The season ends...

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Craig Dyer
Posts: 500
Joined: Fri May 13, 2005 2:24 pm
Location: Nevada, TX
Martin Colony History: Area is rural. Offer 28 compartments...metal housing (Lonestar Goliad) & Supergourds all w/crescent entrance holes. Purple martins are abundant here and eager for quality, well maintained, safe housing. Expect near 100% occupancy this season.

Thanks to abundant rains this spring martin nestlings were well fed, and most have fledged. The resident mocking bird has been lurking, ready to re-take his perch atop the martin pole.

Happy 4th of July to all.
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Craig Dyer
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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.

Looks great Craig.

Hope next year is even better for you!

Bill
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Craig Dyer
Posts: 500
Joined: Fri May 13, 2005 2:24 pm
Location: Nevada, TX
Martin Colony History: Area is rural. Offer 28 compartments...metal housing (Lonestar Goliad) & Supergourds all w/crescent entrance holes. Purple martins are abundant here and eager for quality, well maintained, safe housing. Expect near 100% occupancy this season.

Thanks Bill, to you as well.
Craig Dyer
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BW Fowler
Posts: 156
Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2015 6:01 pm
Location: TX/Buda

Great job Craig! We are so lucky here in the south where martins and insects are so plentiful. Sure does get quiet though when they leave for the year.

BW
2009-2013 a few visitors.
2014: 1 pair of SY love birds, 5 fledges; 2015: 7 pair, 34 Fldg; 2016: 12p/54F; 2017: 14p/71F;
2018: 24p/103F; 2019: 29p/130F; 2020: 38p/190F
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Craig Dyer
Posts: 500
Joined: Fri May 13, 2005 2:24 pm
Location: Nevada, TX
Martin Colony History: Area is rural. Offer 28 compartments...metal housing (Lonestar Goliad) & Supergourds all w/crescent entrance holes. Purple martins are abundant here and eager for quality, well maintained, safe housing. Expect near 100% occupancy this season.

Thanks BW, congrats to you on a great 2015!

Yes, it does get eerily quiet as the martins head for the Amazon at the end of the breeding season.
Craig Dyer
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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

We still have a few, and many visitors from a nearby roost every morning.

Craig, that is a nice looking setup, and I like your house a lot, it looks like a good design
PMCA Member, 250 gourds, 6 poles, 2traps
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Craig Dyer
Posts: 500
Joined: Fri May 13, 2005 2:24 pm
Location: Nevada, TX
Martin Colony History: Area is rural. Offer 28 compartments...metal housing (Lonestar Goliad) & Supergourds all w/crescent entrance holes. Purple martins are abundant here and eager for quality, well maintained, safe housing. Expect near 100% occupancy this season.

Thanks Emil, evidently the house sparrows like it too. I have been battling them all season. Have shot or trapped at least two dozen...lost count. They just keep coming.
Craig Dyer
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kehunter
Posts: 138
Joined: Mon Feb 24, 2014 11:42 am
Location: TX/Pearland

Thirteen pairs and their 50 babies have left my place, but two pairs that had completely infertile clutches on their first round have re-nested. One pair has four healthy chicks about 10 days old, and the other clutch of four eggs should hatch sometime this coming week.
2016 - 6 cavities in Royal Wing/S&K house + 6 BO9 gourds with tunnels/porches on pole 1, 6 BO9 gourds with tunnels/porches on pole 2
2015 - new homebuilt 3 cavity house plus 3 BO9 gourds with tunnels porches on second pole, in addition to prior setup. 15 pairs, 54 fledged
2014 - 6 6x12 house cavities (plastic Royal Wing/S&K), plus 6 BO9 gourds with tunnels/porches offered; 12 pairs, 50 fledged
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