Socializing our Martins-strategies

[C.C.Martins]

Well they are coming back quick! Our loyal ASY birds and eventually the first year birds will be back looking for their familiar spots, or unfamiliar spots if the SYs were drawn in by the older birds. at any rate they are coming.
One of the many reasons I like them so much is that they seem to seek human activity and accept our intrusions into their lives as part of the environment. Its a chance for us to interact on a deep trusting level with an otherwise wild bird. I remember when my first pair arrived and my rather desperate calls to Louise Chambers..."now what?" I didn't even want to cut the grass for fear they would take off; she advised me to socialize them...cut the grass, do the weeds, be out there with the birds vs peering through a window praying they would stay.
They did and I did what she said, been wonderful. My question is this? What are some strategies do you employ to socialize your birds? They have been gone a long time and are a little skittish at first...I think nest checks are the A#1 way, does lots of necessary things. Walking out amongst them at regular intervals, talk and whistle to them.
last year was bad for hawks here, I employed a "dummy" on my back porch in full view of the martins and any hawks complete with face, red or yellow ball cap Id switch up and a reflective safety vest, put him in a chair and move it around...didnt do squat for the hawks. It DID socialize the birds while I was at work. I would switch places, and put on the reflective vest and the birds didn't bat an eye...it was in their environment and accepted. every so often Id make a point of standing and walking under them, talking a bit and they rarely looked. I tried it without the vest and they didn't like that so much so keep the vest on and my red or yellow cap.
Any other strategies work for you?

[Dave Duit]

Thanks for this great post. I BBQ alot about 40 feet from my colony. I try to chat with them while sipping my iced tea and they seem to enjoy the company. Cricket flipping with a plastic spoon helps them see that you are a friend and not a foe.

[C.C.Martins]

Dave,
Talking to them sure helps, i heard my neighbor talking to the martins one day, i told her i appriciated that! Bet they like watching your BBQs as much as you like watching them...not much escapes them. Just being around is helpful...the very active boys across the street make a lot of noise with ball playing and all that, the martins seem to swing low and like the activity.

[Dave Duit]

Neighborhood kids are great for martins with their daily activity. I have a neighbor with nine kids, so there is not a lack of activity and it seems to help keep those pesky hawks at bay. I just let the kids know that they are not to run under and around the area close to the martin housing. I also pay the oldest neighbor boy 25 cents for every house sparrow he brings to me. Don't worry, his parents know of this arrangement and he has been well versed in the difference between an English house sparrow both male and female and that of a finch or song sparrow. To date he has earned enough for his college fund. Just kidding, he eliminated most of the sparrows within the first two years of me having martins. But he still manages to have a spare dead sparrow once in a while. He uses a .177 Gamo pellet gun.

[Wildriver]

Well they are coming back quick! Our loyal ASY birds and eventually the first year birds will be back looking for their familiar spots, or unfamiliar spots if the SYs were drawn in by the older birds. at any rate they are coming.
One of the many reasons I like them so much is that they seem to seek human activity and accept our intrusions into their lives as part of the environment. Its a chance for us to interact on a deep trusting level with an otherwise wild bird. I remember when my first pair arrived and my rather desperate calls to Louise Chambers..."now what?" I didn't even want to cut the grass for fear they would take off; she advised me to socialize them...cut the grass, do the weeds, be out there with the birds vs peering through a window praying they would stay.
They did and I did what she said, been wonderful. My question is this? What are some strategies do you employ to socialize your birds? They have been gone a long time and are a little skittish at first...I think nest checks are the A#1 way, does lots of necessary things. Walking out amongst them at regular intervals, talk and whistle to them.
last year was bad for hawks here, I employed a "dummy" on my back porch in full view of the martins and any hawks complete with face, red or yellow ball cap Id switch up and a reflective safety vest, put him in a chair and move it around...didnt do squat for the hawks. It DID socialize the birds while I was at work. I would switch places, and put on the reflective vest and the birds didn't bat an eye...it was in their environment and accepted. every so often Id make a point of standing and walking under them, talking a bit and they rarely looked. I tried it without the vest and they didn't like that so much so keep the vest on and my red or yellow cap.
Any other strategies work for you?

Thanks for the great post. I think my birds know me and are excited to greet me in the spring. I tell my wife this and she thinks I am crazy. She is not a bird nut like me.
When I see them in early spring, they all come down and circle around me chirping. They are all worked up by the site of people they know and trust. After all, I don't think they get that much human interaction in Brazil. The martins I think are grateful that someone didn't forget about them. They traveled 4000 miles north thru weather that could be challenging and food uncertain to arrive at my colony site. This could be the reason they are so happy. I always put nice fresh white pine needles in the T-14 houses so it smells like a northern chateau. The martins are just relieved that they made it back to northern Wisconsin and are so excited to tell me all about it!
And the feeling is mutual, I am always so happy to see them.

[C.C.Martins]

Dave: good idea on the extra set of eyes for pests and having the active kids around does help in a lot of ways. It sure does keep the undesireable birds at bay, martin prefrences for our presence is a sure way to be safe...the enemy of my enemy is my friend...even the birds have that figured out!

Wildriver, thats great and your wife sounds like mine...grudingly acceptance of the purple disease. Sounds like you have a special bond with your birds, your description hits to the heart of what it means to be a good land lord! They dont seem to have the interation way south in the Amazon basin and i wish mine were as excited when they get home, they sound relieved and happy. Ours are sorta skittish at first but perhaps 3 years of my yard will calm them down when they get here.