Year six looking like a bust too

[Gobbler T]

Well it looks like I'm down for the count again. I know there is a little time left for subbies but I'm not real optimistic at this point. I'm seeing nothing, hearing nothing, Dawnsong doing no good. There are just no martins in my area.

The one ASY male has stoped coming by, so I guess he found a mate somewhere. Good for him. Bad for me! Not having much problem with S&S. There's one male sparrow here but he seems to be having trouble finding a mate. He was here before I left for a week, and is still here. I figured I would have a nest and possibly eggs when I returned home but, no. After shooting a male starling, the females left, and have not returned. No more problem with them.

I feel sorry for anyone who lives in Miami though. I"ve never seem so many starlings in my life! If you could use a shotgun, it would be like a dove shoot down there. At least I don't have that problem.

[dhjohnson]

Good Morning Gobbler,
As the forum has encouraged me not to give up you've got to hang in there. The right martin just hasn't seen your place yet. I know how depressing it gets when you see 30 or more birds stop buy look come back over several days but don't stay.

Just when I too was giving up Buddy appeared just at the edge of dark 45 days ago now and made it all worthwhile. Then he brought groups and groups of birds home but they didn't stay. Then last night he brought home a very pretty lady and she stayed the night even after I blasted a starling on the other gourd rack. Took her 30 minutes and Buddy flying back and forth to the gourd to convince her it was okay to come on in.

This morning they are bring back nesting material so I am now more nervous than ever trying to protect them.

It will happen for you too.
Have a good day,
Debbie

[dhjohnson]

Good Morning Gobbler,
As the forum has encouraged me not to give up you've got to hang in there. The right martin just hasn't seen your place yet. I know how depressing it gets when you see 30 or more birds stop buy look come back over several days but don't stay.

Just when I too was giving up Buddy appeared just at the edge of dark 45 days ago now and made it all worthwhile. Then he brought groups and groups of birds home but they didn't stay. Then last night he brought home a very pretty lady and she stayed the night even after I blasted a starling on the other gourd rack. Took her 30 minutes and Buddy flying back and forth to the gourd to convince her it was okay to come on in.

This morning they are bring back nesting material so I am now more nervous than ever trying to protect them.

It will happen for you too.
Have a good day,
Debbie

[DornCounty]

hang in there.. now is just starting the prime time for new housing.

All it takes is one subbie.

[James Strickland FL]

Gobbler, this is not like you! I have been where you are and I know how you feel. Just keep at it. They will show at some point. I am a firm believer that it can and will happen. I was think the same as you and it came to me that I had the wrong housing up. The day I pulled and old MK 12 out I had martins show up. You need to find out what type of housing that is being used around you and put that up. They only know what they are raised in and how it looks. Do you stop Turkey Hunting just because you did see a Turkey that year?

[Gobbler T]

Debbie,
I'm not giving up. It was more of a status report than anything. 30 birds? I haven't seen 30 birds in the 6 years combined! The most I've ever seen at one time is 5, other times it's 1 here, 2 there, but of course none of them have stayed.

[Gobbler T]

I'm hangin Dorn!

James, I have a house thats like everyone else's in this area and gourds like some others. The few visitors I've had over the years don't seem to care for the house at all. (they don't care for the gourds enough to stay) I know that one day it will happen, and like I said earlier there's still a little time left this year.

I'll get there.

[D'Nese]

Tony,

Now you know as well as James does that you CAN'T give up. Just think of all the subbies that still have not come thru!!!! Something will click and you will be posting just as James has. Stick in there and it will happen.

[katkola]

Gobbler T,

I know how you feel this year. I've had PMs the last two years but not one has come to stay yet this year. Haven't even seen many lookers!

It was mid-April last year, but since everyone seems to be getting their martins earlier this year, I'm feeling very downhearted and left out.

Where are my little darlings?

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you and you do the same for me, huh?

[Gobbler T]

Thats a deal kat!

D'Nese,
You know me better than that. "Give up" is no where in the martin manual!

[lcline85]

We need a end of season support group for all the potential landlords that were unsucessfull! So we can bear the misery together :(

Just joking (kinda) Thats what this forum is for right!

[Chriscreole]

I have a house thats like everyone else's in this area and gourds like some others. The few visitors I've had over the years don't seem to care for the house at all. (they don't care for the gourds enough to stay)

Hang in there GT, My Martins left last wek for some odd reason.

Guess the Purple Martins are the Primadonnas of the bird world, picky lil things! Maybe if we add a scaled down version of a Flat screen TV tuned into Animal planet and a Sleep number bed, they'll think they're in the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel, and stay.

[Gobbler T]

lcline85,
Sounds like a good idea, but if you look at the replies to this post, I think we already have it.

Chriscreole,
It's very odd that all your birds left. I take it that you haven't figured out why yet? Now that has be disheartening.

[dsonyay]

I agree- just keep trying. James Strickland in FL finally had martins arrive. He was having such a hard time. you just never know.

[dhjohnson]

Gobbler,
I was pulling my hair out trying to figure out why birds were not staying. We removed our house reconfigured our gourds because our poles weren't strong enough for everything. With the house we were battling Hosp every day. My husbands uncle came up to see our site and he noticed my prenests were in place. He asked me what I was doing. Prenest? That's too much he said. Maybe 10 to 15 pieces per gourd. I thought he was out there some where but he went through our gourds and removed almost all the prenesting pine needles. He said the birds like to build at least some of their nest. I guess he might have been on to something because 48 hours later Buddy arrived. He said birds were looking in and thought they were already taken. Don't know if that was it or not for what it's worth. Everyone has an opinion and sometimes things work in some areas and sometimes they don't. I think the ideas are all worth thought because they worked for someone. We're rooting for you and moral support as well.

The right birds will come. I watched Buddy and his new mate sit on a porch this evening watching the sky and the sun go down. Then they moved over to their gourd which only has about 10 pine needles so far for the night.

Best of Luck,
Debbie

[D'Nese]

Tony,

I know I know but I needed to smack you upside the head and knock some sense into you. It will happen!!!

Debbie,

I wouldn't want to say your Uncle is wrong, but here in TN we add pine needles in the gourds/house cavities and haven't had an issue. Believe it or not I've had birds just add to what is there and then some of the house cavities have been almost emptied of the nest material??? Who knows? It helps here for warmth as they will arrive in our area as early as late Feb early March and sometimes mother nature isn't always nice to them.

[tcg]

I haven't seen 30 birds in the 6 years combined! The most I've ever seen at one time is 5, other times it's 1 here, 2 there, but of course none of them have stayed.

Yep, I can relate to that. I've had a big Martin day if I hear one or see a "fly-by". The only action my housing is seeing is me cleaning out the wasps every few days. I've had numerous fly-bys this season so far, no more than two at a time and absolutely none have shown an interest in my housing. I don't think one has even landed on it. Most just seem to be stopping by to check out the dawnsong.

Anyway, I'm not giving up. My kids keep asking me when I'm finally going to quit but I've told them that I'll keep trying every year.

And don't you give up either, you're patience is a role model for the rest of us!

[Emil Pampell-Tx]

I do feel for all of the people that did not get any martins this year. We now have a very large colony, but can you imagine that I too did not have martins at one time. I think the owls cleaned out our colony, and the next year also, no martins would even land on our housing. Now I know that its different for all of you that have tried for years, but I do feel that if you make your site as martin friendly as possible, that you too will have martins someday...good luck.

[JL Murray]

I have my fingers crossed for you, there are lots of Subies that have to cross through your state.

[Gobbler T]

No. I'm not giving up. Thinking back, when I started deer hunting, I hunted for 12 years before I ever saw one of any kind male or female. I would see them while I was dove hunting, squirrel hunting, rabbit hunting, etc... but never when I was "deer' hunting, but I never gave up! The martins will be the same way. I'm in it for the long haul. What joy I've gotten out of the few visitors I've had, I can't imagine not doing this.

Debbie, I've got some pine needles in some gourds and some that are empty just in case thats what they want.

As for making my site martin friendly, I have done everything I can think of in the last 6 years. Changed, moved, cleared, painted, washed, mudded, lowered, raised, dawnsong, had it inspected, you name it, odds are I've done it. I consider myself "ready"!