So.......what has happened here?

[Lizzie]

Thanks handyman!

[flyin-lowe]

Thanks guys!

Flyin' Low.....just now noticed in your sig line that you moved, and essentially had to "start over" with your martin colony. Wow! That may have stopped me from moving. Hah!

Yeah it was tough after putting many years into getting a colony started. I tried to increase my odds, we moved from our house around March just before the martins arrived. I did not have a new house bought yet so the owners agreed to let me keep the housing up. I knew I was looking at houses near by so I figured the more martins to fledge the better my chances the next year. That year there was 30 pair that fledged 100. I talked to the owner about leaving some housing behind (I had some older houses in storage) and he had no interest in having them up. That fall we bought a house about 7 miles away. The following spring I kept watching and sure enough all the ASY's returned and for a week or so and they were just circling the yard where their housing used to be. It was a tough site but I thought I might have struck gold because a week later I had 8 ASY's show up at my place. I was assuming they were the displaced martins from my old house as it is unusual in my area to have that many ASY's just show up at once. They stayed day and night for 4 days and I was excited.....On the fifth day they got up, flew off in the morning and I never saw them again. I still do not know if they were some of the displaced martins from my site or they were just passing through as part of the migration. Needless to say somebody got a good increase in ASY birds that year, it just wasn't me. So far last year was the best year I've had trying to re-establish, I have high hopes at least some of them I had last year will make it back.
In the back of my mind I kind of though that starting a second colony would be easier as I knew more then when I first started off. For the most part I have found it just boils down to getting the right martins to find your place and make it back that first year. Both my locations are "ideal" as far as standards, wide open, quality housing, and large water sources near by.

[Lizzie]

I certainly do understand!
I have a great place, as far as features, flyways, housing which is locally attractive to martins, a creek, lots of food sources for them (many dragonflies, because I am an organic gardener and leave much of my place in its natural state), .....but it all boils down to whether or not martins happen to see the place, come and investigate, and then are able to find a mate.
My biggest problem so far seems to be that the males love it here, but they can't find females to bring by, and many that they bring, don't stay.

[BillieJR]

I think I would have a real hard time making the decision to move if I had finally built up a colony. I have a friend who I have talked to him about the same thing. He said he doesn't know what he'll do if he ever decides to move or if it comes time for him to move. I don't think his children are at all interested in keeping up the colony so he's already concerned about it. His wife is pretty sure she'll never get him to move. haha!

[Craig Dyer]

My first colony was seven years old and well established. I had forty nesting pairs. It was sad pulling down all the housing when I moved. It was late July that year so the martins were finished nesting for the season. There were other purple martin landlords nearby so I'm sure my old colony found new homes.
My new and present home is many miles from the old location. The first season in my new location produced nothing but visitors. The second year I had 6 nesting pairs, followed by 17 pairs the following year. It's been six years now and I have 100% occupancy with 28 nesting pairs. I plan on being buried here...under the martin housing.

[Lizzie]

Hahahah! I can understand that line of thinking!

[BillieJR]

That's amazing - it only took you 2 seasons to get a colony started. I envy you!

[Craig Dyer]

Purple martins are abundant in north east Texas, and desperate for housing. I've heard it said that one could hang an old shoe on a fence post here and attract a pair of martins.