Well the pair of Sy's that came here 2 weeks ago never stayed. I have seen the male just a few time but has not been around for several days. I feel that time is running out down here in south fl and I will go without martins again this year. I have 5 starlings in my trap this week so far. I wish I had as many martins as I have starlings.
I just got a first ASY arrival date from a FL site today - they are still coming north, and you could still become a landlord. Hang in there a while longer.
I'm not going to give up. I'm praying hard for them to show up. I have all round holes gourds and houses. I stay on top of the starlings. I trap and shoot them on site.
James,
Hang in there. I KNOW EXACTLY HOW YOU FEEL. I am trying to get them like you are and I know how frustrating it can be. I had them my first year, but none last year or this year. I think the fact that having them stay in the past adds to the frustration of not having them again. We do everything right, but can't seem to get them to stay. My site at home has a couple of tall trees but is much better than most in my area that currently host martins. It only adds to my frustration when I see houses full of sparrows and starlings that are tree encroached, yet martins pick these sites to nest.
This year my friend Kent Justus and I adopted a public site where the housing was in bad shape. It has been fun to become a landlord at the public site and it has brought me and my family a lot of joy, but it is not the same as it would be to have them at home. If you have a chance to adopt a public site, it may help you get your martin "fix" while you wait for them at home. It has certainly helped me.
Pillow you are so right. I have done so much this year on my site. I removed a tree cut some bushes down. The man next door even cut back some tall trees and cleared the area next my and his house so there would be more open area for them.
As far as a public site, I really don't know of one in my area. I have driven all over were I live and I have not found any martin houses. I have looked for homes to see if any have houses. None!. Martins are not real big around in Oakland Park and Ft. Lauderdale area. As you can see on here that down here in south fl their are only a hand full and I mean a hand full. I think this is one of the main reasons that the martin population is so small here. When we have 3 or 4 pair that is a lot for here. It is hard for me to see a colony of 40 pair or more, that must be a great site to see.
Thanks Mary C. I live on the Eastside of I 95 and I rarely seen martins over here flying. I think that there are more people down south of me in Dade county that have martin housing up and there are a few on the west side of Broward county, but on the Eastside there is really only me that I know of.
James i still have SY arriving at my place, and we are no more than 20 miles away. I do agree that people in general in the east side of Broward, FT Lauderdale could care less about birds. But there are those that do like Stingray and others, im sure there is a colony near you you haven't seen. James you do have some round holes provided right? Also do you play the dawn song all day, if you have done this all the time turn it off for a few days see what happens. Don't give up James, your colony will come.
"We can judge the heart of man by his treatment of animals." - Immanual Kant.
Hi Julio good to here from you. All of my housing is round holes and as for the dawn song I play it every other day in the afternoons. I can not play it in the mornings because of what time I go to work and if I started that early everyone near me would kill me. I promise I will not give up. I am sure thing will one day turn for me and I like you will have a good size colony. As far a site near me, I can not find it. I have driven all over the place looking. I enjoy driving around sometime to look.
James
Know how you feel.... this is my second year trying and not a single martin. I moved my pole to the back yard - removed several large trees to free up lots of open space and I did not have one visitor (that I am aware of). I have a T-10 wooden house with 4 natural gourds underneath, all round holes (no starlings), decoys, played the Dawn Song, etc.... Last year I had two SY birds hang around a couple of days but nothing this year. There are very few martins in my area and no colonies within 10 miles that I know of. It seems that in my area of Flordia you hardly see martins. Still holding out a little hope this season, but ready to resign myself to another year's wait. Good luck in the future.
Bill in Oviedo FL
Martin Colony History: 2009-2015-Helped to manage Raleigh site, 36 cavities 2016- 33 pairs at Raleigh site, 1 pair at home site. 2017- 34 pairs at Raleigh site, 3 pairs + extra SYs at home site 2018- 33 pairs at Raleigh site, 5 pairs + extra SYs at home site 2019 - 32 pairs at Raleigh site, 7 pairs at home site, 2 pairs at new Holly Springs park site
Can this be the "I don't have any martins" support club? I want to join.
Seriously.
Last year I had visitors almost every day but not this year. Only 2 flyovers last month. Where did they go?? I don't even have any S&S since I got rid of the one.
I am trying to convince the hubby that we need to cut down some trees but he won't hear it. I guess bringing that up on Earth Day was not such a swift thing to do. He's catching on to the lingo. He says "Wait for all the subbies to move through and see what happens." Well he got me there. But I am not too hopeful at this point.
I also don't have any hummingbirds and most places around me have seen them already. I even have early-blooming salvia and haven't seen a one.
Well let us begin here. James, Pillow, Courtney and Bill. I know it is frustrating to try and not be able to start a colony of birds.
I tried at a previous residence for 20 years. I could hear and see the martins fly high over my home, but never did one stop to check things out that I was aware of. I had some tall timber at the back of my home, and that may have been the problem.
When I moved to the residence that I am at currently, I put up the same gourd rack and pole that I tried with for 20 years. LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION I believe is a key factor. I had 1 pair the first year and have grown each year thereafter. Last year 30 breeding pair.
I have about 50 birds at my sight now and the "subbies" should be here any day. Never ever give up, sometimes you wonder WHY but in the end it will all be okay.
If you are trying for the "subbies" I have been told that all of the racket produced by the dawnsong up in the middle part of the day can be alarming to younger birds. They will come by, but where are those martins at that is making all of that noise? So early in the morning and late afternoon, would be my guess for the "subbies". Just my opinion and everybody has one.
If I can be of any help, please don't hesitate to ask and a martin decoy or 2 might help as well.
Good Luck to all,
Joe
You can please some of the martins some of the time, but you can't please all the martins all of the time.
James, even though I dont have martins here in my yard my two neighbors half a mile from me have very active colonies and are very gracious to let me hang some gourds below their housing and while one of them is serving in Iraq I am taking care of his coloney this summer this helpes me a lot to satify my martin fever and it also is rewarding to me to loan martin housing and equipment to other wannabes in my area to get martins at their sites too.
I wish for your sake there would be martins closer to your site too so maby you could share some of your housing with them to enjoy martins that way.
I do hope that they will come for you yet this year as Louise says there is still time left yet.
PMCA member and Martin fanatic....
2011 A pair of subbies fledged three young but none returned in 2012
2015 One Pair of subbies came and stayed a few nits but got chased away by Bluebirds and Tree swallows.
2017 0ne pair of subbies nested and fledged 4 young
2018 Tree Swallows AGAIN chased away any martins that wanted to nest
2019 Same old story................
PURPLE IN FLIGHT, Thanks for your warm reply. I had martins as a boy but as life deals us I could not have them for 25 years and now trying again. I remember the first set-up and they came and filled up all 25 gourds the first year. Now, well living down here in south fl you would think it would be easy and it really isn't. I do have decoys and I play the dawn song with the day chatter. My place is clear and wide open. I have moved the house around to change things over the years. That being said all I can do is hope. When I retire in a few years I am going to sell this house and move a rich martin area and enjoy watching the martins there.
Matt F. You and the others don't have to worry, I am not ever going to give up trying. It is not in my blood to stop. I think I get that from family. I'm sure I will get them someday. The friends I have on here are like my family and I would never leave my family.
Donnie Hurdt MAN, Thanks! I served in Iraq in the first war and I know how your friend is feeling. Being way from home and worrying about what is going on back home. You are a great person to do something like that. As far as any sites near me, I do not know of any. Their a few down south of me in Dade county and I talk with them often and they let me know how they are doing. I had two come by early this season but did not stay. At least I know that they are around. All I need is a female that will like the place and stay. I feel I still have time to get a pair and I will keep looking and hoping. GOD will give me my wish and answer my prays.
Well the pair of Sy's that came here 2 weeks ago never stayed. I have seen the male just a few time but has not been around for several days. I feel that time is running out down here in south fl and I will go without martins again this year. 
