Landlord Wannabe... Need advice from the Experts.

[KyleJKP]

Hey guys. My name is Kyle and I'm from NE Arkansas, 30 miles north of Memphis, about 15 miles from the Mississippi River. I'm 29 and am trying to get my colony started.. I have always been interested in Purple Martins since I was a small child. My grandpa had a fairly large colony that I was able to watch. I must be honest, my grandpa was a pretty sorry landlord. He never cleaned out his Martin houses or gourds but still always had a colony of 150-200 birds. That was until about 2 years ago when his colony stopped coming.

Recently, while visiting my grandpa, I saw his old Martin houses that he had taken down and asked if I could have a few of them. They are the aluminum type houses with round entrances. I cleaned them out and put up 3 houses in my back yard on steel poles on May 3 and immediately the HOSP and Starlings started trying to build nests. I clean them out daily if need be.

I recently ordered a T14 house with SREH and thought about taking the aluminum houses down and just having the T14. I also got a few gourds to hang under the T14.

I've had a pair of Martins check out the houses and land on them and actually go in them but have never seen them start building a nest. So at least I know they notice the houses. Maybe I put them up to late to attract PMs this year as far as nesting goes??

Any info or advice would be greatly appreciated. I need all of the help I can get.

I look forward to learning from you guys and sharing the experiences I have.

[Okie]

Welcome KyleJKP Read as much of the forum posts as you can. You will learn a lot. PMCA shop sells an excellent book I found very helpful. Purple Martin Book The complete guide to attracting and Housing Purple Martins by Stokes, It has just about everything you need to know to get started. Hopes this helps.
One more thing: Learn how to control house sparrows and starlings. It is a MUST
Okie

[Kyler]

KyleJPK,
Welcome Im really glad you are starting with purple martins they need you!!!! This my fourth year and I have now attracted 3 pair at my new location! When did you put the houses up? Because that was some of my problem in 2013 I put my houses up around May 22. Plus they were in a really bad location but always I never even had a look. On this forum you will learn so much more. How I know that is because I did. I mean I had so many questions and everything. But you know what? Every single question I had someone on here gave my the best answer ever.
Wish you luck!!

Kyler,

[KyleJKP]

Okie,

Thanks for the info. I'll definitely check the book out.


Kyler,

I put my houses up on May 3. I picked up the houses on may 1 and had them up by the 3rd... Like I said, this is my maiden voyage so I didn't know when to put them up exactly... The houses are fairly old and not in the best shape but they are more than livable.. As stated before, I purchased a T14 and a few gourds that should be here this week. I plan on painting it and getting it up asap..

I live on 2 acres, surrounded by farm land. I placed the houses approx 20 yds from my back door. It's an open yard with not one tree in my back yard. They are on steel poles, 12 feet in the air, 15 feet apart... Large 80 acre field behind the houses with a small river on the other side of the field. Seems to be perfect spot according to what I've read. Open space, close to people, no trees, close to water, plenty of flying insects...

[Kyler]

KyleJKP,
I'm not sure if all of the sub adults are back but I think its really good that you got a pair looking! Do you know if there any other colonies near you? Because that might be where there coming from because martins go out during the day visit other colonies because they are every social birds. Last year I had a SY pair do the exact same thing they never stayed and nested but they came back every day. Good luck!!! Keep us posted!

Kyler,

[Archer]

Hello KyleJKP, Welcome to the forum. Martins begin arriving in Arkansas in Feb and March, the sub adults arrive later in April and May. Next year you can follow their progress as the migration starts by watching this page, https://www.purplemartin.org/research/8 ... val-study/ As for this year, If I were you I would set up my housing as soon as possible, there is still a chance you can attract some martins this year. Your place sounds good for martins, with all the open areas. I would also play the Dawnsong, which can be purchased from the PMCA. It will help you attract martins to your location. https://www.purplemartin.org/shop/27/attraction-tools/ Read and participate in the forum and other resources on this site and by next year at this time you'll know how to help martins better. Good luck to you.

[KyleJKP]

Kyler,

There are no colonies close by as far as I know. In this area, I don't recall seeing any other PM housing. There is a well established colony 15 miles away but that is the closest I'm aware of..

Also, I'm not caught up with the lingo yet so a little help there would be greatly appreciated. ASY? SY?...


Archer,

Thanks for the info and links. I'm amazed at how many people are interested in martins and to the extent they go for them. It has really been fascinating to learn about and see the different places people have built for them.
As far as the dawn song goes, when is the best time to play and for how long? How loud? Thanks again for the info

[Ed Pace]

Hi Kyle welcome to the forum. If it were me I would keep the metal houses up at least for now, you might be able to put them in the form of a little triangle and put your T14 in the center it is easier to attract Martin's with a few more houses than just one only. Your biggest problem with the extra houses especially with the round holes will be keeping out the starling Sparrows and tree swallows ,bluebirds too. Little by little you can change your entrances over to starling resistance ones. It still may be early enough with your longer growing season to plant some natural guard seeds for next year. Good luck on your new colony. Ed.

[Kyler]

KyleJKP,
I think I know what your talking about? Your wondering what a ASY and a SY are? Okay well a ASY is a after second year adult martin which has nested around there in the previous years. A SY martin is a second year martin which was born last year. This is the first year it is back as a breeding adult. The SYs are the ones that are starting a brand new colony. It's every unlikely to have the babies born in you houses to come back and nest in the same house that they were born in. But it might happen!

Kyler,

[Evan337]

Okie,

Thanks for the info. I'll definitely check the book out.


Kyler,

I put my houses up on May 3. I picked up the houses on may 1 and had them up by the 3rd... Like I said, this is my maiden voyage so I didn't know when to put them up exactly... The houses are fairly old and not in the best shape but they are more than livable.. As stated before, I purchased a T14 and a few gourds that should be here this week. I plan on painting it and getting it up asap..

I live on 2 acres, surrounded by farm land. I placed the houses approx 20 yds from my back door. It's an open yard with not one tree in my back yard. They are on steel poles, 12 feet in the air, 15 feet apart... Large 80 acre field behind the houses with a small river on the other side of the field. Seems to be perfect spot according to what I've read. Open space, close to people, no trees, close to water, plenty of flying insects...

Kyle,

Welcome to the forum. Sounds like you have a great site. The Mississippi River is a major flyway for migrating birds and especially swallows that feed on flying insects. Your local site sounds ideal and geographically you are in a good area for martins. You're a little late getting housing up but I would say you have a shot at second year birds until mid June maybe? If you don't get birds this year you definitely should get them next. Leave your housing up through the summer to get visitors from other sites. A lot of times those late summer visiting birds will be the ones to nest in you colony the following year. It looks like scouts arrive in your area starting mid- February. A few thoughts or to-dos:

1. Have your housing up and open between 2/15 - 3/1 next year for you best chance of attracting ASY (After second year - these are the oldest birds) pairs.

2. It sounds like you have trio/natureline houses. These are excellent aluminum houses. Definitely continue to use those houses. A lot of people - myself included - love reworking and restoring these old houses. I would advise converting from 12 compartments to 6 deeper compartments. If you have trio grandpas they will be a favorite with your birds. I offer three trio grandpas at my site and 16/18 units are occupied. The link below is helpful -

https://www.purplemartin.org/uploads/me ... ee-259.pdf

The T-14 with gourds is a great choice. I have one as well with four troyer horizontal gourds attached. This setup established my colony. At one point it had 16/18 units occupied.

3. Provide protection against predators. rat snakes would be my biggest concern. You will get martins from other colonies that are restarting because they didn't have protection against predators.

4. Control sparrows and starlings. It sounds like you have round holes on the older housing. Consider switching to crescents or another starling resistant entry hole. Actively trapping those two species is the best way to control their population in your area. You can do that year round.

Good luck and welcome to this hobby. I have been in it for 12 years and it has been very rewarding.

[Okie]

When you are ready to delve into traps for s&s [sparrows & starlings] let us know & we can direct you to some good traps & how to use them. That is one of the most important job you have as a landlord.
Good luck
Okie

[Archer]

The Dawnsong is sung by the older males in the colony in the predawn hours of the night, sound travels farthest at that time of day. It's an attraction call, with the older males trying bring in new martins, to which they would like to add there genes to the pool. With that said, it attracts martins whenever they hear it. I consider it advertising, the more the better. When I was in your position I played it all day, as loud as my speaker could handle it, without distortion. Sometimes I got sick of hearing it and turned it off to keep my sanity. Once you have some interested guest, turn down the volume to a low level. I kept playing dawnsong and daytime chatter till I had serious nesting building activity going on. Good luck.

[ossnap]

As another 1st year noobie I would definitely recommend the dawn song as well. I put up a gourd rack mid-Feb and didn't see a single martin come by. I had just about gave up for this year. Well, I purchased the dawn song and daytime chatter CD's and started playing them casually whenever I am around. the very first timed I played the dawn song one Saturday morning, I had a martin stop by within 5 minutes of me starting the CD. I was blown away at how well it worked. My main issue is a large pine tree in the corner of my yard. I have to get it taken down but I won't be able to do that till mid-late summer. So far now I just play the CD's whenever I am able to sit and watch. I typically get martins circling 1/2 the time I have played them. Keep the aluminum housing up. The more options for them the better. Learn to trap/shoot starlings and house sparrows. It sounds like you have a great location. Good luck and stick with it.

[KyleJKP]

Well as of this morning, I have 2 pairs of SYs nesting in one of my older aluminum houses.... Pretty blessed for my first year and putting my housing up so late.

[Kyler]

That great!! I have always put a little bit of like pine needles in the compartments! Because I just think its a little easier for them they just don't have to bring in so much stuff to build their nest and they can use that energy for egg laying and hatching their eggs!!!

Kyler,