Last evening I had my PM house down to work on. I don't have any PMs yet, so wasn't worried about how long the house was down. I'd been working at it for several hours. I'd been playing the PM vocalization tape all day. I'd just turned it off because it was nearing dusk and I hadn't seen any PMs anyway. I was standing right up against the house with my head almost inside when I heard a soft chittering right over my head. I looked up quickly to see the back of some large bird zooming away, low to the ground. All I could see was it's back, which looked either black or dark grey. It tilted sideways and darted between my house and my neighbor's, then disappeared into the woods across the street. I watched, but didn't see it ascend into the sky, so I couldn't ID it for sure.
This morning, as soon as I turned on the tape, a Swallow-Tailed Kite flew over low and slow, hovering over my PM house. I ran outside and shouted at it and it glided off. There had been PMs circling overhead when that happened, too. Now, darn it--! They're gone! Couple of questions:
Do you think those two birds of prey were the same one?
How loud do you play the Dawnsong and Daytime Chatter CDs and what time do you shut them off? The sun had just gone down when I turned mine off.
My PM vocalization CDs are attracting preditors!
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Donnie Hurdt MN
- Posts: 1723
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2004 11:14 pm
- Location: North Prairie, MN
I dont know if I have the right answer for you I have been playing both Dawnsong and Daytime Chatter for years now and I dont think they attract predators, at least not at my site anyways. I start Dawnsong when I get up and switch to Daytime Chatter when I leave for work. In the afternoons after work I will sometimes switch back to Dawnsong, (this is when I get the most visitors) and shut everything off late afternoon.
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................
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................
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floridasunshinegoddess
Becky,
It has been my experience that the Dawnsong CD (the only one I've ever used) WILL attract Predators as well as Martins.
It is a very powerful tool to use in establishing your colony and I would only play it sparingly, just long enough until I had some Martins investigating my site and then would TURN IT OFF. It sounds like the vocalization of a Super Colony and is irresistable to the Predators who are looking for a good meal!
If your investigating Martins don't end up spending the night, then play it sparingly again. But under no circumstances should you go off and leave it playing all day unattended. Suppose you attracted Martins and the Predators came at the same time too. The results could be disastrous.
Here's an excellent article about the Dawnsong from the Purple Martin Society N.A. you might like to read:
http://www.purplemartins.com/Topics/advisories.htm
Best of luck to you!
It has been my experience that the Dawnsong CD (the only one I've ever used) WILL attract Predators as well as Martins.
It is a very powerful tool to use in establishing your colony and I would only play it sparingly, just long enough until I had some Martins investigating my site and then would TURN IT OFF. It sounds like the vocalization of a Super Colony and is irresistable to the Predators who are looking for a good meal!
If your investigating Martins don't end up spending the night, then play it sparingly again. But under no circumstances should you go off and leave it playing all day unattended. Suppose you attracted Martins and the Predators came at the same time too. The results could be disastrous.
Here's an excellent article about the Dawnsong from the Purple Martin Society N.A. you might like to read:
http://www.purplemartins.com/Topics/advisories.htm
Best of luck to you!
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Guest
Thanks dhurdtMN and floridasunshinegoddess. I am playing it carefully and only in the morning. I have read the article and found the other thread discussing this topic. The Swallow Tailed Kite sure was beautiful!
I'll continue using it until I have some PMs staying. Although, to tell the truth, so far every time I've had them visit was during mid-day when my CD WASN'T playing. I'd hear them before I saw them, high overhead, calling as if to see if there were any other PMs around. I'd rush to turn on the Dawnsong, and hopefully encourage them to come down and land. In every case, only two or three would land on my house and peek in, then they'd leave taking the rest of the PMs they were flying with away with them. Maybe I confused them.
I'll continue using it until I have some PMs staying. Although, to tell the truth, so far every time I've had them visit was during mid-day when my CD WASN'T playing. I'd hear them before I saw them, high overhead, calling as if to see if there were any other PMs around. I'd rush to turn on the Dawnsong, and hopefully encourage them to come down and land. In every case, only two or three would land on my house and peek in, then they'd leave taking the rest of the PMs they were flying with away with them. Maybe I confused them.