Hope for the not so perfect Purple Martin housing location.

[DavidB]

I've noticed a lot of people on the forum worrying about their location not being "perfect" for a PM colony. This colony is located at the water treatment plant where I work. Currently it has 8 active pairs. I thought this might encourage someone who is stressing over their housing location. They're not quite so picky as some believe.

[DavidB]

pic

[DavidB]

pic

[DavidB]

pic

[DavidB]

Well I have five more pics I was going to post but it says I have met my limit. I wish I could upload them they show the martins a lot better.

[Bulldog1]

It is doing ok

[BuddyS]

I agree! Buildings are OK, however trees are a different story...and of course I have trees. The solid, flat walls can't hide predators.

Just goes to show you how PMs can find housing anywhere. I bet they love to hear their vocalizations bounce off those metal walls.

I love seeing these pics

[Matt F.]

Great photos David!
They do a perfect job of illustrating how tolerant Martins are of human structures being very close to their housing - even massive and tall structures, like your photos show.
Great post!

[avesrun]

Hmmm. So maybe I just need to construct some silos or other buildings around my setup. J/K

Pretty cool deal DavidB. Do you know of active colonies near the treatment plant? From my experience thus far, it seems one of the most crucial factors is being within a reasonable distance of active colonies of course coupled with diligent control of exotic introduced pests.

I'm still questioning the use of sreh as an important factor as well; round holes would also plague me with starlings as well.

I have stuck with my sreh to this point, but feel I could have martins right now with round holes.... if I was willing to accept some vicious loss in the process. Thus I'm holding out for a founding pair that will accept sreh
I'm open to opinions on this flawed or unflawed thinking; or better yet opinions on strategy.

I've wondered about the strategy of trying one season with offering a certain number of round holes along with my sreh, diligently shooting and trapping starlings while knowing that possible founding martin nesters would be at risk, but that if I can get at least ONE successful nesting ( I have seen NUMEROUS examples of martins and starlings nesting side by side) I would have the start of a colony. I would then switch all entrances the following season to sreh in hopes of any returning martins site fidelity instincts would help them adapt to the sreh. Has anyone ever employed this somewhat unethical strategy getting started?

Hope you don't mind DavidB my post in your thread; I did notice those big round holes in your martin house and just wanted to expand on my "worries" for my location. Just how much sreh affects location for a NEW/wannabe landlord is something I truly wrestle with. But in the end, I have so much dislike of European Starlings that I cannot come to a point of letting them in to a purple martin house.

[taxidermy lady]

Yeah I know what you mean on that round hole. That's all I see on the trios I see in town is round. I am going to have three round holes in trio next yr. just have to not leave your house. If I get a pair in a round, change to sreh during nesting time! That's my thought.. Anyone with any thoughts please
Let us know. Anything is worth a try. Just have to shoot anything that lands!

[Archer]

Thanks for the Pics David, very surprising that they would nest there. Is this a case where the buildings were built after the colony was established?
In regards to the round hole experiment, I tried it in year two, I didn't think I had a starling issue till I put up a house with round holes. Every morning there would be a new pair of starlings on the house, it made me so mad, hitting a starling on the fly with a shotgun is not that easy. After a week I couldn't take it any more and switched them all over to SREH. If there is one thing I can be sure of, its that no starling will ever nest at my place. This year, being my 4th, I've been blessed with three nesting pair and its looking like more. All my cavities are SREH, all the martins are sy and the martins love it, they play the same peek-a-boo games no matter what opening you have, when they want to go in, they do!

[taxidermy lady]

Yeah I'll be changing back to sreh real fast if that happens Archer. Which I am sure it will! But still have to try it. I work at home so I will be able to monitor all day. Also I will be taking all my housing down sept. For the winter. Since no nesting martins, April 1 is when they will go back up.. Good luck with all your colony this year!

[Matt F.]

Avesrun, and Taxidermy Lady,
You both bring up a great topic.
I've started another thread called "offering a few, small compartments, with round holes", where I offer my views on the subject......

[taxidermy lady]

Yeah I want a variety of houses, gourds, sreh, round, maybe even different heights on the poles. I will be changing things up for next yr. I had my tree cut down this weekend on north side of house (soft maple). They combined the wheat by my house so I called my guy and we got it down. Looks very open now for the expandable gourd rack. All of us that doesn't have any martins have to do these things to become successful. I am hoping to have an irresistible sight for those hard to please females next year!

[DavidB]

I'm behind on answering some of the questions on this post.

The martin house was put up after the structures were built.

There is one other martin house on the water plant location and two more houses located at the wastewater treatment plant just down the road. Also, I have a small colony at my house approximately 3 miles from the plants.

The houses at the Water and Wastewater plants and my personal colony all have round holes. I can't speak for the colonies at the plants but as far as my personal colony I've had martins for 5 years and only 1 starling has made an attempt to nest. I see a lot of starlings in the area but they just don't seem to be a problem. House sparrows are another story at my house. I have a repeating sparrow trap I built and catch several each season. Although not much the time I have spent around the colonies at the plants I haven't noticed starling or sparrows bothering them.

[taxidermy lady]

Maybe the S&S feel threatened by the huge tanks! With the martin house being surrounded they feel trapped already. GOOD FOR YOU!!!!

[Mitch Booth]

Yes, that certainly dismisses the wide open flyways needed!! I'll never quite understand nature. I had a founding pair of martins last year that must have found my site somewhat attractive or they wouldn't have nested and successfully fledged young and this year I have nothing but visitors!! Frustrating deal for new landlords. I drive by sites all over Akron that have huge trees hanging over the martin colonies that are filled with birds. These site typically have an open 180 degrees to the wate. I'm not quite feeling so bad for martins now about not having enough adequate housing. I have enough room to land a 747, lake and all SREH and shoot all sparrows to avoid attacks on my tree swallows, bluebirds, chickadees and other cavity nesters I have at the property.

Mitch

[Roymg]

I hope the young ones can navigate away from those open water tanks.

[~Ray~Gingerich]

Here's another one, the martin house on the right is within arms reach of the tree. There are martins

[Matt F.]

Not my photo, but here's one that's intriguing:
(Note the palm leaves actually on the house)
https://flic.kr/p/6ykgWj