Pictures of my site.

[~Ray~Gingerich]

Hello,
I took some pictures of my site, maybe some of you pros can spot something that's keeping the birds away.
Ray

[Guest]

gosh to me that looks perfect,,i'd love to live there ,,were i a martin. Keep trying,,ya gotta get lucky ya gotta

[Guest]

I'm not an old pro, but it looks wonderful to me.

[dc1gator]

This is my first year trying. I have a 12 unit Big Bo Gourd rig similar to yours. For several weeks a pair would come in but wouldn't stay long. When they left their path was directly towards a neighbor has had housing for several years (about 1 mile away). Four weeks ago a pair stayed. 3-4 days ago another pair stayed. I have had as many as 8-10 on the housing at one time. It could possibly be that the birds are just now arriving in your area. They were definitely late getting here this year (Johnston, SC). One of your units looks almost too close to your home but I doubt that that would stop them from using it. Oh, one thing I did that might have made a difference; I picked up some fresh pine straw and stuffed each house with it. I did this just a few days before I got my first pair. I do believe that it had something to do with the first pair staying. After putting the straw in the gourds the pair made another visit, inspected all houses, made selections (one facing east and one facing south) and set about sprucing up the interiors to their liking. I also had placed some fresh double cut oak mulch in the yard and they used it to finish off the nests. Good luck in bringing them in. A day without PM's is like a day without sunshine.

[John Atteberry]

Hello Ray,
Your site is awesome and you will get alot of martins there soon! It just takes one pair to grow the colony but it takes time in some areas!!! Just hang in there Ray because it will happen one day too soon! Don't give up either!!!! Thanks John!

[Guest]

Your site looks wonderful. What a nice variety you are offering! Put some nesting materials inside the compartments. Don't stuff, just try to make it looks safe and lived in. Pine needles are great, but even some nice thick bladed grass. I didn't have pine needles so I bought some kind of soft, but thick grass at the Pet store and they all love it! Do you a dawnsong playing? I really do think that is a great help! Let me know. And, again, as many have said, things seem to be moving really slow this year. Keep your eyes to the skies! Good luck. We can get you a dawn song CD or player. Have you ever thought about putting up some decoys? I think that and and dawnsong would be great!

J

[Guest]

If I were a martin I'd have a problem deciding with so many choices, but that's just me. Looks good to me.

[The Olsons]

I sent you a reply yesterday, but now just realized that it disappeared. Let's try again.

If I were a martin I know where I would live... Yoiu have a beautiful place, I love your pond, and a great set up. I personally do not see anything that you could or should do better. Maybe some other landlord can see some tiny change that might be necessary, but to me it looks perfect. Please keep your hopes up; we just had about at least 20 visitors that arrived an hour ago and they are probably going to stay for another hour and then head north. Everything is a little delayed this year. Best wishes that you will have martins soon and please keep us posted

Astrid

[James Strickland FL]

nice set-up

[~Ray~Gingerich]

Bob, the nest in 1999 did very well 5 eggs 5 hatched 5 fledged. In 2006 they nested in the gourd rack unfortunately something happened jammed on the pole and I could not lower it to do nest checks, I know there were at least 1 in each nest ready to fledge, after the season I snapped the pulley trying to get it down, found some unhatched eggs but since the females were subadults I guess that's normal. I know I have an ASY male from last year but don't see him very often. I don't think I have owls because I never hear them at night.