We have been watching the Scout Report in relation, to our location, in North Central Pennsylvania.
They seem stuck with no movement noticeable, from Northern Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Southern Delaware. This is our first year to watch the population migrate. They do momentarily seem, to be stuck, in mid air. Then how, in the world did one hearty soul make it all the way up and across our state, to the far North Western corner? Yikes that must be an inviseable flier, of some special qualities. Maybe it is some distant buddy, of our famous groundhog Phil.
We are pleased, to note that the expansion, of the migration, would seem to include us, within their flyway, to Canada.
Yes indeed, we reserve the right to be, on the edge, of our viewing stations, with glasses in hand. We may need, to warm up just a little, to get a good hatch going, for their arrival.
ARE THEY STUCK IN MID AIR?
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Dale Hrncirik
docgipe,
I'm afraid of the cold and it is my belief that the majority of our purple pals are too...unfortunately for great landlords in the 'great white north'. They are smart to take their time and hopefully you and others will be blessed with them real soon. Hang in there and have a great year!
Dale
I'm afraid of the cold and it is my belief that the majority of our purple pals are too...unfortunately for great landlords in the 'great white north'. They are smart to take their time and hopefully you and others will be blessed with them real soon. Hang in there and have a great year!
Dale
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Guest
It almost makes you wish you lived near a huge lake, huh? It is my personal belief that people can have less than ideal sights but get martins anyway if they live near a lake. We have a creek really near us but it's tree-lined, and we also have lots of trees around us. I keep putting the housing up year after year but am not holding my breath anymore. I don't have it up this year yet at all. I'll get it up by the 15th though, probably earlier. I just didn't push myself to do it yet. Lately it's been too cold for me outside. If we have a couple of nice days at least in the 50's, I'll get my gourds hung. This year I'm also adding a Bo Bungalow made by S & K Manufacturing. I had a Trio Musselman up since 1989 but last year (or maybe it was 2004 ... heh, I forget!) I moved it to a location where martins won't go in it and use it exclusively as a S&S trap now, putting two Universal Sparrow (also gets starlings) Traps in it. I didn't have any luck attracting martins with it but have great success trapping trash birds with it. Of course, considering my location, maybe it wouldn't have mattered what house I'd have had up all these years. I'm hoping that the tree cutting I had done and the new house will improve my chances. I'm sure you're more out in the open than I am and will have success sometime, hopefully this year. Is there any body of water near you? I'm just wondering. It's not like it's a definite criteria though to have that, but I think it does help. I wish you lots of luck.
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Dale Hrncirik
Hi Cathy,
Good to see you came out of hibernation
I've got a neighborhood pond just down the street from me that gets lots of use from ducks, canadian geese, barnies, etc...and my martins. I know that cuz I ride my bike and walk the dog by it almost every single afternoon. I really believe that an unobstructed body of water will tend to get much more use by the martins than a tree-lined creek will. However, in Wylie, I had neither nearby and still had a good size colony. But I did live in between 2 lakes... ~5 miles from both of them and to a martin, that's just a hop, skip, and a short flight.
Nothing would make me happier than hearing that you or Lou will get martins this year! Yall are the most deserving for not giving up and always being positive. I'm sure there are others on this forum that fit that bill and I wish the same for you.
Take care and enjoy all the birds you host,
Dale
Good to see you came out of hibernation
I've got a neighborhood pond just down the street from me that gets lots of use from ducks, canadian geese, barnies, etc...and my martins. I know that cuz I ride my bike and walk the dog by it almost every single afternoon. I really believe that an unobstructed body of water will tend to get much more use by the martins than a tree-lined creek will. However, in Wylie, I had neither nearby and still had a good size colony. But I did live in between 2 lakes... ~5 miles from both of them and to a martin, that's just a hop, skip, and a short flight. Nothing would make me happier than hearing that you or Lou will get martins this year! Yall are the most deserving for not giving up and always being positive. I'm sure there are others on this forum that fit that bill and I wish the same for you.
Take care and enjoy all the birds you host,
Dale
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Guest
Hi Dale, Heh, hibernation...yeah, you could kind of call it that, I guess. It sounds like you had a really good location in Wylie, but I'm sure the one you have now is nice too. I do wish I lived near a lake, but oh well, I'll just have to make do with what I have to work with here.
Thanks, Dale. You've always been very supportive, and I'd love to be able to tell you one day that I finally have martins. Positive? Me?? Hmmm...well now, I'm not so sure about that. I do get depressed about the whole thing sometimes. I probably should have taken up another hobby years ago when I got into this but how was I to know.... One great thing, though, is that I've gotten to know lots of people through our common interest, some over the Internet and some in person. Even though I've never gotten to meet you and a lot of others, I still feel as if I do know you.
I wish the best for you this year too. Who knows, you might end up with 20 pairs! You know that you live in a state where that is possible your second year.
It sounds like you had a really good location in Wylie, but I'm sure the one you have now is nice too. I do wish I lived near a lake, but oh well, I'll just have to make do with what I have to work with here. Thanks, Dale. You've always been very supportive, and I'd love to be able to tell you one day that I finally have martins. Positive? Me?? Hmmm...well now, I'm not so sure about that. I do get depressed about the whole thing sometimes. I probably should have taken up another hobby years ago when I got into this but how was I to know.... One great thing, though, is that I've gotten to know lots of people through our common interest, some over the Internet and some in person. Even though I've never gotten to meet you and a lot of others, I still feel as if I do know you.
I wish the best for you this year too. Who knows, you might end up with 20 pairs! You know that you live in a state where that is possible your second year.-
Guest
I have two major creeks or rivers by Western terms as tributaries to a major river with all kinds and types, of water. You could use my house as center and use a one mile radius, to include all three.
The major river runs due South, to the Chesapeake Bay. I have always considered it a major North South flyway.
The major river runs due South, to the Chesapeake Bay. I have always considered it a major North South flyway.
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Guest
Oh, so you live that close to the Susquehanna River, huh? Well, that's good to know...you're lucky! You live closer to it than we do; it's about 10 miles or so east of us. In my unprofessional opinon, I would say it is a major flyway, but darn it, those martins have so far chosen not to veer off that flyway to come to my place. 
I hope you have better luck than what I've been having. If you don't get them this year, keep trying! Just do everything that you can think of and what you learn on here; then you'll know you're at least trying your very best and have left no stone unturned.
I hope you have better luck than what I've been having. If you don't get them this year, keep trying! Just do everything that you can think of and what you learn on here; then you'll know you're at least trying your very best and have left no stone unturned.