We purchased a white aluminum, 12 room martin house with a telescoping pole about 5-6 years ago. We have never had any martins nest in it, but sparrows love it. It is located in a good open area. I have read many of the FAQ's and forum messages on this site. There are alot of things we have not been doing right, and we are working on that. Like clearing out the undesirable nests regularly, etc. I too was under the imprssion you didn't disturb the house until you cleaned it out in the winter, preparing it for spring. But this is not what I need help with.
Two years ago, we had a pair of martins nest on top of a column under a stoop on our side porch. She laid 5 eggs, 4 of the martins lived, and one was sickly and was expelled from the nest and died. We were so excited to see them we were afraid to disturb the nest, even though they made a terrible mess. Odd thing is, this is the main side entrance to our home, with a lot of daily foot traffic. The nest was only 7 ft. off the porch and 9 ft. off the ground. Every time we went out the door, mom and/or dad took off. We really thought they would not like being disturbed so much.
But, lo and behold, they have returned this year. They built a nest on the same column. I moved our martin house from the open field to an area right beside the porch. The multiroom house is still on the pole, lowered to about 9 ft, and positioned only about 1.5 ft. away from their chosen nesting site. After the nest was about 1/2 complete, I moved the nest to one of the compartments in the martin house. I then put something up on the top of that column to keep them from rebuilding the nest there. Instead of moving to the martin house as I had hoped, they moved to the other column and built their nest there. Its about 3/4 finished. I don't want to disturb it now, for fear of discouraging them and scaring them off. I thought maybe after her eggs hatched, I might relocate the nest to the martin house again to see if they follow the nest. What is the best thing to do to, and more importantly, what not to do.
Help Relocating Nesting Pair
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loco for purple
- Posts: 187
- Joined: Tue Mar 22, 2005 7:06 pm
- Location: arlington/texas
Beaver,
Welcome to the forum,I"m pretty sure the reason you are not having success relocating the martins is because they are not martins that are nesting on the columns.What you have there are barnswallows they don't nest in houses.They nest in culverts under the eaves of houses,barns ect..
and on columms..Move your house back to were it was,out in the open and try to control the house sparrows if you want to atract martins.I<M sure someone here will post a picture of a barnswllow so you can compare it to a martin.Good luck... and continue trying we will help you out..also I wish I had some barnies nesting at my front door would not mind the mess...
Welcome to the forum,I"m pretty sure the reason you are not having success relocating the martins is because they are not martins that are nesting on the columns.What you have there are barnswallows they don't nest in houses.They nest in culverts under the eaves of houses,barns ect..
and on columms..Move your house back to were it was,out in the open and try to control the house sparrows if you want to atract martins.I<M sure someone here will post a picture of a barnswllow so you can compare it to a martin.Good luck... and continue trying we will help you out..also I wish I had some barnies nesting at my front door would not mind the mess...
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Guest
Well, I'll be darned. Lots of reading, but I never bothered to look at any pictures. I just assumed that the blue/purple sheen, pointed tail feathers, and swift flight were characteristics of the purple martin. But, indeed, I looked up some pictures of barnswallows, and thats what we have. Hmm, now, to evict them or not? Reading about the barnswallows look like they are almost as desirable as the purple martins. I will definitely put my martin house back to the open field and start practicing some of the the proper martin etiquette. THANKS!
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loco for purple
- Posts: 187
- Joined: Tue Mar 22, 2005 7:06 pm
- Location: arlington/texas
Please don't evict the barnies.I know that they make a mess,but they are somewhat like martins in that they return to nest year after year to the same location.Like I said before I wish I had some barnies nesting at my house.Also, were are you located, maybe your location might have something to do with why you don't have martins.Also it could be because
of all those sparrows that are nesting in that housing.House sparrows do not make good neighbors for martins.If a martin were to investigate the housing I gurantee you the house sparrows would scare it off.Keep reading and good luck.......
of all those sparrows that are nesting in that housing.House sparrows do not make good neighbors for martins.If a martin were to investigate the housing I gurantee you the house sparrows would scare it off.Keep reading and good luck.......
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roblrich
I wouldn't evict the Barn Swallows either. But if you don't want them back next year, block the way to where they are building the nest.
That reminded me of when I was in the 3rd grade many years ago. I had a teacher who loved birds, and part of the class assignment one week was to divide our class into several three-four student sections, and we all had to study and report on a particular species of bird. My group was assigned the Barn Swallow. Haha, the table next to mine got stuck with the 'English Sparrow'.
I don't have any barn swallows on my property, although they do fly in daily to partake of the crushed oyster shell. Get a few of them, a few Tree Swallows and a few martins together, with a robin chasing a blue jay, a mockingbird chasing and harassing a bluebird away from the mealworms, and you have a dandy air show. Sort of like a busy airport with no air traffic controller.
That reminded me of when I was in the 3rd grade many years ago. I had a teacher who loved birds, and part of the class assignment one week was to divide our class into several three-four student sections, and we all had to study and report on a particular species of bird. My group was assigned the Barn Swallow. Haha, the table next to mine got stuck with the 'English Sparrow'.
I don't have any barn swallows on my property, although they do fly in daily to partake of the crushed oyster shell. Get a few of them, a few Tree Swallows and a few martins together, with a robin chasing a blue jay, a mockingbird chasing and harassing a bluebird away from the mealworms, and you have a dandy air show. Sort of like a busy airport with no air traffic controller.