Was out controlling sparrows and starlings and giving the bluebirds a few mealworms early. Great morning for coffee on the porch.
Went in and came back out. A few starlings scattered and a black silhouette disappeared into a gourd. Could it be? I had an inkling for tomorrow or Friday but......
Sure enough an ASY male Martin emerged from the gourd. He is in good shape. Ate a few tossed crickets. High today of 65 degrees here.
This is the earliest arrival to date for me. The fun begins.
Doug
Early Bird In PA
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Doug Martin - PA
- Posts: 1988
- Joined: Thu Mar 25, 2004 10:47 am
- Location: Pennsylvania/Fombell
- Martin Colony History: First pair in 2009 after 28 years of trying. 3 pairs 2010, 17 pairs 2011 and 35-45 pairs since. Many additional colonies are now springing up around mine in an area once completely void of Martins. I offer 50 compartments at my site consisting of primarily Excluder II gourds on Gemini racks. Also a wooden T-14. I utilize electric fence type predator guards on the base of the poles. Supplemental feeding is crucial in maintaining my colony. I platform feed throughout the season as needed. My site tends to be a stop over point for additional birds as they migrate further north.
Supplemental feeding plays a major role in Western Pennsylvania. Finally got my 1st pair in 2009 after 28 years of effort. The colony has grown quickly to 45 pairs that I care for. Many new colonies have now sprung up around me in the past few years as well. Where there was none.... there is many.
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ToyinPA
- Posts: 2227
- Joined: Mon Apr 10, 2006 6:07 pm
- Location: PA/Avis
- Martin Colony History: The 1972 St. Agnes flood wiped out all the Martins in my area. One day, in 1997-98, 5 or 6 Martins landed on the power wires crossing my back yard. I had no house for them. They kept coming back day after day. We got a martin house a few weeks later & they have been coming back every year since. I average 12-15 pair per year.
Congrats Doug.
We're getting houses ready today. It's 60 here in central PA already. Saturday it'll be back in the 40's again. I'm sure we'll see more snow tho, before winter finally ends. I have lots of crickets, so bring them on.
Best wishes for a great season.
Toy in PA
We're getting houses ready today. It's 60 here in central PA already. Saturday it'll be back in the 40's again. I'm sure we'll see more snow tho, before winter finally ends. I have lots of crickets, so bring them on.
Best wishes for a great season.
Toy in PA
PMCA Member
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C.C.Martins
- Posts: 3368
- Joined: Fri Apr 14, 2017 11:15 am
- Location: Corpus Christi Tx
- Martin Colony History: 2016- Visitors.
2017- 5 pair. 15 fledged
2018- 18 pair. 85 fledged
2019- 17 pair. 81 fledged
2020- 25 pair. 111 fledged
2021- 28 pair. 118 fledged
2022- 33 pair. 151 fledged
2023- 33 pair. 165 fledged
2024- 40 pair. 185 fledged
2025- 40 pair. 181 fledged
HOSP:
Home colony: mix natural, super, Troyer and excluder gourds, enlarged compartment house. All SREH.
Satellite colony: Oso Bay Preserve: 49 PMCA excluder gourds; 16 room Lonestar Goliad with Modified Excluder entrances.
2019: Visitors
2020: 3 pair, 11 fledged
2021: 10 pair, 30 fledged
2022: 11 pair, 35 fledged
2023: 18 pair, 101 fledged
2024: 39 pair, 181 fledged
2025: 51 pair, 216 fledged
PMCA member
Doug, that's great! Sounds like he found his spot, glad he's looking good and got to eat.
Hope your season is successful!
Tom
Hope your season is successful!
Tom
A good house sparrow is a dead house sparrow.
HOSP: 17. Starlings: 23
HOSP: 17. Starlings: 23
Hey Doug and Toy. Good to hear it. Today's high here was 77. Martin's were out feeding most of the day. What a big difference from the freezing cold we had earlier. I expect to see SYs soon. Good luck. Hope it's a great season!
Brent
Brent
Brent
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bootjack farm
- Posts: 112
- Joined: Thu Jun 02, 2016 9:30 am
- Location: Russell, Pa
- Martin Colony History: 9 years of trying hard...finally in 2017 I had 3 pair w/ 11 babies. T-14 +4 w/ 4 Troyer horiz. gourds. Troyer Super System 24. Fast forward to 2020... 64 fledged.
OMG! I better get the housing up. I haven't even seen a TS yet...they generally get to our area 4/1 prior to PM's.
Northwest PA
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Doug Martin - PA
- Posts: 1988
- Joined: Thu Mar 25, 2004 10:47 am
- Location: Pennsylvania/Fombell
- Martin Colony History: First pair in 2009 after 28 years of trying. 3 pairs 2010, 17 pairs 2011 and 35-45 pairs since. Many additional colonies are now springing up around mine in an area once completely void of Martins. I offer 50 compartments at my site consisting of primarily Excluder II gourds on Gemini racks. Also a wooden T-14. I utilize electric fence type predator guards on the base of the poles. Supplemental feeding is crucial in maintaining my colony. I platform feed throughout the season as needed. My site tends to be a stop over point for additional birds as they migrate further north.
Thanks for the best wishes.
Went out this morning and whistled and out he came. Thawed some crickets and we had breakfast together. He flies right to my elevated porch and snatches them a few feet off my hand.
What a cool bird. Great to have him back.
Talked to Joe from PMCA this morning and he green lighted my scout report.
Doug
Went out this morning and whistled and out he came. Thawed some crickets and we had breakfast together. He flies right to my elevated porch and snatches them a few feet off my hand.
What a cool bird. Great to have him back.
Talked to Joe from PMCA this morning and he green lighted my scout report.
Doug
Supplemental feeding plays a major role in Western Pennsylvania. Finally got my 1st pair in 2009 after 28 years of effort. The colony has grown quickly to 45 pairs that I care for. Many new colonies have now sprung up around me in the past few years as well. Where there was none.... there is many.
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sugarcreek
- Posts: 252
- Joined: Sun Mar 27, 2016 10:43 am
- Location: Sugarcreek, Ohio
- Martin Colony History: 2016 First Yr.
Wow good for you, they seem early this yr. how much earlier than in past yrs. for you
16 - 14 Cavities 4 Act. Ne 9 fledged, 2.25 Fl. per Act. Ne
17 - 36 Cavities 18 Act. Ne 65 Fledged, 3.61 Fl. per Act. Ne
18 - 54 Cavities 43 Act. Ne 169 Fledged, 3.93 Fl. per Act. Ne
19 - 108 Cavities 67 Act. Ne 209 Fledged, 3.12 Fl. per Act. Ne
20 - 108 Cavities 72 Act. Ne 243 Fledged, 3.38 Fl. per Act. Ne
21 - 112 Cavities 91 Act. Ne 313 Fledged, 3.44 Fl. per Act. Ne
22 - 114 Cavities 101 Act Ne 355 Fledged, 3.51 Fl. per Act. Ne
17 - 36 Cavities 18 Act. Ne 65 Fledged, 3.61 Fl. per Act. Ne
18 - 54 Cavities 43 Act. Ne 169 Fledged, 3.93 Fl. per Act. Ne
19 - 108 Cavities 67 Act. Ne 209 Fledged, 3.12 Fl. per Act. Ne
20 - 108 Cavities 72 Act. Ne 243 Fledged, 3.38 Fl. per Act. Ne
21 - 112 Cavities 91 Act. Ne 313 Fledged, 3.44 Fl. per Act. Ne
22 - 114 Cavities 101 Act Ne 355 Fledged, 3.51 Fl. per Act. Ne
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Doug Martin - PA
- Posts: 1988
- Joined: Thu Mar 25, 2004 10:47 am
- Location: Pennsylvania/Fombell
- Martin Colony History: First pair in 2009 after 28 years of trying. 3 pairs 2010, 17 pairs 2011 and 35-45 pairs since. Many additional colonies are now springing up around mine in an area once completely void of Martins. I offer 50 compartments at my site consisting of primarily Excluder II gourds on Gemini racks. Also a wooden T-14. I utilize electric fence type predator guards on the base of the poles. Supplemental feeding is crucial in maintaining my colony. I platform feed throughout the season as needed. My site tends to be a stop over point for additional birds as they migrate further north.
I usually get one about the 3rd week of March.
Supplemental feeding plays a major role in Western Pennsylvania. Finally got my 1st pair in 2009 after 28 years of effort. The colony has grown quickly to 45 pairs that I care for. Many new colonies have now sprung up around me in the past few years as well. Where there was none.... there is many.
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Kegger
- Posts: 381
- Joined: Sun Sep 15, 2019 8:58 am
- Location: Awesome Florida
- Martin Colony History: 2020: 2 pair of SY with 4 eggs ,fledge 7
2021: 5 pair 25 eggs fledge 18, 4 egg 2nd brood attempt
2022: 13 pair 61 eggs fledge 56 added 11 cavs. now 22 total
2023 15 pair 75 eggs fledge 51 only 3 of 11 eggs hatched cavity 10
2024 11 pair 50 eggs fledge
26. 1 renest cav1, cav10 8 eggs 8 fledged 2 couples ASY and Sy
great to hear this Doug, I guess next stop will be Erie. Not sure exactly where you are.
I use to live in Bucks county.
I use to live in Bucks county.
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mwren
- Posts: 174
- Joined: Tue Mar 17, 2015 2:43 pm
- Location: OH/Athens
- Martin Colony History: I have had my martin colony on the dam of one of my ponds for nine years. The colony has grown each year, but I am now concentrating on helping friends and acquaintances who have shown interests in martins. My colony consists of three T-14's with 8 Troyer gourds attatched to each T-14, a Troyer gourd rack with 12 gourds, and another gourd rack with 18 Troyer gourds for a total of 96 nest cavities. I am having serious predation issues with hawks and owls and am experimenting with various hawk guards and "screens". Established successful supplemental feeding the last few seasons and have had a blast flipping mostly meal worms and some crickets. Faculty from Ohio University are using my colony as a research site to study parasites that target cavity nesting birds. In exchange for access to my bird trail nest boxes and martin housing, they are banding all birds involved in their study.
Doug,
Your returning bird is a bit earlier than last year over where you are. I hope my southeastern Ohio birds hold of at least another week to two weeks!! Did the bird catch crickets immediately when you flipped to him or did you have to re-train him some ??
Bird
Your returning bird is a bit earlier than last year over where you are. I hope my southeastern Ohio birds hold of at least another week to two weeks!! Did the bird catch crickets immediately when you flipped to him or did you have to re-train him some ??
Bird
Mike "Bird" Wren
Congratulations on your early arrival. So far my birds are running late. We had a long snow covered February here in Ohio. That combined with the weather that Texas and other states had to endure has me thinking that quite a few may have perished. I am fortunate however to have a couple pair of both tree swallows and bluebirds that have started nesting. I'm sure the martins can't be far behind and I suspect that I will be able to post their homecoming very soon. In the mean time I will continue to thin out the house sparrow and starling population. Congrats again.... and best of luck to you and yours. Brenda
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Doug Martin - PA
- Posts: 1988
- Joined: Thu Mar 25, 2004 10:47 am
- Location: Pennsylvania/Fombell
- Martin Colony History: First pair in 2009 after 28 years of trying. 3 pairs 2010, 17 pairs 2011 and 35-45 pairs since. Many additional colonies are now springing up around mine in an area once completely void of Martins. I offer 50 compartments at my site consisting of primarily Excluder II gourds on Gemini racks. Also a wooden T-14. I utilize electric fence type predator guards on the base of the poles. Supplemental feeding is crucial in maintaining my colony. I platform feed throughout the season as needed. My site tends to be a stop over point for additional birds as they migrate further north.
Mike, no need to train. He is my earliest bird the past several years. Comes right to the porch for crickets.
Unusually warm weather since his arrival. He spends the day out somewhere. Ducks in before evening rather early. Usually takes a few crickets in the morning before he heads out.
He is doing well but could use some company.
Unusually warm weather since his arrival. He spends the day out somewhere. Ducks in before evening rather early. Usually takes a few crickets in the morning before he heads out.
He is doing well but could use some company.
Supplemental feeding plays a major role in Western Pennsylvania. Finally got my 1st pair in 2009 after 28 years of effort. The colony has grown quickly to 45 pairs that I care for. Many new colonies have now sprung up around me in the past few years as well. Where there was none.... there is many.