Highlight of your 2014 season?

[ToyinPA]

The highlights of my season:

Being able to share my colony with a local couple who are into birding. They both are seniors & have health issues. They brought their young grandson, who they have introduced to birding. They got to see a couple young chicks on their first visit. On their second visit they got to see my colony coming in for the night not long before many left for migration.

I was able to rehab & save a few sick chicks. It's not easy when they get dehydrated so quickly due to weather or lack of bugs. They go down fast. This is why daily nest checks are important.

I also felt so blessed I was able to help band hummingbirds. That was so exciting to be able to see them so close, hold & release them.

Just a little over 4 months & my colony should return. Crickets are in the freezer waiting to be flipped . I have a bucket of dried twigs. Bales of straw & some cedar chips in storage. Houses are covered & have snow on them right now. I long for spring. It can't come soon enough .

Toy in PA

[scottfreidhof]

Highlight #1:
After giving a talk about purple martins to the local garden club, they voted to purchase a pole to establish a new colony in town. The PMCA's powerpoint presentation was a big part of the talk. I provided the natural gourds. One of the garden club members was also a board member for the recycling center. She secured permission to set up the gourd rack there. The recycling center building is located in town adjacent to a stream and the city park. It is the perfect location for martins (and house sparrows). I finally got the gourds up on May 14, about a month late. The nearest active colony in town is about a half mile from the recycling center. Then on June 14, my 11-year old daughter called my cell phone. I immediately heard martins in the background and assumed she was calling from home. She was calling from the recycling center to tell me that martins had found the gourds. No nests this year, but I am hopeful for this spring.

Highlight #2:
A small martin roost formed in my town this year for probably the first time ever. At its peak, it held about 1,000 birds. A local retired biology professor discovered the roost location in town near the Tractor Supply store parking lot. Despite the low number of birds, the roost ring was visible on radar in the mornings.

[DornCounty]

After disposing of 60+ house sparrows during the summer, I had three immature martins land on my T-14 on Aug. 24th. They stayed for about 30 minutes then left . I assume they were in their migratory route. Hopefully one of them makes it back next year and I get my first pair. I wonder if anyone else can relate to this.

You are on the right track Gene!! Keep it up!

[James Rieman]

Easy, modifying all my Conley II entrances on my T-14 to the new Lewis SREH and watching my Starling problems immediately disappear!

[Louise Chambers]

Thanks for that reminder, James - for anyone with skinnier, more agile starlings, that's a good tweak to try.

[Lewis]

Thanks James and Louise. It has been rewarding to read about the success others have experienced using the "Lewis SREH". I first made this modification to the Conley II using the PMCA wing protector back in 2013. I tried it on 4 THG's and it worked beyond my expectations with the ease the martins had in entering and exiting so fast. This year I used it on all 20 of my THG's and have had no starlings to breach the sreh. In fact they have quit trying. I no longer see them on my gourd rack and MP pole. There is a horse farm across the road from me and they have 100's of starlings.
I would also like to thank Mark ( 4th Gen. Martin man). I think he was the first to use the "Lewis SREH" and enthusiastically responded in a number of post explaining how to use the wing protector and raised porch to make this modification.

Lewis

[Archer]

Getting my colony started with 6 sy pairs was a big joy to me after the disappointment of 2013. For those of you trying to start a colony, don't give up, ever. My second highlight was having a neighbour take an interest, I think the seeds have been sown for a new landlord. She has had purple martins years ago but tree encroachment and sparrows ended it. I think with a little encouragement to make some changes we can help her get started again.

[James Rieman]

Lewis, Great to hear from. You changed my Martin landlord experience! Living in a big city in the deep south and having a big wooden house with deep cavities really created a "perfect storm" of Starlings on my colony. It was pair after pair that established themselves in my Troyer's made T-14 with commercial Conley II plates. And those excluder II plates were just so hard on the Martins here! I was miserable. When I first switched over to your modification I was amazed at how easily the martins entered and how the Starlings couldn't! They became a non-issue! The Lewis entrance ids the only one I will use on the T-14!

[KathyF]

I haven't had any starlings breech my Conley II's (yet - knock on wood), but I have had landlords that have had them breeched. 99% of the time, turns out they've left their gourds out all winter and the starlings were "practicing" on them at a time when they were particularly skinny I guess.
I bring mine in every winter, so no practicing for you!
Mark - 4th Gen Fan has been a huge fan of the modifications, Lewis, and I do appreciate them too - for passing on to the people I mentor.
It's a never-ending battle.

[Chuck4]

I haven't had any starlings breech my Conley II's (yet - knock on wood), but I have had landlords that have had them breeched. 99% of the time, turns out they've left their gourds out all winter and the starlings were "practicing" on them at a time when they were particularly skinny I guess.
I bring mine in every winter, so no practicing for you!
Mark - 4th Gen Fan has been a huge fan of the modifications, Lewis, and I do appreciate them too - for passing on to the people I mentor.
It's a never-ending battle.

I watched several Starlings try to enter the SREH on the gourds I use. Fortunately they could not get in. It was a source of brief anxiety watching them. They were too large and tall to get in. Presently, I have all of the holes closed off on the gourds until next season. I don't need them practicing over the winter!

[Tim m.]

got my martins eating crickets from eggshell trays had 85 pr. and 270 young