New Member and Tree Swallow Problems

[Watussi]

Hello to all, wanted to make an introductory post and also include my first experiences as a first ever wannabe Purple Martin Landlord. This may get lengthy but thanks to all that hang on for the ride.

I live in Northwest, Ga (Calhoun to be exact) and i put my new housing up on April 17th. The very next day I had a beautiful adult male Purple Martin and female check the housing out for 5 minutes or so and then move on. One day following this encounter (April 19th) I had 2 sub adult PM's that did about the same thing and check out the housing momentarily and then were on their way. The morning of April 22nd i woke up early so that I could watch the housing while i had my morning coffee and was ecstatic to see that i had 2 (what i thought initially were martins) flying in and out of 2 of my nesting boxes with nesting materials. It was an awesome feeling of accomplishment at first until i pulled out my binoculars and investigated. I now know that I have a pair of Tree Swallows enjoying my housing. . I have read through the tree swallow emergency instructions on PMCA and have since just completely taken my housing down. I plan to put up a gourd today to let the TS's settle into. Do you guys have any pointers on avoiding anymore hiccups during this process as i fear that i will miss getting any martins this year if i can't hurry up and evict the TS's.
Thanks for any and all replies, happy to be a part of this group!

Also, I've attached a picture of my housing. S&K house converted to 6 compartments, painted green roof white, mounted on 12 foot tri-tel pole.

[randy741985]

Go to Chucks Page and index to the left "moving tree Swallows" I'm trying it right now with Gourds, waiting for them to start laying eggs before trying this method.


http://www.chuckspurplemartinpage.com/

[pmlover]

i keep many bluebird houses in a row about 50 yards away from the purples this did the trick
they nest there

[BillieJR]

I just wanted to say "Welcome" to the group, Watussi - and good luck.

[John Miller]

delete

[Watussi]

Thank you all for your responses. Happy to say that i just set out a gourd on a shepherds hook and took down my S&K house and I am literally watching the tree swallows fly in and out of the gourd with nesting material. Going to give them a few days and try to re-set up my martin housing! Fingers Crossed!

[BillieJR]

Wow - that was sure fast!

[randyM]

I had tree swallows nesting on my property in single unit houses for about 10 years before I was able to attract martins to my multi-unit elevated houses. I have about 100 single unit houses/gourds scattered around my property with about 60 nesting tree swallow pairs and an occasional blue bird pair or two in an average year. Whenever a martin would stop by to visit my elevated martin housing, many tree swallows would harass any martin until the martin flew off, even though the swallows were not nesting in the elevated martin housing. Even when martins would just fly by, groups of tree swallows would chase the martins away as if they were hawks. I wanted to keep providing housing for tree swallows and still wanted to attract martins. So about 5 years ago I purchased 12 martin decoys and the chatter and dawn song CDs. I put up the decoys near and on my martin housing in early spring through fall. I start to play the martin CDs when the first tree swallows arrive (usually about a week or so before martins begin to pass through my area). It worked....the tree swallows became accustomed to the sights and sounds of martins at my site through the presence of the decoys and playing the CD. The first SY male martin that arrived in spring 5 years ago was basically ignored by the swallows. He stayed all season that year without attracting a mate, but came back to the same nest cavity the next year (I have 250 elevated martin cavities/gourds on 10 poles - I don't do anything at a small scale!), as an ASY so I'm quite sure it was the same male. He attracted a SY female that year and fledged all young. He was the first martin back at my site again this year (just 5 days ago) and upon arrival he sat on his favorite perch next to a pair of tree swallows without an sign of aggression from either species. I believe the use of martin decoys and the playing of the martin CDs certainly helped subdue the aggression tree swallows used to have towards visiting martins at my site and resulted in my martin colony becoming established...I just wish I would have tried this method year's earlier!! I'd suggest you give this a try if you're still having issues with aggressive tree swallows. Good luck this year and beyond!

[flyin-lowe]

In areas with heavy populations of tree swallows they can be a huge issue with getting a colony established. Before you have an established colony you will have to leave your martin housing closed up and keep open housing for the TS. The distance is important as TS are territorial toward other TS. If you keep the TS housing 30-50 feet from your martin housing they will typically allow martins in that area but will keep other TS out. If you put the TS housing too far from your martin housing then they will not protect that area and another pair of TS will move in as soon as you open the martin housing. Once you get some returning martins each year you can just leave the martin housing closed until they start returning to your area, returning ASY martins will not be run off by TS and will keep them at bay....