Agree Brent.. my martins have adjusted their behavior too. They don’t spend time , sitting on the porches, singing , chirping and socializing. When they take feeding breaks, during the day, they zoom into their compartments for protection. But that’s my whole point. The hours during the day , they spend socializing and singing is one of the main reason people become landlords, along with helping the species to survive and multiply. And To be able to enjoy them. I’ve been hosting martins for 27 years and hawk attacks were never a problem , until 5 to 7 years ago. Now it’s getting worse and worse. As
Thomabear says, their numbers are getting out of control. I don’t see this as the wonders of the dynamics of nature. I see this as nature all out of whack. The numbers of predator hawks are becoming too many in comparison to the number of prey, thus the hawks have adopted behavior to prey on martins. Their numbers are increasingly becoming out of control and their numbers can and must be controlled.
Rob
Hawk attacks
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Martintown33
- Posts: 1366
- Joined: Tue Jun 01, 2021 6:21 pm
- Location: Laplace,La
- Martin Colony History: Colony started in 1998. 2 s&k modified houses and gourd rack
PMCA member
Laplace, La
Laplace, La
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Dave Duit
- Posts: 2146
- Joined: Tue Nov 25, 2003 2:02 pm
- Location: Iowa / Nevada
- Martin Colony History: In 2026, 88 pair with 333 fledged youngsters. 110 total cavities available, 82 Troyer Horizontal gourds and a homemade PVC / metal 28 compartment unit, 1 fallout shelter. Hawk and owl guards included. Martin educator and speaker. President and founder of the Iowa Purple Martin Organization. Please visit Iowa Purple Martin Organization on Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1627283871068161 Emails send to [email protected]. Subject line include Iowa Purple Martin.
Martintown 33,
I will try to get some pics of my clothesline hawk guard for you. But, I just completed a huge overhaul on that particular set up with new housing and my clotheslines are down as of now. Here in Iowa I will have until end of March to get things completed.
I will try to get some pics of my clothesline hawk guard for you. But, I just completed a huge overhaul on that particular set up with new housing and my clotheslines are down as of now. Here in Iowa I will have until end of March to get things completed.
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G Saner
- Posts: 257
- Joined: Wed Nov 13, 2013 3:37 pm
- Location: TX/Kerrville
- Martin Colony History: Fort Worth, TX (1967-1976), The Colony, TX (1981-1985), Carrollton, TX (1986-2013), Kerrville, TX (2015-present).
Two SuperGourd poles (12 gourds on each) at River Point Assisted Living Center.
Martintown,
Sorry to hear about your hawk problem. Landlords can prevent a lot of martin issues, but hawks are the hardest problem to correct.
I had a Sharp-shinned hawk attack the colony I had prior to my current colony. It came back multiple years. The hawk would sit in a tall Live Oak (not deciduous) and swoop down at high speed. The only silver lining I see for your situation is that the Sharp shinned hawk I had eventually migrated, and the colony returned to normal later in the season. Much better than attacks by Coopers hawks.
Like you say, it is hard to lose martins but equally bad that you cannot enjoy your colony. Best of luck.
Sorry to hear about your hawk problem. Landlords can prevent a lot of martin issues, but hawks are the hardest problem to correct.
I had a Sharp-shinned hawk attack the colony I had prior to my current colony. It came back multiple years. The hawk would sit in a tall Live Oak (not deciduous) and swoop down at high speed. The only silver lining I see for your situation is that the Sharp shinned hawk I had eventually migrated, and the colony returned to normal later in the season. Much better than attacks by Coopers hawks.
Like you say, it is hard to lose martins but equally bad that you cannot enjoy your colony. Best of luck.
G Saner
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Martintown33
- Posts: 1366
- Joined: Tue Jun 01, 2021 6:21 pm
- Location: Laplace,La
- Martin Colony History: Colony started in 1998. 2 s&k modified houses and gourd rack
Understand Dave.. is there a reason you go with a 10 inch spread between each vertical line of rubber coated wire rope? Can’t a sharp shinned fit through a 10 inch gap?
Rob
Rob
PMCA member
Laplace, La
Laplace, La
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Dave Duit
- Posts: 2146
- Joined: Tue Nov 25, 2003 2:02 pm
- Location: Iowa / Nevada
- Martin Colony History: In 2026, 88 pair with 333 fledged youngsters. 110 total cavities available, 82 Troyer Horizontal gourds and a homemade PVC / metal 28 compartment unit, 1 fallout shelter. Hawk and owl guards included. Martin educator and speaker. President and founder of the Iowa Purple Martin Organization. Please visit Iowa Purple Martin Organization on Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1627283871068161 Emails send to [email protected]. Subject line include Iowa Purple Martin.
I chose the 10 inch gap so martins can easily continue to land on their porches without interference. The clothesline is about one foot away from the porches; this lessens the chances of a successful attack by restricting their options of angle of attack. A side attack is much more difficult for the hawk with lines. They would have to make a straight on frontal attack. A frontal attack would allow the martins a split second more to escape than a side attack or no protection at all. Basically you are eliminating attack angles. I chose a plastic coated clothesline to make it less harsh on the martins wings if by chance they happen to brush against the line while entering and exiting past the lines.
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Martintown33
- Posts: 1366
- Joined: Tue Jun 01, 2021 6:21 pm
- Location: Laplace,La
- Martin Colony History: Colony started in 1998. 2 s&k modified houses and gourd rack
Ok Dave. Makes sense.. the last hawk attack did come from the side… I will definitely have a set up like this for next season. I see.. so the guard lines don’t go in front … just the sides, a foot out from the porches.. got it.. Thanks for the info..
Rob
Rob
PMCA member
Laplace, La
Laplace, La
I would be very interested in seeing those pictures Dave. Had another attack yesterday at 1:30’ish. No birds were taken. Sounded the horn. Was out most of the day today. Didn’t see any hawks. Would like to look at the set up. Thanks. Brent
Brent
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Dave Duit
- Posts: 2146
- Joined: Tue Nov 25, 2003 2:02 pm
- Location: Iowa / Nevada
- Martin Colony History: In 2026, 88 pair with 333 fledged youngsters. 110 total cavities available, 82 Troyer Horizontal gourds and a homemade PVC / metal 28 compartment unit, 1 fallout shelter. Hawk and owl guards included. Martin educator and speaker. President and founder of the Iowa Purple Martin Organization. Please visit Iowa Purple Martin Organization on Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1627283871068161 Emails send to [email protected]. Subject line include Iowa Purple Martin.
I posted a new thread showing 5 pics of my titled (Hawk clothesline deterrent with pics) cage, setup with some explanations. Someone on this thread wanted to see the pics, so there they are on the new thread.
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Martintown33
- Posts: 1366
- Joined: Tue Jun 01, 2021 6:21 pm
- Location: Laplace,La
- Martin Colony History: Colony started in 1998. 2 s&k modified houses and gourd rack
Ok Dave. Thanks. I’ll go look.
Rob
Rob
PMCA member
Laplace, La
Laplace, La
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mwren
- Posts: 174
- Joined: Tue Mar 17, 2015 2:43 pm
- Location: OH/Athens
- Martin Colony History: I have had my martin colony on the dam of one of my ponds for nine years. The colony has grown each year, but I am now concentrating on helping friends and acquaintances who have shown interests in martins. My colony consists of three T-14's with 8 Troyer gourds attatched to each T-14, a Troyer gourd rack with 12 gourds, and another gourd rack with 18 Troyer gourds for a total of 96 nest cavities. I am having serious predation issues with hawks and owls and am experimenting with various hawk guards and "screens". Established successful supplemental feeding the last few seasons and have had a blast flipping mostly meal worms and some crickets. Faculty from Ohio University are using my colony as a research site to study parasites that target cavity nesting birds. In exchange for access to my bird trail nest boxes and martin housing, they are banding all birds involved in their study.
To Birdman in Buckhead!
Hey there Birdman, this is Birdman from Athens, Ohio!! ( Home of #9)
I understand the feelings about these damn Hawks. I have always loved the hawk predators, but as my Martin colonies have grown, and the hawks have increased their
presence, I am liking them less and less. We all have to live with watching the hawk attacks! Only two early birds at the colony so far, but as more and more martins
arrive, the hawks, (sharpshinned, and Coopers) will be right behind them. I also have the RedTails, and the Red Shoulders, but they do not have the speed to fly the martins down, but not often. They will try to pin a bird up against the T-14's, or pluck one off the porches, but they are not as talented as the sharp shinns and Coopers.
Good luck with somehow protecting your birds. We all are fighting the same fight !!!
"Who Dey"
Mike "Birdman from Athens"
Mike Wren
Hey there Birdman, this is Birdman from Athens, Ohio!! ( Home of #9)
I understand the feelings about these damn Hawks. I have always loved the hawk predators, but as my Martin colonies have grown, and the hawks have increased their
presence, I am liking them less and less. We all have to live with watching the hawk attacks! Only two early birds at the colony so far, but as more and more martins
arrive, the hawks, (sharpshinned, and Coopers) will be right behind them. I also have the RedTails, and the Red Shoulders, but they do not have the speed to fly the martins down, but not often. They will try to pin a bird up against the T-14's, or pluck one off the porches, but they are not as talented as the sharp shinns and Coopers.
Good luck with somehow protecting your birds. We all are fighting the same fight !!!
"Who Dey"
Mike "Birdman from Athens"
Mike Wren
Mike "Bird" Wren