10 YEARS and STILL WAITING !
Hang in there! My friend in Texas got his first pair this year after 22 years. As for the Dawnsong, it can be distracting. I played mine for about 30 minutes and turned it off. When I see a Martin circling around I would play it until it started to come in then turn it off. Yes I have the time to do this as I'm retired and work in my wood shop most all the time. Some folks don't have this kind of time but hang in there!
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NOMORE-Beggin4Birds
- Posts: 117
- Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2008 8:21 am
- Location: Walkersville, MD
DAVE :
I appreciate hearing from you. I am retired as well and I also have time to devote to my site. I am able to watch my site closely and monitor the " DAWNSONG " when they arrive for a look and visit. HOPEFULLY, it will be SOON in our area for the sub-adults to arrive and STAY !!!
" Beggin4Birds "
I appreciate hearing from you. I am retired as well and I also have time to devote to my site. I am able to watch my site closely and monitor the " DAWNSONG " when they arrive for a look and visit. HOPEFULLY, it will be SOON in our area for the sub-adults to arrive and STAY !!!
" Beggin4Birds "
hi you did not mention if you do sparrow control or srarling? also when i moved in my home i offered only gourds no houses. got my first pair and a man about mile away his cornfeild is my cornfield had houses trying for 7 years. i have been a landlord for 6 years. it was after five years me being a landlord he got a pair five pair last year. i added another rack this year. so i have 60 birds back he has none. and his pairs last year was adults he got i even picked up more adults last year. it may just be a timing thing when things will seem to crowded down their and one sets off to make their own colony.or he could be adding. my opinion do away with houses.thats just me if its not working.
Some years back I put up housing at a local Audubon birding center to no avail, this in San Antonio where martins are relatively abundant. Five years and nothing....
But for aesthetic reasons relative to an historic home being used as the headquarters they had insisted I put the housing about sixty yards away from the main office building, in a quiet area.
Change of management; a new Trio house went up just twenty feet from the busy porch of this building, the gourds I put up taken down. That Trio got martins the first year.
Could it be there is not enough human activity around your housing site?
On our campus our most successful housing poles have hundreds of students passing close by every day.
Mike Scully
But for aesthetic reasons relative to an historic home being used as the headquarters they had insisted I put the housing about sixty yards away from the main office building, in a quiet area.
Change of management; a new Trio house went up just twenty feet from the busy porch of this building, the gourds I put up taken down. That Trio got martins the first year.
Could it be there is not enough human activity around your housing site?
On our campus our most successful housing poles have hundreds of students passing close by every day.
Mike Scully
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NOMORE-Beggin4Birds
- Posts: 117
- Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2008 8:21 am
- Location: Walkersville, MD
chickadee and Scully :
Of course, I can see why you are drawing more martins to your site, as compared to your neighbor. You have martins and martins draw martins. By you offering more gourds, you should be drawing more and more martins, compared to your neighbor. This will probably help you much more than it will help the neighbor.
Sometimes I believe a change is needed after so many years. Even the slighest change, as my adding an extra Trio house close to my multi-purpose pole with 2 Trio houses. Just this small change last year brought a lot of lookers. This extra Trio house was given to me and had not been converted into larger compartments, but I put it up anyway. When the martins arrived last year, this house was a definite drawing card. The other 2 houses had been converted to larger compartments. I have had other landlords tell me that this will happen and a SLIGHT change may get the FIRST pair to come and STAY !!!
" Beggin4Birds "
Of course, I can see why you are drawing more martins to your site, as compared to your neighbor. You have martins and martins draw martins. By you offering more gourds, you should be drawing more and more martins, compared to your neighbor. This will probably help you much more than it will help the neighbor.
Sometimes I believe a change is needed after so many years. Even the slighest change, as my adding an extra Trio house close to my multi-purpose pole with 2 Trio houses. Just this small change last year brought a lot of lookers. This extra Trio house was given to me and had not been converted into larger compartments, but I put it up anyway. When the martins arrived last year, this house was a definite drawing card. The other 2 houses had been converted to larger compartments. I have had other landlords tell me that this will happen and a SLIGHT change may get the FIRST pair to come and STAY !!!
" Beggin4Birds "
I see what scully is saying. this brings a good point. me and my five year old are outside half of the day. the martins love us I stand under the racks and half of them don't go anywhere. my neighbore on the other hand their is hardly ever anyone outside. I can see his back yard from mine with binoculars I am closer to the creek witch is in front of my house and 2 big ponds 2 houses down and I am outside more and nicer housing. but last year he got 5 pair. maybe since im closer to everything and outside more they like that?
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NOMORE-Beggin4Birds
- Posts: 117
- Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2008 8:21 am
- Location: Walkersville, MD
chickadee :
I forgot to mention the point that Scully made regarding human activity near my site. There is nearby activity very close to my site that brings people coming and going all day long. They stand out and view my site constantly, looking for martins and activity. The martins should love the attention they will be given once they decide to come and STAY !!! I am sure that people will enjoy the martins as much as the martins will enjoy them !!!
" Beggin4Birds "
I forgot to mention the point that Scully made regarding human activity near my site. There is nearby activity very close to my site that brings people coming and going all day long. They stand out and view my site constantly, looking for martins and activity. The martins should love the attention they will be given once they decide to come and STAY !!! I am sure that people will enjoy the martins as much as the martins will enjoy them !!!
" Beggin4Birds "
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NOMORE-Beggin4Birds
- Posts: 117
- Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2008 8:21 am
- Location: Walkersville, MD
TO : " ALL "
QUESTION ? Would any of you have any predictions of when the FIRST influx of sub-adults might be arriving in my area and points to the north of me ??? Today is May 1 and the weather is suppose to be favorable in my area, so there should be a PUSH for the subbies to come north very soon. Many do NOT report the arrival of sub-adults on the Forum and I find that many of you are very good at predicting when the move is on !!!
" Beggin4Birds "
QUESTION ? Would any of you have any predictions of when the FIRST influx of sub-adults might be arriving in my area and points to the north of me ??? Today is May 1 and the weather is suppose to be favorable in my area, so there should be a PUSH for the subbies to come north very soon. Many do NOT report the arrival of sub-adults on the Forum and I find that many of you are very good at predicting when the move is on !!!
" Beggin4Birds "
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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.
Have you ever stopped at the other colonies and talk with the Landlords there? If you get to know them, they may be willing to try and help you out.
Here in western PA, a group of martin landlords formed the Purple Martin Preservation Alliance. They started working together and have worked out a plan that around mid May, I can't remember the exact date last year, but they close off some of their compartments right before nesting takes place and forces those pairs to move to new colonies. This has started a lot of smaller colonies around the area, which once started, should hopefully continue in the following years.
Not sure if they would do this, but you could tell them your nickname is Beggin4Birds and see if they will do that for you. No one knows where these birds will go to, but since you have such a nice site, they could end up at your colony.
Bill
Here in western PA, a group of martin landlords formed the Purple Martin Preservation Alliance. They started working together and have worked out a plan that around mid May, I can't remember the exact date last year, but they close off some of their compartments right before nesting takes place and forces those pairs to move to new colonies. This has started a lot of smaller colonies around the area, which once started, should hopefully continue in the following years.
Not sure if they would do this, but you could tell them your nickname is Beggin4Birds and see if they will do that for you. No one knows where these birds will go to, but since you have such a nice site, they could end up at your colony.
Bill
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NOMORE-Beggin4Birds
- Posts: 117
- Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2008 8:21 am
- Location: Walkersville, MD
bwenger :
I know all of the local landlords in my area and perhaps most in the county and many outside of the county, as I just recently retired after 5 years as PRESIDENT of The Purple Martin Society of Frederick County, Maryland. In my 5 years as being President, I have put up and installed gourd rack systems, improved outdated equipment and systems, visited landlord sites and made improvements for them and got purple martins for more people than one can imagine. It is unbelievable to those in my club that this will be year 10 of my trying to get martins to come to my site and STAY, as " ALL " have been to my site to see it and they are in disbelief and I mean disbelief that I have not gotten martins. I don't know of anyone that I have installed a system for that I haven't gotten martins. " ALL " are in agreement that I have an excellent site and and excellent set-up. Most cannot think of one thing that I have left undone or not done right in order to get martins. By the way, I am the only one in our club that does NOT have martins. MOST FIND THIS UNBELIEVABLE, but true !!!!!!!!!!!!
Therefore, the local landlords in my area with large colonies close to my site are quite aware of my situation. They are quite aware that I am truly . . . . . . . " Beggin4Birds " !!! I will continue to be PATIENT and WAIT and THEY WILL COME !!!
" Beggin4Birds "
I know all of the local landlords in my area and perhaps most in the county and many outside of the county, as I just recently retired after 5 years as PRESIDENT of The Purple Martin Society of Frederick County, Maryland. In my 5 years as being President, I have put up and installed gourd rack systems, improved outdated equipment and systems, visited landlord sites and made improvements for them and got purple martins for more people than one can imagine. It is unbelievable to those in my club that this will be year 10 of my trying to get martins to come to my site and STAY, as " ALL " have been to my site to see it and they are in disbelief and I mean disbelief that I have not gotten martins. I don't know of anyone that I have installed a system for that I haven't gotten martins. " ALL " are in agreement that I have an excellent site and and excellent set-up. Most cannot think of one thing that I have left undone or not done right in order to get martins. By the way, I am the only one in our club that does NOT have martins. MOST FIND THIS UNBELIEVABLE, but true !!!!!!!!!!!!
Therefore, the local landlords in my area with large colonies close to my site are quite aware of my situation. They are quite aware that I am truly . . . . . . . " Beggin4Birds " !!! I will continue to be PATIENT and WAIT and THEY WILL COME !!!
" Beggin4Birds "
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NOMORE-Beggin4Birds
- Posts: 117
- Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2008 8:21 am
- Location: Walkersville, MD
rrmartins :
You may have missed my posting in the very beginning, but I have a swamp-like area about 1/4 mile from me and the large MONOCACY RIVER is approximately 1/2 mile from me. My fly-away opens up to farm land around my site with NO woods or trees. I am wide open !!! The ONE and ONLY thing that I know of that I do NOT have and cannot have is a beautiful pond, as I do not have acreage enough to put one in. But as I have said before, MANY, MANY martin landlords do NOT have ponds and they have martins. I feel certain that my problem is the many large martin colonies in my area that are so close to me.
You may have missed my posting in the very beginning, but I have a swamp-like area about 1/4 mile from me and the large MONOCACY RIVER is approximately 1/2 mile from me. My fly-away opens up to farm land around my site with NO woods or trees. I am wide open !!! The ONE and ONLY thing that I know of that I do NOT have and cannot have is a beautiful pond, as I do not have acreage enough to put one in. But as I have said before, MANY, MANY martin landlords do NOT have ponds and they have martins. I feel certain that my problem is the many large martin colonies in my area that are so close to me.
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NOMORE-Beggin4Birds
- Posts: 117
- Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2008 8:21 am
- Location: Walkersville, MD
TO : " ALL "
Thanks to everyone on the Forum for sending me your views and advice. I appreciate hearing from all of you and will let you know if anything changes for me this year. HOPEFULLY, I can report one day in the very near future that I am NO LONGER . . . . . " Beggin4Birds " !!! They will arrive at my site and decide to STAY. Until then, I will continue to be :
" Beggin4Birds "
Thanks to everyone on the Forum for sending me your views and advice. I appreciate hearing from all of you and will let you know if anything changes for me this year. HOPEFULLY, I can report one day in the very near future that I am NO LONGER . . . . . " Beggin4Birds " !!! They will arrive at my site and decide to STAY. Until then, I will continue to be :
" Beggin4Birds "
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NOMORE-Beggin4Birds
- Posts: 117
- Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2008 8:21 am
- Location: Walkersville, MD
TO : " ALL "
Still waiting to hear if any of you have seen the arrival of subbies in Maryland as of yet, as many do not report subbies as compared to adults ??? What is your opinion as to the FIRST INFLUX migrating into Maryland ???
" Beggin4Birds "
Still waiting to hear if any of you have seen the arrival of subbies in Maryland as of yet, as many do not report subbies as compared to adults ??? What is your opinion as to the FIRST INFLUX migrating into Maryland ???
" Beggin4Birds "
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Carlton
- Posts: 1959
- Joined: Tue May 17, 2005 6:42 pm
- Location: Florida/Deerfield Beach
- Martin Colony History: I moved to South Florida, from Delaware, in August of 2015.
I care for a 6 condo Sunset House as well as two Deluxe Gourd Racks, with 24 Chirpynest/Excluder gourds, along a canal in Pompano Beach, Florida.
At Quiet Waters Park, nearby in Deerfield Beach, I care for a Deluxe Gourd Rack with 12 TVG's. I also care for a Deluxe Gourd rack with 12 Excluder gourds with Modified Excluder entrances. I am substituting 6 Chirpynest boxes for 6 of the Conley II entranced gourds in 2026.
At another local park, Tradewinds Park in Coconut Creek, I care for a Trendsetter 12, 5 gourds rack with 60 Excluder gourds with Modified Excluder Entrances and 1 Deluxe Gourd Rack with 12 Troyer Vertical Gourds with Starling Stoppers over the Conley II's to keep out smaller starlings.
I live in DE and I had some subbies arrive yesterday. I am not all that far from you "as the martin flies". They are just beginning to arrive in your area now. Keep playing that Dawnsong to help them find your site.
Just my 2 cents. We have been mentored by the Purple Martin Conservatory with Del and Debra Mckinnon at Mulhurst Bay. The condo we built from a kit was 12 deep compartments with overhang for weather and owls. You can see the condo on my profile picture. They love the sunflowers and bright colors.
I was taught how to premake all the nest and clean it out each year, sanitize and ready for their very long journey from Brazil to Northern Canada.
I am a freak and never give up. I played the dawn song 24/7 for 2 summers. I never let up. Rain, sun, wind, night, day. They said they could flyby at night or in the rain. You just never know. When we got a pair I still played it.
We live in a very wooded area and have a lake with in 1/2 km. But no water on our property So you having all that water close is enough I think. We dont have any open flyways except in the round about in front of our house. I have a lot of swallow boxes which is very important. I know when the swallows come, the martins come. They are companion birds and when a swallow sees a hawk he gives off a warning and all the martins fly to their cavities. They all fly together in the sky for bugs. They love each other
hope this helps a bit!!
I was taught how to premake all the nest and clean it out each year, sanitize and ready for their very long journey from Brazil to Northern Canada.
I am a freak and never give up. I played the dawn song 24/7 for 2 summers. I never let up. Rain, sun, wind, night, day. They said they could flyby at night or in the rain. You just never know. When we got a pair I still played it.
We live in a very wooded area and have a lake with in 1/2 km. But no water on our property So you having all that water close is enough I think. We dont have any open flyways except in the round about in front of our house. I have a lot of swallow boxes which is very important. I know when the swallows come, the martins come. They are companion birds and when a swallow sees a hawk he gives off a warning and all the martins fly to their cavities. They all fly together in the sky for bugs. They love each other
hope this helps a bit!!
2007 none
2008 few landed
2009 - 2 pair - 9 eggs- 9 fledged
2010 - 1ASY pair and 4SY pair total 10 bird
2011 first ASY pair May 06
2012 first pair arrived May 01, May 21 total 10 pairs 49 babies
2013 May 04 martins 2 pair May 19 total 12 pair
2014 May 08 2 pair May 12 almost full 10 pair
2008 few landed
2009 - 2 pair - 9 eggs- 9 fledged
2010 - 1ASY pair and 4SY pair total 10 bird
2011 first ASY pair May 06
2012 first pair arrived May 01, May 21 total 10 pairs 49 babies
2013 May 04 martins 2 pair May 19 total 12 pair
2014 May 08 2 pair May 12 almost full 10 pair
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NOMORE-Beggin4Birds
- Posts: 117
- Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2008 8:21 am
- Location: Walkersville, MD
Carlton and April57 :
Nice to have your input to my recent posting. I continue to be patiently awaiting the subbies, as I have not seen any arrivals as of yet. Many of my friends who have been LONG time landlords and have LARGE colonies are also wondering what the hold up is this year. So until things change, I will continue to be . . . . . .
" Beggin4Birds "
Nice to have your input to my recent posting. I continue to be patiently awaiting the subbies, as I have not seen any arrivals as of yet. Many of my friends who have been LONG time landlords and have LARGE colonies are also wondering what the hold up is this year. So until things change, I will continue to be . . . . . .
" Beggin4Birds "
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NOMORE-Beggin4Birds
- Posts: 117
- Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2008 8:21 am
- Location: Walkersville, MD
TO : " ALL "
I wanted to let you folks know that an ADULT pair of martins were investigating my site around 4:30 yesterday afternoon. THEN . . . around 10:00 a.m. this morning, I was pleasantly surprised to welcome my FIRST subbies of the season. First . . . . ONE, then TWO and then THREE !!! As I said in one of my earlier postings, describing my gourd racks and housing, ( 2 Trio Houses - Converted to larger compartments and 1 Trio House - NOT converted ), they were once again VERY interested in the Trio House that someone gave me last year that is NOT converted. Something about this house that they like !!! I hesitated about putting it up last year, but decided to put it close to the two that are on my multi-purpose pole. They showed a lot of interest to this tiny little change to my site last year When I put it up, I put it in the opposite direction as the houses on my mult-purpose pole, but kept the houses close together. They flew around my round gourd rack and my 20' gourd rack also, but they were definitely drawn to the Trio House with SMALL compartments. They were here investigating for around an hour or so. Being that the showers have stopped and the sun is back out, they may decide to return this afternoon for another visit. For now I continue to be . . . . . .
" Beggin4Birds "
I wanted to let you folks know that an ADULT pair of martins were investigating my site around 4:30 yesterday afternoon. THEN . . . around 10:00 a.m. this morning, I was pleasantly surprised to welcome my FIRST subbies of the season. First . . . . ONE, then TWO and then THREE !!! As I said in one of my earlier postings, describing my gourd racks and housing, ( 2 Trio Houses - Converted to larger compartments and 1 Trio House - NOT converted ), they were once again VERY interested in the Trio House that someone gave me last year that is NOT converted. Something about this house that they like !!! I hesitated about putting it up last year, but decided to put it close to the two that are on my multi-purpose pole. They showed a lot of interest to this tiny little change to my site last year When I put it up, I put it in the opposite direction as the houses on my mult-purpose pole, but kept the houses close together. They flew around my round gourd rack and my 20' gourd rack also, but they were definitely drawn to the Trio House with SMALL compartments. They were here investigating for around an hour or so. Being that the showers have stopped and the sun is back out, they may decide to return this afternoon for another visit.
For now I continue to be . . . . . ." Beggin4Birds "
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DakotaLady
- Posts: 654
- Joined: Thu Aug 07, 2008 2:06 pm
- Location: Bismarck, ND
Beggin4Birds, as you know with that many martins investigating you may be in for a great summer. I cannot wait to hear the ... rest of the story. Please keep us informed.
Please keep us informed.~Tangula~
2013 - 16 pair, 79 eggs, 71 fledged
2012 - 4 pair, 18 eggs, 18 fledged
2013 - 16 pair, 79 eggs, 71 fledged
2012 - 4 pair, 18 eggs, 18 fledged
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NOMORE-Beggin4Birds
- Posts: 117
- Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2008 8:21 am
- Location: Walkersville, MD
DakotaLady :
I was happy to read your posting this morning. I read it in between watching several subbies and even an adult male visiting my site. I have seen 5 martins at different times this morning, returning to visit shortly around 7:00 a.m. Possibly the same ones from yesterday ??? However, they seemed more interested in the gourds this morning. I enjoyed your wording regarding that you cannot wait to hear the . . . rest of the story !
HOPEFULLY, " the rest of the story " will NOT be that I am still . . . . . .
" Beggin4Birds "
I was happy to read your posting this morning. I read it in between watching several subbies and even an adult male visiting my site. I have seen 5 martins at different times this morning, returning to visit shortly around 7:00 a.m. Possibly the same ones from yesterday ??? However, they seemed more interested in the gourds this morning. I enjoyed your wording regarding that you cannot wait to hear the . . . rest of the story !
HOPEFULLY, " the rest of the story " will NOT be that I am still . . . . . .
" Beggin4Birds "