Looks like this year is not my year....
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LonesomeDuck
- Posts: 59
- Joined: Tue Nov 10, 2015 5:04 pm
- Location: Arcadia, IN
- Martin Colony History: 2016- Some visitors on my Trendsetter 12, no nesting pairs yet.
2017- More visitors, still no nesting pairs yet.
2018- Added Troyer Horizontal gourds and moved house to more open location. One nesting pair of subadults! 2 eggs, 1 egg hatched.
2019- added Gemini gourd rack. 2 pairs, 10 eggs, 10 hatched.
Long story short, I've played the dawn song, put up a Trendsetter 12 house, killed all the sparrows and starlings that I could, but have yet to see any martins visit my house. I haven't even seen any martins up in the sky this year. I've lived at this place for about a year now, and have only seen one purple martin in the sky one day last fall. I think there is an established colony roughly 4 miles east of me, but I guess they don't travel that far in a normal day from their nest? Just so frustrating as I think my property has an ideal set up (creek, plenty of open space, etc.) and I have tons of tree swallows and barn swallows, but no purple martins as far as the eye can see.
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Mitch Booth
- Posts: 480
- Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2008 6:23 am
- Location: Akron, OH
- Martin Colony History: 2012 - 0
2013 - 1 pair, 4 eggs, 2 fledged
2014 - 0
2015 - 1 pair, 5 died during week of rain
2016 - 0
2017 - 1 pair, 4 eggs, 4 fledged
2018 - 4 pair, 19 eggs, 19 fledged
2019 - 7 pair
2020 - 17 pair
We are in the same boat LonesomeDuck. We still have till mid June here in the midwest. Keep playing that Dawnsong and IF birds are in the area they WILL investigate your housing. I know this for the simple fact during the last part of July and August I literally have thousands of birds come into my site within 15 minutes of playing the Dawnsong. I live about a mile away as the crow flies from the Nimisila Pre-migratory roost.
DO NOT let any of the tree swallows occupy a gourd or cavity where your martins will nest. They WILL control the whole housing and your chance of martins will be zero. Best defense is to have the TRES on a shepards hook 25-35 feet away from your housing and they will defend the PM housing from other TRES that may try to nest there.
Keep us posted.
Mitch
DO NOT let any of the tree swallows occupy a gourd or cavity where your martins will nest. They WILL control the whole housing and your chance of martins will be zero. Best defense is to have the TRES on a shepards hook 25-35 feet away from your housing and they will defend the PM housing from other TRES that may try to nest there.
Keep us posted.
Mitch
2020 - 17 pair 77 eggs 69 fledged
2019 - 7 pair
2018 - 4 pair 19 eggs, 19 fledged
2017 - 1 pair 4 eggs, 4 fledged
2016 - 0 only visits
2015 - 1 pair 5 eggs, 5 hatched, 5 dead on days 6-7
2014 - 0 only visits
2013 - 1 pair 3 eggs, 2 hatched, 2 fledged
2012 - 0
2019 - 7 pair
2018 - 4 pair 19 eggs, 19 fledged
2017 - 1 pair 4 eggs, 4 fledged
2016 - 0 only visits
2015 - 1 pair 5 eggs, 5 hatched, 5 dead on days 6-7
2014 - 0 only visits
2013 - 1 pair 3 eggs, 2 hatched, 2 fledged
2012 - 0
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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!
We have plenty of time left. The SY invasion is just beginning to get underway. I am North-Northeast of you a short distance.
In 2015, I didn't observe my first PM until June 7th. Then, he (SY) came by each day for over a month! I use the daytime chatter CD, pretty much from late morning until late afternoon. It seems to work for me. I fooled some TS a few weeks ago playing that, and I didn't even have the volume turned up all that loudly.
It is difficult reading about established colonies and the successes of those who live in the South, but we have to remember that our 'window', as Northern wannabees, is only opened a crack.
Eyes to the skies!!!!
In 2015, I didn't observe my first PM until June 7th. Then, he (SY) came by each day for over a month! I use the daytime chatter CD, pretty much from late morning until late afternoon. It seems to work for me. I fooled some TS a few weeks ago playing that, and I didn't even have the volume turned up all that loudly.
It is difficult reading about established colonies and the successes of those who live in the South, but we have to remember that our 'window', as Northern wannabees, is only opened a crack.
Eyes to the skies!!!!
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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Peter Alberda
- Posts: 175
- Joined: Wed Feb 23, 2011 4:09 pm
- Location: Michigan, Zeeland
- Martin Colony History: Started with Amish copy of Trendsetter 12 room house, added Trio Grandpa with expanded rooms, and North Star 8. Taking Trendsetter down this spring and adding gourd rack.
Here in Michigan, the weather continues to be awful. It was snowing on me as I sat out there like an idiot yesterday. May 15 for heaven's sakes! But we persevere. If and when they come, it's wonderful! Keep the faith!!
2020 - A pair of SY birds with three nice chicks. Lots of visitors all year long.
2015-2019 - A few lookers.
2014 - ASY male and SY female fledged four chicks.
2013 - Several visitors but none stayed to nest.
2012 - Lots of visitors all season long. We had a pair of sys but no chicks survived.
2011 - New location - A few visitors
2010 - First year – Poor house location.
2015-2019 - A few lookers.
2014 - ASY male and SY female fledged four chicks.
2013 - Several visitors but none stayed to nest.
2012 - Lots of visitors all season long. We had a pair of sys but no chicks survived.
2011 - New location - A few visitors
2010 - First year – Poor house location.
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taxidermy lady
- Posts: 2988
- Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2014 10:21 am
- Location: IL/Ellis Grove
- Martin Colony History: Started trying to attract purple martins in 2012! It's finally happened in 2017! 5 years!!! ASY male and SY female came May 1st, fledged 5 babies!
It's crapy here too, I have roofing paper on and that's it. It's suppose to rain until tomorrow evening. Hope water stays out! 
poor martins hope there getting a few bugs here and there! 
poor martins hope there getting a few bugs here and there! Sharon from southern Illinois
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LonesomeDuck
- Posts: 59
- Joined: Tue Nov 10, 2015 5:04 pm
- Location: Arcadia, IN
- Martin Colony History: 2016- Some visitors on my Trendsetter 12, no nesting pairs yet.
2017- More visitors, still no nesting pairs yet.
2018- Added Troyer Horizontal gourds and moved house to more open location. One nesting pair of subadults! 2 eggs, 1 egg hatched.
2019- added Gemini gourd rack. 2 pairs, 10 eggs, 10 hatched.
The TRES nestboxes are ~150 yards north of my martin house so I think I'm ok there. I did see the tree swallows flying around my martin house the other day though so that freaked me out a bit.Mitch Booth wrote:
DO NOT let any of the tree swallows occupy a gourd or cavity where your martins will nest. They WILL control the whole housing and your chance of martins will be zero. Best defense is to have the TRES on a shepards hook 25-35 feet away from your housing and they will defend the PM housing from other TRES that may try to nest there.
Mitch
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~Ray~Gingerich
- Posts: 2122
- Joined: Mon Jan 05, 2004 10:24 pm
- Location: Delaware/Dover
The best thing to do if you want martins is to not let tree swallows nest on your property at all, after you have an established colony then you can let a few nest, have seen them defend territory 10x the protocol distance
~Ray~ Gingerich
1999 1pair, 2006 2 pair, 2008 2 pair,
2009 23 pair, 2010 39 pair, 2011 67 pair,
2012 115 pair, 2013 160 pair,
2014 152 pair, 2015 174 pair, 2016 178 pair
2017 187 pair, 2018 200 pair, 2019 171pair
2020 233 pair
1999 1pair, 2006 2 pair, 2008 2 pair,
2009 23 pair, 2010 39 pair, 2011 67 pair,
2012 115 pair, 2013 160 pair,
2014 152 pair, 2015 174 pair, 2016 178 pair
2017 187 pair, 2018 200 pair, 2019 171pair
2020 233 pair
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Mitch Booth
- Posts: 480
- Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2008 6:23 am
- Location: Akron, OH
- Martin Colony History: 2012 - 0
2013 - 1 pair, 4 eggs, 2 fledged
2014 - 0
2015 - 1 pair, 5 died during week of rain
2016 - 0
2017 - 1 pair, 4 eggs, 4 fledged
2018 - 4 pair, 19 eggs, 19 fledged
2019 - 7 pair
2020 - 17 pair
Ray I agree with you. Unfortunately this year I have eggs in 4 gourds hanging from Shepard poles 30-40 feet from each Martin housing system.
I'm going to close all openings in my bluebird houses next year. How do you recommend keeping the tree swallows away? They are persistent in wanting to take over a gourd on my T-14 and all gourd racks!! Should I just close all Martin cavities next year until the SY birds arrive and hope the tree swallows have moved on?
Any suggestions are helpful. I'm starting to think my site just isn't open enough. Your thoughts? The trees surround my entire 12 acre parcel and the pond is 1-1/2 acres in surface area. Do you think I'm too tree encroached? The pond is much larger in person. It's all I can do to cast a plastic 8 in worm 1/2 way across the pond. I have two gourd racks up to the left of beach and one gourd rack up to the right of beach half way to the end of pond. The nearest tree to this rack is approximately 120 feet to give you a better idea of the property. These things are hard to judge in a photo. The pool cabana behind house is 28x24 feet to give some sort of scale to photo.
To a martin this area probably looks awfully tree encroached? It has hard to really judge though because the pine trees to my west (left side of photo) and taller trees to the North (top of photo) have to be 300-450 feet away. So even though I think it is open with open flyways maybe the birds think the opposite. The two years I had a nesting pair they were just 40 feet off the front porch in the gourd racks to the left of the beach viewed from above.
Mitch
I'm going to close all openings in my bluebird houses next year. How do you recommend keeping the tree swallows away? They are persistent in wanting to take over a gourd on my T-14 and all gourd racks!! Should I just close all Martin cavities next year until the SY birds arrive and hope the tree swallows have moved on?
Any suggestions are helpful. I'm starting to think my site just isn't open enough. Your thoughts? The trees surround my entire 12 acre parcel and the pond is 1-1/2 acres in surface area. Do you think I'm too tree encroached? The pond is much larger in person. It's all I can do to cast a plastic 8 in worm 1/2 way across the pond. I have two gourd racks up to the left of beach and one gourd rack up to the right of beach half way to the end of pond. The nearest tree to this rack is approximately 120 feet to give you a better idea of the property. These things are hard to judge in a photo. The pool cabana behind house is 28x24 feet to give some sort of scale to photo.
To a martin this area probably looks awfully tree encroached? It has hard to really judge though because the pine trees to my west (left side of photo) and taller trees to the North (top of photo) have to be 300-450 feet away. So even though I think it is open with open flyways maybe the birds think the opposite. The two years I had a nesting pair they were just 40 feet off the front porch in the gourd racks to the left of the beach viewed from above.
Mitch
- Attachments
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- image.jpeg (101.04 KiB) Viewed 7953 times
2020 - 17 pair 77 eggs 69 fledged
2019 - 7 pair
2018 - 4 pair 19 eggs, 19 fledged
2017 - 1 pair 4 eggs, 4 fledged
2016 - 0 only visits
2015 - 1 pair 5 eggs, 5 hatched, 5 dead on days 6-7
2014 - 0 only visits
2013 - 1 pair 3 eggs, 2 hatched, 2 fledged
2012 - 0
2019 - 7 pair
2018 - 4 pair 19 eggs, 19 fledged
2017 - 1 pair 4 eggs, 4 fledged
2016 - 0 only visits
2015 - 1 pair 5 eggs, 5 hatched, 5 dead on days 6-7
2014 - 0 only visits
2013 - 1 pair 3 eggs, 2 hatched, 2 fledged
2012 - 0
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MamaBruff
- Posts: 1466
- Joined: Wed Mar 06, 2013 12:21 pm
- Location: SW Missouri
- Martin Colony History: 2013-2016 Unsuccessful at starting a PM colony. Health problems.
Rehomed all my PM stuff. Good Luck and Best Wishes to All.
Mitch, your site looks beautiful! How were you able to get that picture? Download off Google maps or something?
My site is similar only without the wonderful pond and pool. A lot of old growth trees and some pockets of forest around, but nothing close. All measurements within recommended tolerances per PMCA guidelines. If you (or I) had PMs once, we should have them again... Unless there was a predator problem we were unaware of, like an owl... what's the deal? We've done everything possible, and yet we wait and wait and wait. Generally it's this time of the season that we wannabes really ramp up the fretting. I have to keep reminding myself that the first year, I didn't see any action until Memorial Day weekend. But every year since then, just visitors. Even tried moving the system to a different ground stake, but still no takers. I don't know the answer. I have too much invested of myself (money, time, knowledge) in this to quit, though I sometimes think I should. It does get discouraging to work so hard with no reward. But there are plenty of others just like us. We have to keep doing the right thing, encouraging one another, learning, improving, controlling S&S, etc, and eventually our little Pioneers in Purple will arrive.
My site is similar only without the wonderful pond and pool. A lot of old growth trees and some pockets of forest around, but nothing close. All measurements within recommended tolerances per PMCA guidelines. If you (or I) had PMs once, we should have them again... Unless there was a predator problem we were unaware of, like an owl... what's the deal? We've done everything possible, and yet we wait and wait and wait. Generally it's this time of the season that we wannabes really ramp up the fretting. I have to keep reminding myself that the first year, I didn't see any action until Memorial Day weekend. But every year since then, just visitors. Even tried moving the system to a different ground stake, but still no takers. I don't know the answer. I have too much invested of myself (money, time, knowledge) in this to quit, though I sometimes think I should. It does get discouraging to work so hard with no reward. But there are plenty of others just like us. We have to keep doing the right thing, encouraging one another, learning, improving, controlling S&S, etc, and eventually our little Pioneers in Purple will arrive.
~Mary B~
Lifelong PM Admirer and Nature Enthusiast.
Ruthless trapper of S&S year round.
2013-2016 Unsuccessful at starting a PM colony. Health problems.
Rehomed all my PM stuff. Good Luck and Best Wishes to All.
Lifelong PM Admirer and Nature Enthusiast.
Ruthless trapper of S&S year round.
2013-2016 Unsuccessful at starting a PM colony. Health problems.
Rehomed all my PM stuff. Good Luck and Best Wishes to All.
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LonesomeDuck
- Posts: 59
- Joined: Tue Nov 10, 2015 5:04 pm
- Location: Arcadia, IN
- Martin Colony History: 2016- Some visitors on my Trendsetter 12, no nesting pairs yet.
2017- More visitors, still no nesting pairs yet.
2018- Added Troyer Horizontal gourds and moved house to more open location. One nesting pair of subadults! 2 eggs, 1 egg hatched.
2019- added Gemini gourd rack. 2 pairs, 10 eggs, 10 hatched.
Below is a picture of the layout of my property with the martin house and the tree swallow nestbox, any suggestions appreciated. A lot has changed since that picture was taken actually. The county came in and cleared the trees on the creek that bisects my property. Where the martin house is now has open flyways from many different directions, and is about ~100 feet from my house and ~60 feet from two large trees on to the north and south of it. The tree swallows (probably 4-5) mostly stay on the north side of the creek while the barn swallows (several dozen) fly all over my place.
Last edited by LonesomeDuck on Tue May 17, 2016 4:13 pm, edited 4 times in total.
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MamaBruff
- Posts: 1466
- Joined: Wed Mar 06, 2013 12:21 pm
- Location: SW Missouri
- Martin Colony History: 2013-2016 Unsuccessful at starting a PM colony. Health problems.
Rehomed all my PM stuff. Good Luck and Best Wishes to All.
Lonesome Duck,
Only small files will post. Most of us just upload our pics to Photobucket. Click an empty tab at the top of your toolbar, and go to photobucket. Set up an account if you do not already have one. Then upload your pic. (yes it is slow but it works) After the pic is uploaded in Photobucket, click on the tab beside the picture that says "Direct". Then where you clicked turns yellow for a bit and says "copied". Then come back to your PMCA post and click the tab above that says Img (for image)....... there will be a cursor flashing in the middle, between the 2 brackets. Right click in that space and your pic will be resized and uploaded automatically. [img]YOUR%20PICTURE[/img]
Then hit the "Preview" button to see if it went OK and to add any comments/description. Submit. I hope this helps and did not put you to sleep. DebA taught me how to do it. She is a whiz. Good Luck, Duck.
Only small files will post. Most of us just upload our pics to Photobucket. Click an empty tab at the top of your toolbar, and go to photobucket. Set up an account if you do not already have one. Then upload your pic. (yes it is slow but it works) After the pic is uploaded in Photobucket, click on the tab beside the picture that says "Direct". Then where you clicked turns yellow for a bit and says "copied". Then come back to your PMCA post and click the tab above that says Img (for image)....... there will be a cursor flashing in the middle, between the 2 brackets. Right click in that space and your pic will be resized and uploaded automatically. [img]YOUR%20PICTURE[/img]
Then hit the "Preview" button to see if it went OK and to add any comments/description. Submit. I hope this helps and did not put you to sleep. DebA taught me how to do it. She is a whiz. Good Luck, Duck.
~Mary B~
Lifelong PM Admirer and Nature Enthusiast.
Ruthless trapper of S&S year round.
2013-2016 Unsuccessful at starting a PM colony. Health problems.
Rehomed all my PM stuff. Good Luck and Best Wishes to All.
Lifelong PM Admirer and Nature Enthusiast.
Ruthless trapper of S&S year round.
2013-2016 Unsuccessful at starting a PM colony. Health problems.
Rehomed all my PM stuff. Good Luck and Best Wishes to All.
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LonesomeDuck
- Posts: 59
- Joined: Tue Nov 10, 2015 5:04 pm
- Location: Arcadia, IN
- Martin Colony History: 2016- Some visitors on my Trendsetter 12, no nesting pairs yet.
2017- More visitors, still no nesting pairs yet.
2018- Added Troyer Horizontal gourds and moved house to more open location. One nesting pair of subadults! 2 eggs, 1 egg hatched.
2019- added Gemini gourd rack. 2 pairs, 10 eggs, 10 hatched.
Thanks, looks like I was able to get it to work!
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Okie
- Posts: 541
- Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2016 3:26 pm
- Location: Claremore, OK
- Martin Colony History: 2016 Informed landlord now Have 2 pair returning from 2015 That is a miracle. Hoping for a very successful year, sparrow population on decline.
First house was plastic with crescent holes Had martins within a few days. Ignorant landlord gradually lost them
Then got Trio House and still lost most of them. Lots of sparrows
You know I was thinking about why I had dozens of martins in the sky the second I put up my first plastic house years ago & I came to a conclusion. Tell me it's nuts & I won't mind. But it might be of a little comfort to the wannabes
These birds fly from South American some of them all the way to Canada. Obviously they must stop at "motels" along the way to where they are going. I've seen that referenced several times. But here is what I am thinking. What if these birds have every martin house along their route memorized? Maybe that is why my new house got so much attention. They were circling and circling. Checking out the "new" house.
So if the wannabes could focus on their sites as stop over motels & be thankful of their role in the migration process.....Waahlaa Bing Bang Somebody sticks when you weren't looking
Kind of like adopting a child then getting pregnant. Oh my... my mind 
Just an Okie thought for whatever it's worth.
These birds fly from South American some of them all the way to Canada. Obviously they must stop at "motels" along the way to where they are going. I've seen that referenced several times. But here is what I am thinking. What if these birds have every martin house along their route memorized? Maybe that is why my new house got so much attention. They were circling and circling. Checking out the "new" house.
So if the wannabes could focus on their sites as stop over motels & be thankful of their role in the migration process.....Waahlaa Bing Bang Somebody sticks when you weren't looking
Kind of like adopting a child then getting pregnant. Oh my... my mind Just an Okie thought for whatever it's worth.
Okie
PMCA member
2016 Started with 2 pair, 1 pair abandoned after HOSP destroyed eggs
1 pair= 6 eggs, 6 fledged
2017 1 pair so far, But they abandoned before nest complete for ?reason? Now Bridless and joined the Wannabes
2018 One pair ASY male SY female 5 eggs, 5 fledged
PMCA member
2016 Started with 2 pair, 1 pair abandoned after HOSP destroyed eggs
1 pair= 6 eggs, 6 fledged
2017 1 pair so far, But they abandoned before nest complete for ?reason? Now Bridless and joined the Wannabes
2018 One pair ASY male SY female 5 eggs, 5 fledged
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Mitch Booth
- Posts: 480
- Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2008 6:23 am
- Location: Akron, OH
- Martin Colony History: 2012 - 0
2013 - 1 pair, 4 eggs, 2 fledged
2014 - 0
2015 - 1 pair, 5 died during week of rain
2016 - 0
2017 - 1 pair, 4 eggs, 4 fledged
2018 - 4 pair, 19 eggs, 19 fledged
2019 - 7 pair
2020 - 17 pair
Okie my Martin season or lack there of always starts around July 15th to August 1st. Ill literally have thousands of birds here a day primarily an hour before sunset being about a 1/2 mile away from a pre migratory roost.
Yes I am thankful for the country living. I would not do well in the city.
Mitch
Yes I am thankful for the country living. I would not do well in the city.
Mitch
2020 - 17 pair 77 eggs 69 fledged
2019 - 7 pair
2018 - 4 pair 19 eggs, 19 fledged
2017 - 1 pair 4 eggs, 4 fledged
2016 - 0 only visits
2015 - 1 pair 5 eggs, 5 hatched, 5 dead on days 6-7
2014 - 0 only visits
2013 - 1 pair 3 eggs, 2 hatched, 2 fledged
2012 - 0
2019 - 7 pair
2018 - 4 pair 19 eggs, 19 fledged
2017 - 1 pair 4 eggs, 4 fledged
2016 - 0 only visits
2015 - 1 pair 5 eggs, 5 hatched, 5 dead on days 6-7
2014 - 0 only visits
2013 - 1 pair 3 eggs, 2 hatched, 2 fledged
2012 - 0
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Mitch Booth
- Posts: 480
- Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2008 6:23 am
- Location: Akron, OH
- Martin Colony History: 2012 - 0
2013 - 1 pair, 4 eggs, 2 fledged
2014 - 0
2015 - 1 pair, 5 died during week of rain
2016 - 0
2017 - 1 pair, 4 eggs, 4 fledged
2018 - 4 pair, 19 eggs, 19 fledged
2019 - 7 pair
2020 - 17 pair
Mary,
I got the picture through Google maps on my I-phone and just did a screen shot of it.
Yes in 2013 I fledged 2 and 2015 5 nestlings died over a week of cold and rain. I just turned the Dawnsong way up as I've had little to no activity here.
Mitch
I got the picture through Google maps on my I-phone and just did a screen shot of it.
Yes in 2013 I fledged 2 and 2015 5 nestlings died over a week of cold and rain. I just turned the Dawnsong way up as I've had little to no activity here.
Mitch
2020 - 17 pair 77 eggs 69 fledged
2019 - 7 pair
2018 - 4 pair 19 eggs, 19 fledged
2017 - 1 pair 4 eggs, 4 fledged
2016 - 0 only visits
2015 - 1 pair 5 eggs, 5 hatched, 5 dead on days 6-7
2014 - 0 only visits
2013 - 1 pair 3 eggs, 2 hatched, 2 fledged
2012 - 0
2019 - 7 pair
2018 - 4 pair 19 eggs, 19 fledged
2017 - 1 pair 4 eggs, 4 fledged
2016 - 0 only visits
2015 - 1 pair 5 eggs, 5 hatched, 5 dead on days 6-7
2014 - 0 only visits
2013 - 1 pair 3 eggs, 2 hatched, 2 fledged
2012 - 0
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MamaBruff
- Posts: 1466
- Joined: Wed Mar 06, 2013 12:21 pm
- Location: SW Missouri
- Martin Colony History: 2013-2016 Unsuccessful at starting a PM colony. Health problems.
Rehomed all my PM stuff. Good Luck and Best Wishes to All.
Well Mitch, and Taxidermy Lady, it looks like you all
and I are not offering the right type of housing, according to Mr.Okie. You have time to get one of those cheap plastic barns put up... Good grief. What if he is right? Try it...
and I are not offering the right type of housing, according to Mr.Okie. You have time to get one of those cheap plastic barns put up... Good grief. What if he is right? Try it...
~Mary B~
Lifelong PM Admirer and Nature Enthusiast.
Ruthless trapper of S&S year round.
2013-2016 Unsuccessful at starting a PM colony. Health problems.
Rehomed all my PM stuff. Good Luck and Best Wishes to All.
Lifelong PM Admirer and Nature Enthusiast.
Ruthless trapper of S&S year round.
2013-2016 Unsuccessful at starting a PM colony. Health problems.
Rehomed all my PM stuff. Good Luck and Best Wishes to All.
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Okie
- Posts: 541
- Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2016 3:26 pm
- Location: Claremore, OK
- Martin Colony History: 2016 Informed landlord now Have 2 pair returning from 2015 That is a miracle. Hoping for a very successful year, sparrow population on decline.
First house was plastic with crescent holes Had martins within a few days. Ignorant landlord gradually lost them
Then got Trio House and still lost most of them. Lots of sparrows
Whoa here. Sorry my post offended, certainly not my intention. Don't know why they were attracted to that piece of junk. It is now a mystery to me. Did not know anything at the time, just bought it at the local store. I now call it my sparrow house but most of the time they don't even like it. To the garage sale it will go.
Because my site is not ideal I may never have anything more than this 2 pair & be in the wannabe category also.
I am sure it is frustrating to spend an arm & a leg and do everything you can to attract them and.... nothing. Then read posts where there are over a hundred on a site. Maybe I should have been more sensitive in my post. Please forgive me on that account.
Because my site is not ideal I may never have anything more than this 2 pair & be in the wannabe category also.
I am sure it is frustrating to spend an arm & a leg and do everything you can to attract them and.... nothing. Then read posts where there are over a hundred on a site. Maybe I should have been more sensitive in my post. Please forgive me on that account.
Okie
PMCA member
2016 Started with 2 pair, 1 pair abandoned after HOSP destroyed eggs
1 pair= 6 eggs, 6 fledged
2017 1 pair so far, But they abandoned before nest complete for ?reason? Now Bridless and joined the Wannabes
2018 One pair ASY male SY female 5 eggs, 5 fledged
PMCA member
2016 Started with 2 pair, 1 pair abandoned after HOSP destroyed eggs
1 pair= 6 eggs, 6 fledged
2017 1 pair so far, But they abandoned before nest complete for ?reason? Now Bridless and joined the Wannabes
2018 One pair ASY male SY female 5 eggs, 5 fledged
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MamaBruff
- Posts: 1466
- Joined: Wed Mar 06, 2013 12:21 pm
- Location: SW Missouri
- Martin Colony History: 2013-2016 Unsuccessful at starting a PM colony. Health problems.
Rehomed all my PM stuff. Good Luck and Best Wishes to All.
Sorry Okie. Sensitive topic for me. Try to do the right thing, spend the bucks, do research, and it's a bust. Year after year. Then some kid down the road put up a plastic barn and got 4 pair right away, while I had nothing. And what if you ARE right? Put up cheap housing then upgrade after you get a colony ... Many landlords right here on this forum got started the same way. At this point, I may just try that plastic barn. Please don't take it personal. It was not my intent to be "that person". I'm really not a Crabby old lady. Just frustrated. I'm going to get myself a plastic barn and maybe I will attract some Martins here at end of season after all. It's a theory worth testing....
~Mary B~
Lifelong PM Admirer and Nature Enthusiast.
Ruthless trapper of S&S year round.
2013-2016 Unsuccessful at starting a PM colony. Health problems.
Rehomed all my PM stuff. Good Luck and Best Wishes to All.
Lifelong PM Admirer and Nature Enthusiast.
Ruthless trapper of S&S year round.
2013-2016 Unsuccessful at starting a PM colony. Health problems.
Rehomed all my PM stuff. Good Luck and Best Wishes to All.
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taxidermy lady
- Posts: 2988
- Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2014 10:21 am
- Location: IL/Ellis Grove
- Martin Colony History: Started trying to attract purple martins in 2012! It's finally happened in 2017! 5 years!!! ASY male and SY female came May 1st, fledged 5 babies!
I haven't seen nothing for 4 days. But really cool and rainy. Our spring is just about to start or summer. They say temps will warm quick. It will bring them in. Hang in there guys. I'm going to get a pair. I'm trying to think so positive about this. If I don't it's a trip to the plastic house outlet
Sharon from southern Illinois