Willing to try anything
I have tried to help a friend establish a colony for the last 6 years. He has T14's,gourd racks and also a string of gourds. Not the best location but a powerline easment comes through his property. He has managed 1 or 2 pair for the last 5 years. Last fall 2008 we exchanged some of my gourds with nest. We also removed complete nest from my trio's and placed them in his T14's. I contacted the company that makes sevin and they had a chemist return my call. He said the residule from the sevin lasted 7 days. This made me feel safe in soaking these old nest with liquid seven after we transfered them. Anyway this past season he had 8 pair and they all moved into an old nest. We transfered about 10 more this year and I'll let you know the results. I have never seen anyone try harder and do everything right. He plays the dawn song,bed & breakfast,controls starling and sparrows and provides every type of housing and provides nesting materials. Anyway this looks promising.
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Keith
- Posts: 435
- Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2009 2:45 pm
- Location: Missouri/Ava
- Martin Colony History: 85 pair in 2020. Seems fairly consistent the last few years.
Sully,
I am thinking that the efforts made with your help may be the reason your friend has any martins at all. We all know that Martins sometimes will ignore (fantastic sites in our opinion) that boggles our mind. The number of pairs they had last year should be enough IMO to increase the colony especially if they were successful breeders. The best attractors to get new Martins is ( other Martins ) from my experince. Thanks for sharing these ideas.
Keith Pellham
I am thinking that the efforts made with your help may be the reason your friend has any martins at all. We all know that Martins sometimes will ignore (fantastic sites in our opinion) that boggles our mind. The number of pairs they had last year should be enough IMO to increase the colony especially if they were successful breeders. The best attractors to get new Martins is ( other Martins ) from my experince. Thanks for sharing these ideas.
Keith Pellham
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John Miller
- Posts: 4866
- Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2004 9:11 pm
- Location: St. Louis, MO
I checked Chrisney on a map and you are in deep southern Indiana in what I suspect is good martin territory. Those eight pairs may triple this year! Keep us posted.
John M
John M
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bwenger
- Posts: 1057
- Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2005 7:24 pm
- Location: Pennsylvania/Espyville/Pymatuning Reservoir Area
- Martin Colony History: Taking care of 11 active public colonies and trying to start two more in northwestern PA. Also attempting to restart another one in southwestern PA, in Collier Township's Hilltop Park. In 2017, not sure what happened but the ASY male returned and then a couple of weeks later he was gone. It could have been weather related. No other birds showed up. I had a starling nesting at the Public site that I had trouble getting rid of.
In 2018, we fledged 629 martins at all of the sites.
Sully, John and Keith,
I would say I am in that same boat, having a good location, but still trying to get my own pair in what will be my 6th year. I have had several pairs start off spending the nights at my location, but in two cases, inclement weather caused the deaths of some of the birds in two of those years, and the other birds left after the loss of the other pair. Two years ago, I had a SY pair staying for a couple of weeks, start taking leaves into the bottom cavity of my T14, only to find out the following weekend that a pair of house sparrows moved into the top cavity of that same section of T14 and the SY pair moved out.
What some groups of martin landlords have done here in western PA is what they have termed a forced dispersal. Those landlords that have two T14's, or two gourd racks, will voluntarily close one of their T14's, or not put up the extra gourd rack, thus forcing some of their pairs to other locations.
This has started several new colonies in this area, and has turned out to be for the benefit of both the new landlords and the martins, creating new colonies with new blood.
It's something for all members to possibly think about.
Good luck in 2010.
Bill
I would say I am in that same boat, having a good location, but still trying to get my own pair in what will be my 6th year. I have had several pairs start off spending the nights at my location, but in two cases, inclement weather caused the deaths of some of the birds in two of those years, and the other birds left after the loss of the other pair. Two years ago, I had a SY pair staying for a couple of weeks, start taking leaves into the bottom cavity of my T14, only to find out the following weekend that a pair of house sparrows moved into the top cavity of that same section of T14 and the SY pair moved out.
What some groups of martin landlords have done here in western PA is what they have termed a forced dispersal. Those landlords that have two T14's, or two gourd racks, will voluntarily close one of their T14's, or not put up the extra gourd rack, thus forcing some of their pairs to other locations.
This has started several new colonies in this area, and has turned out to be for the benefit of both the new landlords and the martins, creating new colonies with new blood.
It's something for all members to possibly think about.
Good luck in 2010.
Bill
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John Miller
- Posts: 4866
- Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2004 9:11 pm
- Location: St. Louis, MO
Bill..the "forced dispersal" concept sounds interesting. I considered it last season for one public site in St. Louis. I've been trying for three season to get martins to a house inside the Missouri Botanical Garden. The house is marginally open. We have established a colony four blocks away in a vacant lot/meadow, but it's not visible to the public, which is what I want. But..being weak in spirit and heart (grin), I added some gourds to the vacant lot site last year. Well..it filled to capacity, 20 pairs. I'm hoping that with favorable weather next season some martins will spill over to the vacant house inside the garden.
I'd think that forced dispersal might work, if the intended site is near perfect -- very open and good housing. Otherwise, the martins might disperse further than we intended?
Anyway, with 8 pairs last year, I think the site in this thread will grow rapidly.
John
I'd think that forced dispersal might work, if the intended site is near perfect -- very open and good housing. Otherwise, the martins might disperse further than we intended?
Anyway, with 8 pairs last year, I think the site in this thread will grow rapidly.
John
"forced dispersal" Martin hogs is not going to like this!!!! 
(joke) that's very brave and generous landlord to force his beloved PMs somewhere else!
As for scully's friend? scully said the location wasn't great. Not knowing the problem if it was me I would move the houses closer to the power lines if not already there. IMO PMs like lines to rest, observe the colony, and sentry for hawks. My first experience with PM was in a tight close housing area with tall trees all around with only one side open and power lines above the trees on one side. I still got PMs, it took longer but I still got them. They was always on the power lines.
(joke) that's very brave and generous landlord to force his beloved PMs somewhere else! As for scully's friend? scully said the location wasn't great. Not knowing the problem if it was me I would move the houses closer to the power lines if not already there. IMO PMs like lines to rest, observe the colony, and sentry for hawks. My first experience with PM was in a tight close housing area with tall trees all around with only one side open and power lines above the trees on one side. I still got PMs, it took longer but I still got them. They was always on the power lines.
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Emil Pampell-Tx
- Posts: 6743
- Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 1:26 pm
- Location: Tx, Richmond (SW of Houston)
- Martin Colony History: First started in Gretna, La in 1969 with a small homemade house, have had martins ever since at 2 different homes in Texas
If someone has been trying to get martins for several years, if the martins visit and sometimes stay a while, and then leave, my idea is that they may never get martins at that site. The martins do not like it for some reason.
There may be too many trees nearby, owls and hawks may be chasing them away, or they do not have a couple open flyways, or starlings and sparrows are bothering them too much
It is the same down here where martins are abundant. I have several neighbors that put up martin housing within a block of my house but they cannot keep martins. I think there are 3 reasons: 1)too many sparrows and starlings are allowed to stay 2)too close to the trees 3)too many owls.
I also helped a nice friendly couple attract martins to their site, but there was a large pecan tree too near the housing. They had martins for 2 years, and then the hawks chased them away. They no longer can attract any martins.
Case after case could be stated about the conditions being wrong, but it always comes back to predators. When you have a site that is open enough, and when you control the predators, the martins will stay sooner or later and they will not leave. Just my opinion
I also agree with RC that forced dispersal is a bad idea. If your site is unsatisfactory, the forced dispersal martins will not use it. The martins will simply be forced to a different site where they may not survive. Often these ideas are a way of blaming someone else, when the problem belongs to the unsatisfactory site.
But if your site is ideal, and you seriously control the predators, then the forced dispersal may work fine. But if you have such a site, the martins will surely use it without forced dispersal.
There may be too many trees nearby, owls and hawks may be chasing them away, or they do not have a couple open flyways, or starlings and sparrows are bothering them too much
It is the same down here where martins are abundant. I have several neighbors that put up martin housing within a block of my house but they cannot keep martins. I think there are 3 reasons: 1)too many sparrows and starlings are allowed to stay 2)too close to the trees 3)too many owls.
I also helped a nice friendly couple attract martins to their site, but there was a large pecan tree too near the housing. They had martins for 2 years, and then the hawks chased them away. They no longer can attract any martins.
Case after case could be stated about the conditions being wrong, but it always comes back to predators. When you have a site that is open enough, and when you control the predators, the martins will stay sooner or later and they will not leave. Just my opinion
I also agree with RC that forced dispersal is a bad idea. If your site is unsatisfactory, the forced dispersal martins will not use it. The martins will simply be forced to a different site where they may not survive. Often these ideas are a way of blaming someone else, when the problem belongs to the unsatisfactory site.
But if your site is ideal, and you seriously control the predators, then the forced dispersal may work fine. But if you have such a site, the martins will surely use it without forced dispersal.