Will your first pair of Martins always be sub-adult,or will they be adults sometimes? Last year I had 8 Martins that came here off and on all summer, I think they were from a colony a couple miles down the road.I have 4 large ponds around 2000 ft. from my house and I think they come
here to get insects.They would go in my houses and gourds but they didn't nest.Every year I get more that come but none will stay.I have 30 large home grown gourds ready to put out this spring.I had 6 gourds out last year but they were all around 7 to 9 in.This year they are 10 to 14 in.
across.So I am hoping that they may like them a little better.I also have a T-14 with (SREH) holes.I have the Dawn song and Decoy also.Can anyone
think of anything else I may try? My house is out in the open and I have no trees.You can see the ponds from my house and there is a large fishing lake about 5 or 6 miles away.All Comments Welcome !!!!
Thanks Don
Why can't I keep them ?
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Emil Pampell-Tx
- Posts: 6743
- Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 1:26 pm
- Location: Tx, Richmond (SW of Houston)
- Martin Colony History: First started in Gretna, La in 1969 with a small homemade house, have had martins ever since at 2 different homes in Texas
Don, its probably not enough martins in the area, they keep going back to established sites. Hang in there, your location sounds ideal, so someday they will decide to stay..they have a mind of their own, they go where they wish, and if or when one of those old locations closes down, you may well get some. good luck, and be patient, they someday will stay, and then they will prefer your site to any other site.
PMCA Member, 250 gourds, 6 poles, 2traps
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Guest
Ford8n - Sounds like you have an ideal place for purple martins. Sometimes it takes 2 yrs or more for them to select your site for their home. As far as the sub-adults are concerned: those are the birds that were hatched here last year, made the migration flight back with the adult birds and have now migrated back to the breeding ground. Next year when they return here, they will be ASYs.
It sounds like you had birds scoping out your site. This year maybe they will decide to nest in your new bigger gourds. Keep us posted and good luck.
Lanell
PS I don't have martins either but I keep trying
It sounds like you had birds scoping out your site. This year maybe they will decide to nest in your new bigger gourds. Keep us posted and good luck.
Lanell
PS I don't have martins either but I keep trying
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John Miller
- Posts: 4866
- Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2004 9:11 pm
- Location: St. Louis, MO
Hello
Of course many folks have "visitors" for years before they decide to stay. The site sounds perfect.
Colonies are occasionally started by ASY males -- that happened to me last year and I now suspect when one is lucky enough to attract an ASY male early on, you are likely to get several pairs of subadults a few weeks later. We had seven pairs overall, including two ASY males.
If you can monitor closely, I consider offering a few round holes on a couple of gourds; not on the T-14 as these would be more starling prone.
Sure hope you get some nesters.
Of course many folks have "visitors" for years before they decide to stay. The site sounds perfect.
Colonies are occasionally started by ASY males -- that happened to me last year and I now suspect when one is lucky enough to attract an ASY male early on, you are likely to get several pairs of subadults a few weeks later. We had seven pairs overall, including two ASY males.
If you can monitor closely, I consider offering a few round holes on a couple of gourds; not on the T-14 as these would be more starling prone.
Sure hope you get some nesters.
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Guest
Don...I got a "jump start" on my expanding colony when my next door neighbor took down a disintegrating Heath house and my neighbors down the canal chose not to take care of their crumbling, sparrow-infested housing. I had one successful sub-adult pair my first year and was up to 27 pairs last year (year 3). It sounds like housing will close and you will be the beneficiary...hang in there...your site sounds great!
Sue
City by the Sea, TX
Sue
City by the Sea, TX
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klcretired
- Posts: 2174
- Joined: Tue Nov 18, 2003 3:06 am
- Location: Grand Prairie,Tx
Don,
Hang in there ,They will come when you least expect them to so just be ready for them and remember "If you Build it they will Come" .
Hang in there ,They will come when you least expect them to so just be ready for them and remember "If you Build it they will Come" .
Pictures Taken with Canon Rebel XT Digital using a Sigma 50-500 Long Lens.
Wishing everyone a Great Martin Year
Happy Martining for 2022 to everyone,
K.C.
[email protected]
Wishing everyone a Great Martin Year
Happy Martining for 2022 to everyone,
K.C.
[email protected]
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CUL Lou~Mich
Ford8n. Over on another forum, there has been lots of talk lately about using the Dawnsong, and Daytime Chatter. Several folks are questioning where these actually scare PMs off, and if they may attract Hawks, and Owls. I've used the Dawnsong, and Daytime Chatter cds for several years, but will NOT be using them this year, in view of these discussions. Several folks wonder if upon hearing these attractants, BUT finding NO other PMs, it might tend to scare them off. I'm not sure, but it makes sense to me. If we hear people, we expect to see someone. It'd be eery to find no one. CUL Lou
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Fred Kaluza~MI
- Posts: 606
- Joined: Mon Nov 17, 2003 10:40 pm
- Location: Port Huron, Michigan
- Martin Colony History: Tried and tried and had some visitors but...not enough good insects around here to keep them interested.
If I can assume you've located the Martin housing near your ponds, and your ponds are 2000' from any "structure", most recommendations suggest having less distance between the Martin housing and a man-made dwelling. Maybe you could install a couple tool sheds or something down by the ponds. Supposedly, Martins like to see human activity around as I imagine humans or other large animals make predators nervous.
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Guest
Fred,
My martin houses are only around 40ft from my house.And it is around 2000ft down to the ponds.These ponds are for swimming and fishing and a
little camping.So people are around there off and on all summer long.The
Fishing Lake that I said was about 5 or 6 mi. away which is not the way a martin would fly,but by car is called Lake Kahle it is owned by the PA Fish Com.Fred don't you think that the martins would fly that far to feed or
will they feed at the ponds?
Thank Don
My martin houses are only around 40ft from my house.And it is around 2000ft down to the ponds.These ponds are for swimming and fishing and a
little camping.So people are around there off and on all summer long.The
Fishing Lake that I said was about 5 or 6 mi. away which is not the way a martin would fly,but by car is called Lake Kahle it is owned by the PA Fish Com.Fred don't you think that the martins would fly that far to feed or
will they feed at the ponds?
Thank Don
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John Miller
- Posts: 4866
- Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2004 9:11 pm
- Location: St. Louis, MO
Don
I used to assume martins chose housing in proximity to human activity, but I've come to strongly suspect it's not a major factor. Martins like open above all else. I know a well colonized rural park site just south of Corydon, Ind. These houses are out in a mowed pasture by a big lake. Just a few fisherman around weekends and the occasional human on week days. The parking lot to it is about one-eight mile or so away.
Re: ponds..At a new site in a park I manage, there's a pond-like stream adjacent to the house. Martins dipped in it all summer, so I think martins likely would use your ponds.
I used to assume martins chose housing in proximity to human activity, but I've come to strongly suspect it's not a major factor. Martins like open above all else. I know a well colonized rural park site just south of Corydon, Ind. These houses are out in a mowed pasture by a big lake. Just a few fisherman around weekends and the occasional human on week days. The parking lot to it is about one-eight mile or so away.
Re: ponds..At a new site in a park I manage, there's a pond-like stream adjacent to the house. Martins dipped in it all summer, so I think martins likely would use your ponds.
Last edited by John Miller on Sat Feb 11, 2006 4:22 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Fred Kaluza~MI
- Posts: 606
- Joined: Mon Nov 17, 2003 10:40 pm
- Location: Port Huron, Michigan
- Martin Colony History: Tried and tried and had some visitors but...not enough good insects around here to keep them interested.
Don, I can't say for certain. I know that down south there are more Martins in general and "beggars can't be choosers". Up around here, they really seem to hold out for the BEST. I can only say that the vast majority of Michiganders who have been successful have a body of water within 50 feet of their housing. Some on shorefront property, some actually out on docks. The rest seem to have that wide-open-sky mentality. All you can do is try. Otherwise, your layout sounds much like mine. Fairly open with 100' radius and some form of water within a few hundred wing-strokes. I have a stream in a "gully" and a Martin COULD drink & bathe if they held their course but they would have to be below surrounding ground level and that gives predators a chace to perch in streamside bushes & trees and look down on passing "skimmers". Martins may not like anything shy of wideopen water in all directions while feeding. I'm still waiting for my first occupants after 3 years trying. Good luck.
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Perry D. Vogel
- Posts: 163
- Joined: Sat Jan 10, 2004 2:08 pm
- Location: North Dakota/Grand Forks
Your first pair could be either ASY or SY. I had two pairs of each my first year.
What I did to attract my first year was pre-built nests in all my units. Then I use dirt from the garden and put about 1 cup of mud inside each unit right by the door. The mud is mixed so that it is sticky, but not runny. With the access doors closed; using a paint stick I load it up with mud, stuck it into the hole, and scraped off the mud towards the floor of the unit. The bottom of my units is 1 inch from my crescent SREH holes so I basically build that up with the mud and let it dry. The next day I open the units and made sure the mud ramp/dam is secured to the floor of the unit and not stuck to the door. The mud ramp/dam stays in the units until the first nest change.
I don't think you are in an area that has too few Purple Martins. You need to think in terms of what amenities your site has that sets you apart from others in the area. Purple Martins like units to look used, not filthy, but used. What makes your site an outstanding choice?
One more thing, make sure your predators and competitors are kept away. I don?t have the predatory problems here where I live. I have major competitor problems, but the crescent SREH keep the starling out and have worked 100% for me. I cannot shoot where I live so I use trap doors, insert traps, bait traps, and glue traps to eliminate sparrows. If you have sparrows and you want your site to grow and flourish you must get rid of them. I am very careful with glue traps and only recommend them during pre and post Purple Martin season.
What I did to attract my first year was pre-built nests in all my units. Then I use dirt from the garden and put about 1 cup of mud inside each unit right by the door. The mud is mixed so that it is sticky, but not runny. With the access doors closed; using a paint stick I load it up with mud, stuck it into the hole, and scraped off the mud towards the floor of the unit. The bottom of my units is 1 inch from my crescent SREH holes so I basically build that up with the mud and let it dry. The next day I open the units and made sure the mud ramp/dam is secured to the floor of the unit and not stuck to the door. The mud ramp/dam stays in the units until the first nest change.
I don't think you are in an area that has too few Purple Martins. You need to think in terms of what amenities your site has that sets you apart from others in the area. Purple Martins like units to look used, not filthy, but used. What makes your site an outstanding choice?
One more thing, make sure your predators and competitors are kept away. I don?t have the predatory problems here where I live. I have major competitor problems, but the crescent SREH keep the starling out and have worked 100% for me. I cannot shoot where I live so I use trap doors, insert traps, bait traps, and glue traps to eliminate sparrows. If you have sparrows and you want your site to grow and flourish you must get rid of them. I am very careful with glue traps and only recommend them during pre and post Purple Martin season.
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TreeGreenwood
- Posts: 362
- Joined: Thu Apr 15, 2004 9:27 pm
- Location: Virginia/Catlett
Don, at your place in northwest Pennsylvania, 40' from your house may not be open enough. Purple Martins nesting north of the gulf coast states get pickier about their housing. You're above I-80 and 40 N latitude. What works in TX, LA, MS, GA and FL often isn't good enough above 35 N latitude.ford8n wrote: My martin houses are only around 40ft from my house. ...
My personal experience started in 2003 when I put my PM house 40' or so from our house, the barn and trees. A great place to watch Martins. Result: zero PM. I discovered this forum, joined PMCA and read a lot before 2004. Moved the house to 50' from the nearest building and completely open on the other three sides and added gourds. Result: Lots of visiting PM and one SY male resident but no fledglings. I kept reading. Moved all my housing to the middle of the field for 2005, the most open spot on our property but quite a bit over 12'0 from the nearest building. Result: Dozens of visitors at a time, 5 nesting pair, 4 of which fledged young. Martins like that spot so that's where the housing will stay. I carry lawn chairs out to watch them and hide behind a compost bin to snipe the starlings and sparrows.
You may get just the right Martin, one that likes your setup right where it is now but I recommend that you try moving your housing to the most open spot available. I think that will be your best chance that some of those visiting Martins will want to choose your place to nest.
Wishing you a dozen nesting pair for 2006,
Tree