Are you seeing vacant older housing?

[Laverne]

Hi everybody.

I've been watching and waiting for my neighbors colony to return. There was another colony down Hwy 6 at Wendell's that I have not seen any PMs at. If all these old sites are still empty - then why?? What happened to all those birds?

We have a full house here and are still having overflow birds every evening. But, I'm worried there may have been some event that caused the loss of a lot of Purple Martins since the end of our last season.

What's going on in your neighborhoods?

Sincerely,
Laverne

[Courtney-NC]

I too have noticed less martins. There is a colony only a mile away from me on 2 sides as the martin flies. One has only a few birds back. That's probably a good thing now, as the tornado yesterday knocked one of their other houses over. The other Holly Springs colony always posts a scout report by late March and they have been active for several years. I have driven by their place twice (the last time 3 days ago) and haven't seen a single martin. I hope things are just running late. It's too quiet around here.
Martins have started nest building already in two other active colonies in central NC- Tim's in Raleigh and Sandy's in Rocky Mount.

[Emil Pampell-Tx]

We too are overflowing here so things are normal. One of my neighbors has a full house except for one gourd that the sparrows keep wanting, he tears the nest out, but they come right back, he cannot shoot there.

At our homeowners meeting Monday night, an old friend and neighbor said that he cannot get martins to stay, they visit and leave. I wanted him to move his housing further from the trees but he doesn't want to do that.

So, there are about 6 empty houses within a couple blocks from me, all are empty because of predators bothering the martins. The owners don't want to spend the time to keep away the predators.

[Laverne]

[quote](Emil) I wanted him to move his housing further from the trees but he doesn't want to do that.


Yeah, it seems like this is always the case. They used to be landlords, they have the housing, the birds have left, they complain, they want their birds back, but they don't want to do anything to make that happen. I've got a brother and a pair of parents who won't listen to me. I'm just Laverne - what do I know? - I guess that's why I come here to the Forum... y'all acknowledge me as an equal. In the real world, I can't get no respect...!!!



A couple of the houses around here are too close to the trees, but one location consists of about 5 houses in a small backyard with no trees. Last season they had a good sized colony of maybe 30 pair. This year I've seen 6 or 8 birds over there. I would go talk to them, but I fear the reception I might get. People don't like unsolicited advice. I know that for sure...

[Vern1]

Greetings,
Nothing but respect for you from me, Laverne!

I see quite a few old basically abandoned houses that I know have housed Martins in the past in various stages of dis-repair.

One has just the bottom floor of a two story wooden house filled with S&S, but no Martins.

Both of my next door neighbors have had nice wooden multi-story houses that kept lots of pairs in the past.
One location, the parents got older and moved in with their kids and the house is just a flat platform on a post now.
The nearest neighbor lost her husband last year and their martin house is in bad shape but still has a couple of pair along with lots of S&S in the other cavities.
I think that their birds have mostly abandoned their site and moved to mine or another neighbor on the other side who offers 48 cavities with round holes in Heath hex houses.

As I drive thru the countryside, I try to check on all the martin house locations I remember over the years and am seeing most of them on the decline.

The bright side:
There are a good number of larger gourd racks springing up around here lately with new landlords filling in a lot as older landlords give up or just can't take care of them anymore.
All but one has SREH entrances. The one with round holes is defended by the landlord pretty well and he keeps the S&S mostly under control.

Sad as we all know first hand how just a few pair can make you feel better!

[Sam Harris]

Maybe the larger super colonies are sucking in all the birds in the area. The single houses just dont look as good, and most are not maintained.

[Gobbler T]

Laverne,
You got my respect also!

I fear the reception I might get

You don't have to give advise the first visit. Just show your interest and talk for a while. If they are that close, the they know the size of your colony. Keep the conversation on martins and it bound to come up! "How do you get so many?" Then you pounce! Introduce them to the forum and give credit to the info you get. You may take you all summer, and several visits.

It's much easier to talk to "friends."
Good luck!

[chickadee]

Wow don't I feel normal now! I have a guy live couple miles up the road. I try to offer advise all the time and it falls on deaf ears. His houses are always lowered at the wrong times, to close to his house. To small compartments. He scratches his head and wonders how did he live here five years before me and he's been trying ever since and has no martins. But I got mine in first year. I try to help because I think how cool to get 2 colonys going close by. I can give him credit that he keeps the sparrow nest cleaned out. But I live by deer creek state park and five years ago when I first seen it it was thriving looking great. Last few years the grass has been grown up and looked to be fewer birds then before. We always knock at the door at the building or houses yard it is in but get nobody. Can't find out who has put the housing up and takes care of it. Have not checked on it yet this year but I will be soon. I'm not a pro or have a lot of martins but I try to take care of the ones I got. Sometimes I wish the other guy would just take his down. I hate I have to drive by it everyday and see all the things so wrong with it.

[John Miller]

Lavern wrote:

"....parents who won't listen to me. I'm just Laverne - what do I know? "

Lavern...my parents, senior citizens, won't much listen to me either -- grin. When their martins are slow to return they blame it on modest improvements I made. They live in rural Kentucky outside Louisville...but they think that Larry Melcher guy knows about martins. (insert rolly eyes) I guess relatives just don't want relatives telling them what to do.

John

[Vern1]

Greetings,
Chickadee, don't be so hard on yourself!
We are all various degrees of "determined to help" - which my wife has another name for......LOL!

This hobby (HOBBY HA!) can consume time and money - if I divide how much I spent getting a nice gourd rack by the number of martins I had that year, they cost me a couple of hundred bucks each!!!

I can only imagine what a big colony like Steve or Emil must cost to get going, then yearly maintenance, etc. in man hours.
I also know they didn't just start with 200 cavities and build up over the years.
Each seasons get ready/startup may not cost in money but could get time consuming, collecting pine needles, stuffing a few hundred cavities, paint, caulk, upkeep.....
Nest checks could take a day or more....

OK, I'll stop here...I'm scaring myself!

[Scott D.- La]

It seems dilapidated housing is everywhere and if you can get a close look, most is unusable and beyond repair or full of S&S. Many older houses are over grown with tree limbs and brush, not to mention has probably been predated and abandoned by the Martins. It's a shame people no longer care to host the Martins. Big colonies can certainly suck them in from miles around especially when all this older housing is falling apart. There is no shortage of Martins here, but it is seriously lacking landlords and housing.

[Emil Pampell-Tx]

We have a large colony, and I am happy for that. About sucking in other martins, I think that we do get some ASY birds from other places, but there must be a reason for that. I think the reason is that they did not successfully fledge babies the prior year. If they successfully reared babies at their old location, they will surely go back unless some predators are scaring them away. The martins are very loyal to their old location, especially the females. They trust success, and sometimes a male will follow them to their old location. Its not like we are stealing other peoples martins, its more like we grab what other people are not taking care of properly. The martins like security, and feel secure with other martins at a new location, so that is why they go to larger colonies.

[Barrowdog]

Housing is still scarce here , not replaced after Ivan. I have stopped to talk to some people who are not keeping their houses habitable. Interesting and often valid replies. Have secured a house that can be renovated. Plan to seek out more. Actually there are people houses that have been given up on , so times are at the point where people care for what they can. We still have 100 to 150 martins that feed in a huge rapidly moving mass at dusk. I don't know where they are from, or if they have a place to nest? My friend who lives right next to a bridge that is a roost at end of season sees them also ,but they don't stay there at night.Some farmers in Al have gourds, but not big colonies.Been over a month they have been doing this; they don't stop to look at my colony ,just eating like crazy.
The snake I shoveled out of my fish pond is back and actually turms out to be cottonmouth , so today should be interesting.
Sue

[Guest]

I think the most damaging factor to success of a Landlord ( new or old ) is the inability to use that round ( sometimes square ) thing that sets on/between their shoulders.

dick

[APB]

My parents always had PM's when I was a kid. They lost them about 23 years ago. They never understood why they couldn't get them (and there were several reasons!).

When I finally found this forum and then set my housing up properly at my new residence, I got bird the first year.

Last year I cut down their big beautiful blue spruce from the back yard and put up a gourd rack while they were still snow-birding in Florida, and by golly they got PM's on the first time!

Mom says she would have got rid of the tree years ago if they had known that was the big problem!

Sometimes you have to take matters into your own hands...eventually they will thank you for it!

Allen

[Laverne]

That might work for you, Allen, but... not my parents... I shudder at the thought...!!!

Anyway, thank you all for the kind comments. But, what I'm really talking about is established colonies: housing that had quite a few nesting pairs last season and now this season there are none or maybe just a few back.

I'm gonna take y'alls advice and go talk to these people. No point in speculating about this any further. Thank you for your assistance. I'll let you know what I find out...

Sincerely,
Laverne

[Emil Pampell-Tx]

I agree with you Allen, most problems occur because of the trees, next are starlings and sparrows.

About cutting down trees, the reason for not cutting them down that I liked best is that "its not feasible"...smile.

[APB]

Actually my mother put her concrete garden statues on the stump and they worked the dead area under the tree into a small garden.

They can also see their property behind the house better than they could before.

She likes what she has now better than the tree!

It was a win-win! (I knew it would be! )

Allen