I have done a search and havent found an answer yet so here goes. I have seen a few Martins in my area but none on or around my house. I have a lot of starlings in my area but have SREH and have seen no starlings on or near my house. Is just having starlings in some nearby trees enough to keep PMs from using my sight or will they nest as long as the starlings cant get inside there house? I started the dawn songs this week so maybe this will help.
Thanks
Flyin-lowe
Yet another starling question.
My impression is that martins do not consider starlings to be a threat until it comes down to fighting for nest cavities, hence it is most unlikely the mere sight of starlings will chase off prospective martins.
To put things in perspective, our first martins get back in late January/early February. At that time there are around 5,000 starlings still at a winter roost at the mall about a 1/2 mile up the road. Hundreds of starlings fly right over the gourdsets and at times perch in trees close to our colony. In fact, about fifty roost in those same trees.
Now the big roost has broken up, but yesterday I counted 23 starlings in a flock on the playing fields adjacent to our colony. A big thank you to the unsung heroes who devised SREH.
Mike Scully
To put things in perspective, our first martins get back in late January/early February. At that time there are around 5,000 starlings still at a winter roost at the mall about a 1/2 mile up the road. Hundreds of starlings fly right over the gourdsets and at times perch in trees close to our colony. In fact, about fifty roost in those same trees.
Now the big roost has broken up, but yesterday I counted 23 starlings in a flock on the playing fields adjacent to our colony. A big thank you to the unsung heroes who devised SREH.
Mike Scully