The TRES and the BB's are getting along nicely in their homes (4 of 8 BB boxes are inhabited) with 4 baby BB's fledging this week (out of 1 box) and three boxes with TRES eggs.
Patience grasshopper patience!
NW Wisc. - have not yet observed a PM in my area
I know it's going to take a while but I guess I'm surprised I have even seen one PM yet. Are they not up here yet?
The TRES and the BB's are getting along nicely in their homes (4 of 8 BB boxes are inhabited) with 4 baby BB's fledging this week (out of 1 box) and three boxes with TRES eggs.
Patience grasshopper patience!
The TRES and the BB's are getting along nicely in their homes (4 of 8 BB boxes are inhabited) with 4 baby BB's fledging this week (out of 1 box) and three boxes with TRES eggs.
Patience grasshopper patience!
Tim , how far are your BBs and your tree's from each other and also how far are they from your purple Martin housing?
Besides being cavity dwellers, BBs and trees are also very territorial they should be kept a good distance from each other and from your Martin's!
As for me, I would not even have BBs or trees until after I have a Martin colony established. They are all great birds but do not establish well together, especially if you're in a low population Martin area.
Ed
Besides being cavity dwellers, BBs and trees are also very territorial they should be kept a good distance from each other and from your Martin's!
As for me, I would not even have BBs or trees until after I have a Martin colony established. They are all great birds but do not establish well together, especially if you're in a low population Martin area.
Ed
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Barry Wallace
- Posts: 29
- Joined: Wed Feb 22, 2012 9:29 am
- Location: (Wisconsin) Cumberland
Hi Jim, most of the adults have arrived here in NW WI. The second year birds have just started arriving in the last week or so. Their is a great mentor right next to you in Barron, might be worth having her take a look at your site and see if she has any suggestions. You can get her contact information from Tom Rank, WI Purple Martin Association.
Landlord since 1987
I think they all stopped here in SE Wisconsin. I seemed to have cornered the market this year on Whitewater Lake.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJc_dFS1Kdc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJc_dFS1Kdc
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4th Gen Martin Fan
- Posts: 1498
- Joined: Thu Jul 04, 2013 1:19 pm
- Location: TN/Collierville
- Martin Colony History: I have been exposed to purple martin sounds in utero when my mother went out to get my father away from his martin colony.
I played around the martin colony every summer and watched as my father maintained his colony. In the late 50's until the 70's he did not notice European Starlings in south Texas.
When old enough, I helped maintain his colony. My primary task was eliminating English House Sparrows with a 1956 Benjamin 317 .177 air rifle.
When I settled into my own home, I started my first colony with an original Trio Castle and Trio Grandpa. When I moved again, I did not put up any martin houses. Frustration with European Starlings in the Southeast US was overwhelming.
Found PMCA Forum and learned about modern enlarged compartments and SREHs.
Inherited my father's last martin house, a Trio Grandma, modified it to modern specifications and have had good results since then.
Norton,
What a great looking T14 in a wonderful site.
That is an impressive number of martins swarming around T14 with 8? gourds underneath.
In the video, I was wondering if they would ever settle down on the house and gourds.
My wife was listening in the background and asked me, "How many martins is that?!" I told her that I could not tell. Too many to count.
Mark.
What a great looking T14 in a wonderful site.
That is an impressive number of martins swarming around T14 with 8? gourds underneath.
In the video, I was wondering if they would ever settle down on the house and gourds.
My wife was listening in the background and asked me, "How many martins is that?!" I told her that I could not tell. Too many to count.
Mark.
Mark.
Firm believer in HOSP/EUST Control, Enlarged Compartments, SREHs, Pole Predator Guards, Owl/Hawk Guards, Mite/Parasite Control, Housing Insulation, and Vents for Compartment Cooling.
PMCA Member.
Firm believer in HOSP/EUST Control, Enlarged Compartments, SREHs, Pole Predator Guards, Owl/Hawk Guards, Mite/Parasite Control, Housing Insulation, and Vents for Compartment Cooling.
PMCA Member.
I have a plastic house on the end of my pier with 6 compartments. That's the first place I got martins about 4 years ago. That fills up fast. Then they started to nest in my T-14. I added 4 gourds and now 8. Seems I had to get them started on the pier end first. I wish I didn't have the one at the end of the pier because its always a fight to get the pier in on time for the martins to arrive. However if its not broken don't fix it. The starling resistant holes solve the starling problem but I have to deal with some sparrows every year. I have shot two this year and trapped with nesting material 3. I did not see one sparrow this weekend. After trying for 10 years to get martins its a real pleasure to sit and watch them.
I do have 8 gourds. The first 4 are on the usual rods you can buy from the PM store. The next four I hung from the lower porch with a clip angle and some hooked rods onto the gourd holes.
When I took this video the housing was leaning. I screwed in an earth anchor and put a come along from the pole to the anchor. That pulled the housing plumb really easy. Its a good cheap way to straighten the housing if anyone is interested.
I do have 8 gourds. The first 4 are on the usual rods you can buy from the PM store. The next four I hung from the lower porch with a clip angle and some hooked rods onto the gourd holes.
When I took this video the housing was leaning. I screwed in an earth anchor and put a come along from the pole to the anchor. That pulled the housing plumb really easy. Its a good cheap way to straighten the housing if anyone is interested.
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4th Gen Martin Fan
- Posts: 1498
- Joined: Thu Jul 04, 2013 1:19 pm
- Location: TN/Collierville
- Martin Colony History: I have been exposed to purple martin sounds in utero when my mother went out to get my father away from his martin colony.
I played around the martin colony every summer and watched as my father maintained his colony. In the late 50's until the 70's he did not notice European Starlings in south Texas.
When old enough, I helped maintain his colony. My primary task was eliminating English House Sparrows with a 1956 Benjamin 317 .177 air rifle.
When I settled into my own home, I started my first colony with an original Trio Castle and Trio Grandpa. When I moved again, I did not put up any martin houses. Frustration with European Starlings in the Southeast US was overwhelming.
Found PMCA Forum and learned about modern enlarged compartments and SREHs.
Inherited my father's last martin house, a Trio Grandma, modified it to modern specifications and have had good results since then.
Norton,
Great report which should be an encouragement to anyone starting a new colony. Persistence and patience.
I got a glimpse of your martin house on the pier at :12 mark of the video. It was busy also.
The martins really like a body of water close by. What a nice lake!
The anchor and come-along sounds like something my father would do. It is a testament of the laminated pole which your T14 is mounted on. I doubt that an aluminum 3" square pole could withstand that torque.
Mark.
Great report which should be an encouragement to anyone starting a new colony. Persistence and patience.
I got a glimpse of your martin house on the pier at :12 mark of the video. It was busy also.
The martins really like a body of water close by. What a nice lake!
The anchor and come-along sounds like something my father would do. It is a testament of the laminated pole which your T14 is mounted on. I doubt that an aluminum 3" square pole could withstand that torque.
Mark.
Mark.
Firm believer in HOSP/EUST Control, Enlarged Compartments, SREHs, Pole Predator Guards, Owl/Hawk Guards, Mite/Parasite Control, Housing Insulation, and Vents for Compartment Cooling.
PMCA Member.
Firm believer in HOSP/EUST Control, Enlarged Compartments, SREHs, Pole Predator Guards, Owl/Hawk Guards, Mite/Parasite Control, Housing Insulation, and Vents for Compartment Cooling.
PMCA Member.
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Henry Limpet
- Posts: 122
- Joined: Mon Jan 12, 2015 3:48 pm
- Location: IN./Howe, via the s/w side of Chicago
- Martin Colony History: Trendsetter-8. Set up in 2014 at my summer cottage, a beautiful natural inland lake in N.E. Indiana's Amish Country. T-8 is on cleared land behind my pole barn and adjacent to a farmer's field
2015: Had several flyovers in early June with 1 dedicated SYM visitor who visited each day for well over a month. He brought by a few PM "parades", with 8-12 PM's who would visit all at once, but soon leave. (Added 2 gourds to bottom of the T-8). We discovered a large (Amish) colony apx. 3/4 mile South of our T-8. We think this will eventually be our "feeder" colony.
2016: Put up a Trio G'Pa lakeside. Overall, not as much interest as 2015, likely because of our vacation to Gulf Shores, AL. in early June.
2017: Finally switched over to wheat straw. Success!! One nesting pair. Fledged 4!
2018: Zilch.
2019: Slow start, nothing observed by mid June. Wet, cold Spring a factor??
2020: Barely any sightings.
2021: Several observed high in the sky, eating. No interest so far!
Hi Jim,
I noticed just a few PM's for the first time yesterday. Still no interest in our setup just yet. We trapped one female HOSP over the weekend and removed her nest, which had one egg in it. Nest wasn't there four days ago, so she was just getting underway.
We had an American Bald Eagle perform a back and forth flyover on Memorial Day morning, directly above the PM house. Very humbling, indeed (Thank you, Veterans). I told my son that the Eagle was going to have him for breakfast, until I showed up.
Before we left for home, we repositioned the decoys and are hoping for the best on our next visit. Time will tell!
Norton: You have me thinking. . . . I might have to put a small gourd setup down by the water, in order to attract some to our rear lot. I was wondering, how close is the nearest tree to that PM house in the video? Thanks.
I noticed just a few PM's for the first time yesterday. Still no interest in our setup just yet. We trapped one female HOSP over the weekend and removed her nest, which had one egg in it. Nest wasn't there four days ago, so she was just getting underway.
We had an American Bald Eagle perform a back and forth flyover on Memorial Day morning, directly above the PM house. Very humbling, indeed (Thank you, Veterans). I told my son that the Eagle was going to have him for breakfast, until I showed up.
Before we left for home, we repositioned the decoys and are hoping for the best on our next visit. Time will tell!
Norton: You have me thinking. . . . I might have to put a small gourd setup down by the water, in order to attract some to our rear lot. I was wondering, how close is the nearest tree to that PM house in the video? Thanks.
Be careful how you wish . . for wishes can come true . . be sure that every wish you make is one that's right for you!
Good point about the pole being strong enough. My pole is made from an aluminum beam. I own a concrete forming business and there are a lot of aluminum beams used in deck construction. They retail for $20 per foot but can be bought wholesale for $6 per foot. They can take a lot of pulling.
One more thing that I think worked for me was for years I used the dawn song tape. Then I switched to daytime chatter. I was successful with the daytime chatter.
One more thing that I think worked for me was for years I used the dawn song tape. Then I switched to daytime chatter. I was successful with the daytime chatter.
Good point about the pole being strong enough. My pole is made from an aluminum beam. I own a concrete forming business and there are a lot of aluminum beams used in deck construction. They retail for $20 per foot but can be bought wholesale for $6 per foot. They can take a lot of pulling.
One more thing that I think worked for me was for years I used the dawn song tape. Then I switched to daytime chatter. I was successful with the daytime chatter.
One more thing that I think worked for me was for years I used the dawn song tape. Then I switched to daytime chatter. I was successful with the daytime chatter.
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4th Gen Martin Fan
- Posts: 1498
- Joined: Thu Jul 04, 2013 1:19 pm
- Location: TN/Collierville
- Martin Colony History: I have been exposed to purple martin sounds in utero when my mother went out to get my father away from his martin colony.
I played around the martin colony every summer and watched as my father maintained his colony. In the late 50's until the 70's he did not notice European Starlings in south Texas.
When old enough, I helped maintain his colony. My primary task was eliminating English House Sparrows with a 1956 Benjamin 317 .177 air rifle.
When I settled into my own home, I started my first colony with an original Trio Castle and Trio Grandpa. When I moved again, I did not put up any martin houses. Frustration with European Starlings in the Southeast US was overwhelming.
Found PMCA Forum and learned about modern enlarged compartments and SREHs.
Inherited my father's last martin house, a Trio Grandma, modified it to modern specifications and have had good results since then.
Norton,
I never thought about an aluminum I-beam? for a pole. What a great idea. It could easily be adapted to the T14. Genius!
If I ever made a T14 I think that would be the way to go. But alas I am only in the dreaming phase.
Mark.
I never thought about an aluminum I-beam? for a pole. What a great idea. It could easily be adapted to the T14. Genius!
If I ever made a T14 I think that would be the way to go. But alas I am only in the dreaming phase.
Mark.
Last edited by 4th Gen Martin Fan on Tue May 26, 2015 8:43 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Mark.
Firm believer in HOSP/EUST Control, Enlarged Compartments, SREHs, Pole Predator Guards, Owl/Hawk Guards, Mite/Parasite Control, Housing Insulation, and Vents for Compartment Cooling.
PMCA Member.
Firm believer in HOSP/EUST Control, Enlarged Compartments, SREHs, Pole Predator Guards, Owl/Hawk Guards, Mite/Parasite Control, Housing Insulation, and Vents for Compartment Cooling.
PMCA Member.
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tlragsdale
- Posts: 218
- Joined: Wed Jul 24, 2013 12:22 pm
- Location: Wisconsin/New Richmond
Jim----we're just north of Hudson (New Richmond), and have seen more PM's this year than any previous ones. First visitor arrived here on April 20th.
This morning, several subadult males were giving the couple of pair on our Gemini rack a fit. Hope you seen some arrivals, soon.
This morning, several subadult males were giving the couple of pair on our Gemini rack a fit. Hope you seen some arrivals, soon.
Terry & Michelle
New Richmond, WI
2005 - 2014 Hard luck stories
2015 - 2 pair, 12 eggs/12 fledglings
2016 - 6 pair, 35 eggs/35 fledged
2017 - 18 pair, 88 eggs / 85 fledged.
2018 - 23 pair, 119 eggs/115 fledged.
2019 - 31 pair, 137 eggs/133 fledged
New Richmond, WI
2005 - 2014 Hard luck stories
2015 - 2 pair, 12 eggs/12 fledglings
2016 - 6 pair, 35 eggs/35 fledged
2017 - 18 pair, 88 eggs / 85 fledged.
2018 - 23 pair, 119 eggs/115 fledged.
2019 - 31 pair, 137 eggs/133 fledged
Ed- I have no trees nearby and the closest BB house is approx. 150 feet.
Barry - I live a bit south of Rice Lake in the country and will make contact with Tom. Thanks for the tip!
tirag - I know I have to be patient. It's OK!
I'll try to post a picture of our "backyard"......
Barry - I live a bit south of Rice Lake in the country and will make contact with Tom. Thanks for the tip!
tirag - I know I have to be patient. It's OK!
I'll try to post a picture of our "backyard"......
- Attachments
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- Our lower backyard area taken from our deck and looking east. Note BB houses on RS and LS. They are on our property border.
- Pan 800.jpg (56.64 KiB) Viewed 5006 times
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Henry Limpet
- Posts: 122
- Joined: Mon Jan 12, 2015 3:48 pm
- Location: IN./Howe, via the s/w side of Chicago
- Martin Colony History: Trendsetter-8. Set up in 2014 at my summer cottage, a beautiful natural inland lake in N.E. Indiana's Amish Country. T-8 is on cleared land behind my pole barn and adjacent to a farmer's field
2015: Had several flyovers in early June with 1 dedicated SYM visitor who visited each day for well over a month. He brought by a few PM "parades", with 8-12 PM's who would visit all at once, but soon leave. (Added 2 gourds to bottom of the T-8). We discovered a large (Amish) colony apx. 3/4 mile South of our T-8. We think this will eventually be our "feeder" colony.
2016: Put up a Trio G'Pa lakeside. Overall, not as much interest as 2015, likely because of our vacation to Gulf Shores, AL. in early June.
2017: Finally switched over to wheat straw. Success!! One nesting pair. Fledged 4!
2018: Zilch.
2019: Slow start, nothing observed by mid June. Wet, cold Spring a factor??
2020: Barely any sightings.
2021: Several observed high in the sky, eating. No interest so far!
Breathtaking photo, awesome spread you have there!!
Be careful how you wish . . for wishes can come true . . be sure that every wish you make is one that's right for you!
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Anthony Neira
- Posts: 1319
- Joined: Wed Jan 15, 2014 1:12 pm
- Location: San Antonio /Texas
- Martin Colony History: Started in 1992 From neighbors old 1950-60's colonies. Have 8 Trio 6 Room Houses, 4 MPP Poles, 1 Heath Deluxe Gourd with Troyer Porch, 8 NatureLine Gourds with Troyer Porches, 5 Troyer Horizontals ,& 2 S&K 11" WITH Troyer Porches ready for 2019 Season !
Holy Cow ! Jim ! No, Really ! Holy Cow ! 
Man! Your place is Beautiful ! I want to be a Cow there ! good Luck with your PMs !
Man! Your place is Beautiful ! I want to be a Cow there ! good Luck with your PMs !PMCA Member, 8 Trio 6 Room Houses, 1 Heath Deluxe Gourd with Troyer Porch, 8 NatureLine Gourds with Troyer Porches, 5 Troyer Horizontals + Tunnels, & 2 S&K Bo 11"s WITH Troyer Porches ! 4 MPPs, For 2019 Season !! Started in 1992 from Older '50-'60s Colonies.
Started in 1992 from Older '50-'60s Colonies.