Indiana Martins

[Dan Clodfelter]

SY Martins are pouring into my Colony by the dozens. I normally run somewhere around 200 - 225 purple martins at a given time and last year fledged 342 babies . On 5-30 2012 , I had around 300 martins here with around 75 or 80 being sy birds . My latest nest check 5-31-2012 shows 110 pair have layed eggs( active nest ) approx 40 pair still need to lay, and @ this point I have 560 eggs and babies . Several Martins are still bringing in leaves and nest building and this usually goes on for another week and a half. I have been told by many that I live in the middle of the purple martins flyway and I now believe that this is a true statement by many. I did try an experiment a few years ago that I'm wondering if it really worked for me on making my super colony . I have a loud speaker outdoors on a tall pole that I used when getting martins to check my place out in the spring time years ago. I got a brite idea and thought why not try the speaker out in the fall time to get the migrating martins to get to know my place too ? What happened was incredible !! Migrating Purple Martins by the hundreds came out of the clouds while they headed south . Hundreds of martins came to take a break and to get to know my place . I also noticed that the migrating martins would fly down as if they were trying to get the martins ( out of the speaker ) to join them on the way south ?? I don't know what all worked but I do know that this didn't hurt me getting started . Also having good mentors doesn't hurt a thing like Victor Stoll and Therman Seber . For those of you trying to get started in martins, why would you do it on your own when you can ask any good mentor about the mistakes they made along the way ? It was also this forum that helps me in many ways to give me encouragement to keep going with a super colony when it's more than I can handle. Have a great Purple Martin Year !

[jeffwilliams72]

Dan, it is really cool to hear of your great success with hosting PMs.
Last year I had 2 sy pairs restart my colony after a brush with success in '08. This year so far, there are 7 active nests in my 26 cavities offered.
I have also seen an influx of sy's over the past week, I am hoping they settle in and raise babies. I am excited to have the time this weekend to lower my racks and see what the egg, and nest count is up to.
Like you, I also played the horn speaker last year after mine left. I did pull in quite a few PMs during migration. Even if the investigating migrators don't decide to live at my place next season, it is still alot of fun to extend the season a little.
Please keep us posted on your super-colony, I really appreciate hearing about other Hoosier landlords and what is happening at their colonies.

[MingjoMartins]

All - that is great to know, as I have a friend in southern Indiana who is doing everything right but has not yet found success.

If anyone is reading this post and is near Hanover or Madison Indiana please contact me I would love to see if there are colonies near my friend in southern Indiana.

JohnM