I HAD A LOOKER!!!
Well this afternoon I noticed a Purple Martin flying around my gourds checking them out. It flew around for a bit and then left, I did have the song bird magnet playing daytime chatter at the time. This is my 3rd year trying, the same thing happened last year. Any chance this is a SY?
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Hard to tell if it's an SY. Looks like ASY male from that position. Good luck to you. I hope the best. I've been fortunate to have a house full last year for my first year. I put up a second house and it, too, is full. I know they will be fortunate at your place.
Brent
I am in New Tripoli, PA about 1/2 hour North of Allentown, PA. For now I turned off the daytime chatter, last year I had a Martin come and it seemed like it was looking around for the other birds. So for now I am keeping the daytime chatter off to see what happens.
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Ryan
- Posts: 308
- Joined: Sat Apr 15, 2006 4:19 pm
- Location: Eganville, Ontario
- Martin Colony History: Visitors are rare. On the northern edge of the martins range.
Good luck. It's a great feeling. Haven't experienced it in a few years myself, but also keep the faith.
2010- 1 SY male on and off for a couple weeks
'11- 0 visits
12- 0 visits
13- 0 visits
14- 1 SY male stopped by over 2 weeks.
15- 0 visits
16- 0 visits
17- 0 visits
18- 0 visits
19- Break-through year. Had a SY Male stop in on June 7th and stay all day, every day until end of June
20 - The male didn't return. I did see a SY male do a few flyovers.
21- a couple brief visits
22-3rd rack added, all within a mile. This one at prime location, 0 visits
23- 0 visits
'11- 0 visits
12- 0 visits
13- 0 visits
14- 1 SY male stopped by over 2 weeks.
15- 0 visits
16- 0 visits
17- 0 visits
18- 0 visits
19- Break-through year. Had a SY Male stop in on June 7th and stay all day, every day until end of June
20 - The male didn't return. I did see a SY male do a few flyovers.
21- a couple brief visits
22-3rd rack added, all within a mile. This one at prime location, 0 visits
23- 0 visits
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Dave Duit
- Posts: 2145
- Joined: Tue Nov 25, 2003 2:02 pm
- Location: Iowa / Nevada
- Martin Colony History: In 2024, 82 pair with 350 fledged youngsters. 110 total cavities available, 82 Troyer Horizontal gourds and a homemade PVC / metal 28 compartment unit, 1 fallout shelter. Hawk and owl guards included. Martin educator and speaker. President and founder of the Iowa Purple Martin Organization. Please visit Iowa Purple Martin Organization on Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1627283871068161 Emails send to daveduit@yahoo.com. Subject line include Iowa Purple Martin.
Having any martin check out your location is a good sign. It means they are in the area. They may be from an already established colony and if it was an ASY it will go to it's own colony because of strong site fidelity. If it was an SY, you have a much better chance. Regardless, be willing to wait it out. SY can still arrive later when people think they have no chance; keep your housing open for any possibility and continue playing the dawnsong and daytime chatter CDs. In addition to the CDs, there are other methods in trying to attract a new colony. Smear a little mud on the outside of the entrances, offer crushed eggs shells or oyster shells on a feeding tray or raised platform or near by roof top of driveway. Be sure you have wide open fly ways around your housing, far away from tall trees and closer to your own house. Prenest the cavities with soft white pine needles.