sighting at a Smyrna location which was empty till now. I don't have any here yet.
It looks like we have just started a major movement of martins into the area, I took a ride west of Dover last night and noticed a few locations in the amish settlements that now have a martin or two where I didn't see any over the weekend. There was also a martin sighting at a Smyrna location which was empty till now. I don't have any here yet.
~Ray~ Gingerich
1999 1pair, 2006 2 pair, 2008 2 pair,
2009 23 pair, 2010 39 pair, 2011 67 pair,
2012 115 pair, 2013 160 pair,
2014 152 pair, 2015 174 pair, 2016 178 pair
2017 187 pair, 2018 200 pair, 2019 171pair
2020 233 pair
1999 1pair, 2006 2 pair, 2008 2 pair,
2009 23 pair, 2010 39 pair, 2011 67 pair,
2012 115 pair, 2013 160 pair,
2014 152 pair, 2015 174 pair, 2016 178 pair
2017 187 pair, 2018 200 pair, 2019 171pair
2020 233 pair
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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.
I wish the martins had stayed south a few more days now with this cold weather front approaching. I do not have any martins here yet though. 40mph gusts along with the highs in the 40's the next few days here.
Wish we could have kept those 70's.
I was over in Frederick County, MD the past two days and it was sunny and well into the 70's on Tuesday. Just beautiful. Much cooler down here by the ocean in Rehoboth Beach, DE. They appear to have had a lot of fog and rain here too.
HOPEFULLY, once this cold spell moves on out we will get some springlike that that STAYS!
Wish we could have kept those 70's.
I was over in Frederick County, MD the past two days and it was sunny and well into the 70's on Tuesday. Just beautiful. Much cooler down here by the ocean in Rehoboth Beach, DE. They appear to have had a lot of fog and rain here too.
HOPEFULLY, once this cold spell moves on out we will get some springlike that that STAYS!