So far we have no martins some have passed by . We can't figure out what happened.. Why is it when you have 3 houses they only go to one? We have
3 houses and gourds . Usually we have always had from 2-6 pairs for the past 50 years and this year nada..... We think it may be that at the end of the season last year they got aggressive and left early. We thought maybe it was a snake.... Any ideas or suggestions?
No marting 1st time in 50 years ???
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Guest
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Donnie Hurdt MN
- Posts: 1723
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2004 11:14 pm
- Location: North Prairie, MN
I find it unusuall that there have been only two to six pair nesting in a great looking site like this for fifty years. Your coloney should be much bigger. Are there any signs of predation like feathers from martins or maby some owl feathers laying around? Maby a martin wing or two? Do you do nest checks to see if there are any snakes lurking inside your housing? I would do a little snooping around, you might be suprised what you come up with.
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................
Your set up and houses look really good.
I'm a newbie this year but I've read that Martin's don't like to be too close to bushes or trees. I was wondering if the bird feeders and the stands that they are on may be too close for the PM's to feel comfortable. I know your bushes are small but snakes could hide in them. I think the area on the ground around the houses should be clear.
But, like I said, I am new to this forum and certainly I am no expert. So, like my mom always says, "take it with a grain of salt". What in the world does that mean anyway?!
Maybe your PM's are just a little late this year. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.
Jeanne
I'm a newbie this year but I've read that Martin's don't like to be too close to bushes or trees. I was wondering if the bird feeders and the stands that they are on may be too close for the PM's to feel comfortable. I know your bushes are small but snakes could hide in them. I think the area on the ground around the houses should be clear.
But, like I said, I am new to this forum and certainly I am no expert. So, like my mom always says, "take it with a grain of salt". What in the world does that mean anyway?!
Maybe your PM's are just a little late this year. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.
Jeanne
"Look at the birds in the sky. They do not sow or reap, yet your heavenly Father feeds them."
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Guest
Slustig,
I am not sure whats going on this year. Last year I had 7 pairs which 5 of those were asy males. I had around 22 all together staying here. I fledged 28 last year with no attacks. I have counted as high as 40 or so flying around, landing ect before they left last year.
This year so far I have seen one asy male that landed and went out to raise the houses from half mass. He flew to the house closest to me as to say "Hey I remember you". We'll he took off and I have only seen him do a couple fly bye's in the last few days. I saw one sy or asy female slip into one of the back compartments tonight before dark. Going to keep an eye on that tomorrow, see if it stays.
But after the success I had last year and to have just seen a couple / with one slipping in this evening. I CAN"T FIGURE IT OUT!!!!!!
The only thing I can think of is watching the migration map is they were sort of at a stand still toward the southern tip of Illinois and farther south for a couple weeks. We had some really cold weather come through and some really bad storms down that way.
I went to a colony that usually has two pair asy. I only saw one asy male and he had a battle on his hands with all those sparrows chasing him around. I think that asy male just showed up in the last couple days.
So I am hoping they will still be coming and that nothing has happened to them. As they just want to see me sweat it out...
If anyone in the illinois area that has had asy's that aren't back yet, please let me know. Thanks a bunch!
Good luck to all!
craig
I am not sure whats going on this year. Last year I had 7 pairs which 5 of those were asy males. I had around 22 all together staying here. I fledged 28 last year with no attacks. I have counted as high as 40 or so flying around, landing ect before they left last year.
This year so far I have seen one asy male that landed and went out to raise the houses from half mass. He flew to the house closest to me as to say "Hey I remember you". We'll he took off and I have only seen him do a couple fly bye's in the last few days. I saw one sy or asy female slip into one of the back compartments tonight before dark. Going to keep an eye on that tomorrow, see if it stays.
But after the success I had last year and to have just seen a couple / with one slipping in this evening. I CAN"T FIGURE IT OUT!!!!!!
The only thing I can think of is watching the migration map is they were sort of at a stand still toward the southern tip of Illinois and farther south for a couple weeks. We had some really cold weather come through and some really bad storms down that way.
I went to a colony that usually has two pair asy. I only saw one asy male and he had a battle on his hands with all those sparrows chasing him around. I think that asy male just showed up in the last couple days.
So I am hoping they will still be coming and that nothing has happened to them. As they just want to see me sweat it out...
If anyone in the illinois area that has had asy's that aren't back yet, please let me know. Thanks a bunch!
Good luck to all!
craig
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Guest
It's bizarre. I've got the same situation. Successful, if modest, colony. Plenty of PMs in the area. No one taking residence.
I guess it's just the screwed up weather.
I guess it's just the screwed up weather.
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Emil Pampell-Tx
- Posts: 6743
- Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 1:26 pm
- Location: Tx, Richmond (SW of Houston)
- Martin Colony History: First started in Gretna, La in 1969 with a small homemade house, have had martins ever since at 2 different homes in Texas
slustig, your site looks wonderful. With such a nice looking site, your housing should be loaded with martins. Do you have predator guards of any kind? Can you raise & lower the housing? It helps very much if you can raise & lower the housing, you can see the nests, the eggs, the babies, and if something disappears, then you can figure out for yourself what is happening.
Here are the two most probable causes:
1) snakes - they can climb the pole, as can racoons, and both will eat the martins, the eggs, and your martins will abandon your site
2)owls - they come at night, reach into the houses, grab the martins, and then the martins abandon your site.
Suggestions:
1) modify your housing so that you can raise & lower it with a winch. Your houses look heavy so this is quite a chore, but you will forever be happy with it if you do it.
2)Very definitely you need predator guards. There are many types, I use 4ft fo 8in pvc pipe, others use an electric fence, others use baffles of some sort, some use bird netting that is wrapped into balls on the pole and the snake gets hung up in it
3)If you have owls, some things can be done to discourage them. Looking at your housing, the easiest thing to do would be to put some yard fence around the houses (the yard fence has openings that are 2in x 4in). The martins can get thru that but the owls would have a lot more trouble reaching them.
Another thing that helps if you have owls is to make the rooms 6inches x 12inches deep. This protects the martins much better, and gives the martins more room also.
This may sound like more work than you care to do, but these ideas do work, and you could nearly fill up your houses if you do all of these.
I have had martins for over 35 years, and my housing was made about like yours. I changed all of that about 13 years ago, made the houses so I could raise & lower them, and now I use gourds, the gourd rack is raised & lowered with a winch. Good luck, your site is so nice..
Here are the two most probable causes:
1) snakes - they can climb the pole, as can racoons, and both will eat the martins, the eggs, and your martins will abandon your site
2)owls - they come at night, reach into the houses, grab the martins, and then the martins abandon your site.
Suggestions:
1) modify your housing so that you can raise & lower it with a winch. Your houses look heavy so this is quite a chore, but you will forever be happy with it if you do it.
2)Very definitely you need predator guards. There are many types, I use 4ft fo 8in pvc pipe, others use an electric fence, others use baffles of some sort, some use bird netting that is wrapped into balls on the pole and the snake gets hung up in it
3)If you have owls, some things can be done to discourage them. Looking at your housing, the easiest thing to do would be to put some yard fence around the houses (the yard fence has openings that are 2in x 4in). The martins can get thru that but the owls would have a lot more trouble reaching them.
Another thing that helps if you have owls is to make the rooms 6inches x 12inches deep. This protects the martins much better, and gives the martins more room also.
This may sound like more work than you care to do, but these ideas do work, and you could nearly fill up your houses if you do all of these.
I have had martins for over 35 years, and my housing was made about like yours. I changed all of that about 13 years ago, made the houses so I could raise & lower them, and now I use gourds, the gourd rack is raised & lowered with a winch. Good luck, your site is so nice..
slustig,
You martin houses are great! The steamboat martin house is classic!
One thing that should be interesting to see, is what impact Katrina had on martin colonies in the southern part of the country. There are many states, including Arkansas, that I'm sure had martins using the Lake Ponchetrain roost that got hit so hard. One can only hope that the martins were able to steer clear of the storm, but there may have been some still there at the time of impact.
You martin houses are great! The steamboat martin house is classic!
One thing that should be interesting to see, is what impact Katrina had on martin colonies in the southern part of the country. There are many states, including Arkansas, that I'm sure had martins using the Lake Ponchetrain roost that got hit so hard. One can only hope that the martins were able to steer clear of the storm, but there may have been some still there at the time of impact.
