Keep housing open a few weeks after martins leave

[Dave Duit]

The reason I keep my martin housing open is because migrating martins from the north will make mental notes on where possible housing is located if they had poor landlord management, such as sparrow and starling and or uncontrolled mite infestation. Another reason is because martins will roost in tree instead of coming back each night to their housing just a week or so before migration. Just because you don't see your martins, doesn't mean they aren't in the area. After the last few fledge, they will hang out a few weeks for insect catching school from their parents. Occasionally, martins will come back to their housing before sunset and quickly enter the entrances. It might appear as if your martins are gone if the come in quick at dusk and are out early in the morning at your local mini roost. Best to be safe than sorry.

[taxidermy lady]

Thanks for that information Dave! Good stuff!

[ToyinPA]

I always leave my houses up, nests are left as the Martins left them, until September or early October. I have had migrating Martins stop over on their way south. I had a male one year that was marked like he was wearing a Tux. I didn't get a photo, as he didn't stay long. Others have spent the night & left at dawn.

This spring I had 11 Martins stop over on their way north. The weather had turned cold with snow & rain. They were in bad shape. They came in about an hour before dark with my colony. Sadly 2 females did not make it. The rest pushed on north in the morning. I would guess upstate NY or Canada.

Once migration is over we (husband helps me) lower the houses & we dump the nests, scrub the houses & trays & then put the covers on for winter. Early to mid march, weather providing, we open the houses & load the trays with nesting materials. I watch the scout map. As soon as they arrive in PA we open a few rooms that I can see from my back windows. As more arrive more rooms are opened. I hold a few rooms for SY males.

This gives any Martins, that are looking for a safe place to spend the night or are looking for a new home, a safe place to stop over.

Toy in PA

[Dave Duit]

Excellent point on opening the housing early enough for the northward migration in spring. Just like you, I have a ritual of cleaning the houses and gourds in late fall. It is good to see others taking responsibility in good landlording.

[Rodger Drye]

Agree with you Dave and Toy.! I keep my housing up and open usually until September just in case.! You just never know when a bird may need a quick place to spend the night.!! And also I agree with you Dave that just because you don't see any Martin's doesn't necessarily mean that they're not in the area...!!! Rodger

[GaryU]

I plan on lowering my T-14 and storing my gourds at the beginning of October. Glad to see that others have similar plans. I even find this ritual fun. What a great way of life.

[marcus]

Wow Gary! I read your colony history and wow 10 pair for your first year! That's really good!

[Ed Svetich-WI]

I still have 12 gourds up and have had visitors the last several days.They appear to be passing thru. I saw the last of my own colony on August 1st, which is about average. The last fledged here on July 25th. Martins can be observed into late August around here. For those still looking for their first occupants, I agree that advertising your site cannot hurt as martins move thru your area.

Ed

[Okie]

I still have mine up but have not seen any birds at all for several weeks. If you have migratory birds in WI might I expect some visitors in OK? Or maybe I am out of their flight path? I will keep everything as is until maybe Oct?
It's been so hot even the sparrows are not interested in the housing. Do catch a few fledgling sparrows though in the Blaine. Nothing for days then all of a sudden 3 or 4 "buddies" hop in at the same time. At least their parents wasted their time brooding them
Looking forward to next spring.

[Ed Svetich-WI]

Okie,

I am not familar with any particular migration routes, although geolocator studies seem to indicate that there is some wandering that takes place during migration, so it is not a direct route in the Fall. I have seen martins as late as early September here in Wisconsin but they can easily travel 500 miles or more in a day, possibly even further with a north wind. Oklahoma isn't that far when you look at it that way. You may hear the martin and not see him. There may still be martins moving out of Canada. Maybe our Canadian friends can let us know what they are still seeing.

Good luck next spring.

Ed

[Okie]

Yeah Ed the more I get into this PM thing the more questions I have. Or maybe you could call it just wondering, or maybe snooping? I seem to want to know what they do every minute throughout the whole year. I still am very curious about their stay in Brazil or thereabouts. Do they depend on man as much then or is it only a dependency on man during breeding season? My sense is they roost in trees not in man provided houses in Brazil. So what is their relationship to Brazilians?
Oh well maybe I should submit those questions to PMCA magazine for the Q&A to get an answer.
Thanks for responding & I will keep an EAR out for your martins to fly over my house. Have gardening to do today so I will be listening.
Have a great "quite" winter. On to Spring!

[John Evans]

I still have one ASY nesting pair( Very late start) and many daytime visitors. They've been coming back like clockwork.Still seeing several ASY males, several HY's and others. Some will spend 3 or 4 hours here so I am assuming these were "ours", possibly still around to help get the last 4 in the air? Who knows.

Counting about 6 Hy's now that still come back to roost. They had fledged almost a month ago. We've had rain, heat and humidity so there are tons of bugs available to eat. Maybe that's why they haven't left? Alos I believe some Hy's are starting to make more adult like sounds.

Weird end to what was a pretty normal season.

Like others above we leave ours up till late September early October.

[Dave Duit]

There are three major routes south for migration. The Florida and Mexico are the two land and the Gulf of Mexico is the water route. In central Iowa I still have 21 martins of my own colony hanging out on power lines about 1/2 mile away from my colony and then seek shelter in trees near dusk. On the interest of what martins do in Brazil and relationship to humans. Many arriving martins will quickly molt their feather within two weeks of arriving and some even begin to molt just prior to arrival in their migration south. The large congregation of martins stay in Sao Paulo city park trees and the suburbs. Others hang out on the noisy oil rig platforms just of the coasts of Brazil. David Attenborough had an interesting martin documentary on public tv showing the martins on the oil rig platforms. Martins never cease to amaze me.The Brazil people and their government have a better relationship with martins from the earlier years. There is a sense of concern for the environment and wildlife in Brazil. People don't need to provide martin housing in Brazil since they live in trees in their non breeding grounds. What I find interesting is that by the time the northern martins of Canada arrive in Brazil, the southern martins that took off first from Texas and Florida will start their migration back from Brazil around mid December and reach the tip of Florida around January 1st. So, the migration has only a few weeks down time for the overall martin population.

[Rodger Drye]

Dave, Very interesting thread!! Like you I'm amazed as I learn more informative facts about our Bird's!!!

[John Evans]

Dave, great information.. As spread out as migration is that pretty much sums it up. I always know mine will be back in six months but that for the most part stretches through their whole summer range. The old Nature Society News ran several articles in the 80's, some featuring James Hill in Brazil and how conservationists where trying to build awareness of the value of Purple Martins. Sao Paulo locals thought they were a nuance and steps were being taken to keep the birds from being exterminated. Some articles also featured the refineries as well other roosts. I wish I would have saved all of those old newspapers. Lost in a couple of moves I guess.

This time frame might have been about the time the PMCA was founded.

[Dave Duit]

Thanks guys. Rodger, if you want to look over some good reading on purple martins facts and insights, I have a thread at my www.iamartin.org website titled "PURPLE MARTIN WEEKLY QUESTION & ANSWERS PART 1 and PART 2" Hundreds of neat facts and background on martins. You don't have to be a member to read the forum, but it is free and open to anyone who loves martins.

[Okie]

Dave Just the informed person to answer many of the questions. I am glad I posted them. Will check out your references. I remain fascinated by these birds. And hope my lone ASY male avoids any harm while he is away from his Trio home in my back yard and makes it safely back next March and attracts some SY to join him in 2017.
May everyone's martins have a safe journey & return next spring to make your heart flutter.

[Dave Duit]

Best of luck for next year Okie.

[pmartinlover2]

Thanks for the info Dave. There's always something to learn on this forum about our martins. I'll check out that website too.
_____
Jody

[Okie]

Thank you Dave I will take all the well wishes sent my way. Am hoping for more than 1 pair next year.
Thank you also for the link & the Q&A. Very informative.
As I read I was reminded of just one more thing that fascinates me about these birds.
Martin's #1 requirement for breeding site is NO TREES so they have an open fly zone.
However as soon as the babies fledge, they go to the trees. Then they roost in the trees. Then they gather in a pre migratory roost in the trees. Then they fly to South America & live in the trees. Then they fly to our back yard & don't want any trees around They really are picky birds.