Did I do wrong
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Stephen Thomas
- Posts: 359
- Joined: Wed Nov 19, 2003 8:24 am
- Location: LeRoy/IL
Last night I lowered my rack. Storms were coming through. I didn't want the rack to get damaged. Well I went to work this morning and forgot to raise it up. Around 11:30 I got a phone call from my wife at 11:30 AM. She asked me if I wanted my rack raised up. There are 2 martins on it. So I said sure. She went out and raised the rack to the up most position. When she got almost to the rack the 2 martins flew off into the distance. Never to be seen again today. I suppose I should have told her NO in raising the rack up. There is no way to know, but about 6 days ago there was a lone martin here. I am hoping it was the same martin and bring in a friend/mate. There is no way to know if they will be back tomorrow or the next day. So far I have not seen them this evening. So keeping my fingers crossed and my toes crossed that they will return. Any thoughts from the pros?
Steve Thomas (LeRoy,Il) trying since 2003, visitors 2006 & 2007 had 1 visitor.
2009 had 6 visitors, 3ASY & 3females(1 male serious)
2010 1ASY male & 1ASYfemale, May 9, 2010 I became a landlord
2011 They came back. Got cold .they left. Never came back. starting over.
2012 1 came by. 2013 (0)
2009 had 6 visitors, 3ASY & 3females(1 male serious)
2010 1ASY male & 1ASYfemale, May 9, 2010 I became a landlord
2011 They came back. Got cold .they left. Never came back. starting over.
2012 1 came by. 2013 (0)
Hi Steve,
I don't believe raising your rack today determines whether you'll get martins or not. The species expects to do its nesting around people's homes. The fact that you've had some visitors is a good sign that they're checking out your site. I have a hunch you'll see more stop by before the season is over. You still have time in your part of the country to attract a nesting pair. That was a good move to protect your rack during a possible severe storm! You would need to do that again, especially if you had active nests!
Gary
I don't believe raising your rack today determines whether you'll get martins or not. The species expects to do its nesting around people's homes. The fact that you've had some visitors is a good sign that they're checking out your site. I have a hunch you'll see more stop by before the season is over. You still have time in your part of the country to attract a nesting pair. That was a good move to protect your rack during a possible severe storm! You would need to do that again, especially if you had active nests!
Gary
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Stephen Thomas
- Posts: 359
- Joined: Wed Nov 19, 2003 8:24 am
- Location: LeRoy/IL
Gary thanks for the reply.
Had an other or same martin show up today around 9:30 and again around noon time according to my wife. For all times a sparrow decides to nest and is fighting with the Martin according to her. What luck. Rat birds show up too. Hope it likes it here and tries again. Hope to get rid of the sparrows. Torn out its nest tonight. I have had the Dawn Song playing from 5:00 AM to 7:00PM. I am sure that is what is drawing them in. Keeping fingers and toes crossed.
Had an other or same martin show up today around 9:30 and again around noon time according to my wife. For all times a sparrow decides to nest and is fighting with the Martin according to her. What luck. Rat birds show up too. Hope it likes it here and tries again. Hope to get rid of the sparrows. Torn out its nest tonight. I have had the Dawn Song playing from 5:00 AM to 7:00PM. I am sure that is what is drawing them in. Keeping fingers and toes crossed.
Steve Thomas (LeRoy,Il) trying since 2003, visitors 2006 & 2007 had 1 visitor.
2009 had 6 visitors, 3ASY & 3females(1 male serious)
2010 1ASY male & 1ASYfemale, May 9, 2010 I became a landlord
2011 They came back. Got cold .they left. Never came back. starting over.
2012 1 came by. 2013 (0)
2009 had 6 visitors, 3ASY & 3females(1 male serious)
2010 1ASY male & 1ASYfemale, May 9, 2010 I became a landlord
2011 They came back. Got cold .they left. Never came back. starting over.
2012 1 came by. 2013 (0)
Hey Steve,
Where I live I am not allowed to shoot any type of gun. I have gotten rid of sparrows with mouse glue boards. If you use this method, it is imperative that the entry hole to the compartment being used by the sparrows, be made smaller before placing the glue board! You can do that by taping a thin strip of wood on each side of the hole, in order to prevent any martin from entering. The main bird to capture is the male HS. The female HS will abandon the site if you can get him.
Gary
Where I live I am not allowed to shoot any type of gun. I have gotten rid of sparrows with mouse glue boards. If you use this method, it is imperative that the entry hole to the compartment being used by the sparrows, be made smaller before placing the glue board! You can do that by taping a thin strip of wood on each side of the hole, in order to prevent any martin from entering. The main bird to capture is the male HS. The female HS will abandon the site if you can get him.
Gary
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Madame WingNut
- Posts: 11
- Joined: Wed Jun 14, 2006 10:01 am
- Location: Ohio/South Bass Island; Ohio/Powell; Ohio/Delaware
I do a LOT of House Sparrow (HOSP) trapping on Bluebird Trails. I can tell you from experience that removing HOSP nests does little to dissuade them. They will build again and again and will eventually (often sooner rather than later) kill native bird/eggs/young to take their compartment. All my housing, Purple Martin or Bluebird, has an inbox (or in gourd) trap that fits inside it so I can trap them as soon as they show up. The inbox traps capture them live so if you have a native bird, simply release it. Humanely dispatch HOSP. NEVER release them elsewhere or they will beat you home. Setting out nestboxes for other native cavity nesters in your yard often draws HOSP to these where it is much easier to trap. An actual dedicated HOSP trap box(es) set in areas they like (near pine trees, roost trees, bird feeders) works well. Only set trap when you know HOSP has been in box (see him on it, in it, HOSP feces in there or HOSP nest material). Van Ert Universal Sparrow trap is THE best. All my regular nestboxes are fitted with it. Repeat bait traps can be effective once you get live decoys in there too. Deluxe Repeating Sparrow Trap is a nice one or ST-1
I believe a new colony is a delicate situation. You need to keep sparrows out etc, but you don't want to disturb the housing too much. The martins need to trust that your house is safe. They have no other martins there to reassure them. I wouldn't lower your housing for storms yet until there are at least eggs inside or there are tornado-like winds expected. The martins will tolerate more intervention from you once they have eggs.
As far as house sparrows, I had a pair show up a few weeks ago and try to claim one whole side of my pm house. I got the male first and had read that the female would go away on her own. Not in my case, she stayed nearby and brought back 2 additional males within a matter of hours! So from now on, I will be trapping the females as well.
As far as house sparrows, I had a pair show up a few weeks ago and try to claim one whole side of my pm house. I got the male first and had read that the female would go away on her own. Not in my case, she stayed nearby and brought back 2 additional males within a matter of hours! So from now on, I will be trapping the females as well.
2010 - Put up housing late in season & had visitors
2011 - 2 Nesting Pair (1 successful)
2012 - 1 ASY pair, 5 babies
2013 - 2 ASY pair, 11 babies
2011 - 2 Nesting Pair (1 successful)
2012 - 1 ASY pair, 5 babies
2013 - 2 ASY pair, 11 babies
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Doug Martin - PA
- Posts: 1988
- Joined: Thu Mar 25, 2004 10:47 am
- Location: Pennsylvania/Fombell
- Martin Colony History: First pair in 2009 after 28 years of trying. 3 pairs 2010, 17 pairs 2011 and 35-45 pairs since. Many additional colonies are now springing up around mine in an area once completely void of Martins. I offer 50 compartments at my site consisting of primarily Excluder II gourds on Gemini racks. Also a wooden T-14. I utilize electric fence type predator guards on the base of the poles. Supplemental feeding is crucial in maintaining my colony. I platform feed throughout the season as needed. My site tends to be a stop over point for additional birds as they migrate further north.
Stephen,
What you did with the gourd rack is not the issue in whether your Martins stay.
What "IS THE ISSUE" is the sparrows establishing the territory. That is a problem. Unless you resolve it and find a way to continue to resolve the problem over and over again.... you will not have Martins.
You must control S&S to start a colony. The height of your gourd rack is of little consequence.
Good luck and find a way.
Doug
What you did with the gourd rack is not the issue in whether your Martins stay.
What "IS THE ISSUE" is the sparrows establishing the territory. That is a problem. Unless you resolve it and find a way to continue to resolve the problem over and over again.... you will not have Martins.
You must control S&S to start a colony. The height of your gourd rack is of little consequence.
Good luck and find a way.
Doug
Supplemental feeding plays a major role in Western Pennsylvania. Finally got my 1st pair in 2009 after 28 years of effort. The colony has grown quickly to 45 pairs that I care for. Many new colonies have now sprung up around me in the past few years as well. Where there was none.... there is many.