Colony Starter ASY vs SY

[Martini]

I am curious, which started your colony... ASY or SY ?

I only had visitors last year but I am looking forward to the possibilities of 2024. Everything is up and ready for any purple martin takers

[deancamp]

ASY

[Phil01]

ASY

Phil

[Dave Reynolds]

.. ASY ,,

[randyM]

That depends on what you mean by "started"....I had a SY male stay at my colony for the entire month of June in 2015. I had a few other visitors that year, but none that stayed for more than an hour or so. In May of 2016 an ASY male stopped in at my colony and, without hesitation, went directly into the cavity that was occupied by the SY male the year prior. I'm almost 100% certain this was the same male, as I have over 300 available nest cavities and he occupied the same one in 2016 that was occupied in 2015. He eventually attracted a SY female and they fledged young. So, my colony was "started" by a SY male without nesting in 2015 and in 2016 an ASY male and SY female were the first to nest at my site. So I guess I could either claim a lone SY male started my colony in 2015, or both an ASY male and SY female started my colony in 2016.

I hope everyone has a great 2024 nesting season at their colonies!

Randy

[defed]

An ASY male/SY female....both times.

In 2022, I had the one pair that fledged 4, but I don't think either made it back in 2023....but another ASY male/SY female showed up (fledged 1) along w/ another pair that fledged 4 (SY male/not sure on the female).

[C.C.Martins]

ASY

[DonDon]

Took me 3 years to get a few. i had 3 stay last year and they were ASY. Raised 7 babies.
I sure hope they come back his year cause they're going to like the revisions to the houses and gourds

[paule]

SY both times.
Best of luck to all landlords!
Paul E

[Doug Martin - PA]

ASY --- but spent the prior summer trying to attract a female at my site. Just couldn't get one to stay as a SY.

[SSMartin]

ASY male

[Birdiegirl]

A SY male. He responded to the dawn song I was playing and brought friends (all SY) to the site. I had three nests my first year- but a storm destroyed two. Thankfully the remaining pair fledged 5. Year two, SYs again. We sometimes had ASY fly through and check out the accommodations, but no true ASY's until year three.

Good luck all! Fun to watch these scout reports creep north, Kentucky still has about six weeks to go.

[flyin-lowe]

My first colony was technically and SY. He showed up the first year, claimed a cavity and could never get a mate to stay. I assume it was the same male that came back as an ASY as he went to the same cavity and quickly drew in more martins. I ended up with that pair and 4 SY pair. At my second colony it was SY pair that got me going.

[Martini]

I am glad to see so many ASY colony starters. That would be great to have an ASY show up and start it and not have to wait for another month or so for a SY to hopefully show up and start it for you

[G Saner]

I have had colonies in four different locations due to moves. An ASY male was my first martin in all four. At my current colony, the first year I had one ASY male and 3 SY males. As the colony aged, I had fewer and fewer SY males as all the gourds were taken by the time they arrived.

[Dave Duit]

SY male and SY female. I a person gets an ASY to start a colony it us usually due to a nearby bad colony in which they left due to a variety of things such as terrible predations by hawks or huge mite infestation that was not taken care of by the landlord. Site fidelity can only be as good as how well the landlord takes care of those beautiful martins.

[Martini]

Any other experiences this year or past years on your colony starter?

[Martintown33]

ASY for me..
Rob

[Mstan]

ASY for me. I’ll never forget when he showed up. It was a Sunday morning. I remember looking out my kitchen window and there he was in all his splendor. He was on the perching rod above my gourds. I ran down the hallway to tell my wife,we were both so excited and filled with joy. We named him Pizon. Wasn’t to long that he found his mate, we named her Maria. That was 2023. On 5-21-24 , my third nest check I counted 85 eggs and eight hatchlings. They have been a blessing to me and my wife ever since. I hope the same for you all.

[defed]

3rd yr, my 2 pair from last look to not have made it back (same as yr 1 to yr 2 - 1 pair, neither made it back).....so i'm 'starting over' again and my 1st was an ASY male. i imagine he was one of the single SY males that was hanging around last yr.