Out watching my martin pair nest building. Both were fling back and forth to the house. My male was in a tree collecting things while the female went in the house, as she came out a hawk came out of no where and landed at their room, reached, grabbed and flew off before I could even get up to yell at the hawk. My male flew at the hawk attacking it from above til they flew out of my sight. My male then came back and just circled around the house and me. My heart dropped, did it get the female I tapped on the pole and no female came out. All I could do was stand there and say NO over and over. I wanted to cry. I lowered the house, no female came out, I just new she was taken. I opened the compartment and there she was, in the nest bowl looking at me. I think she was as scared as I was. I talked to her calmly, closed the compartment and winched the house back up. The male flew up above as if to say "please tell me she is still in there". I could not believe it. I only have one pair. I would have been totally devastated. I just couldn't believe my eyes . I am so glad that hawk missed. Now I know how ya'll feel. We can't harm the Hawks but I sure can HATE them now
2014 8 gourds, 3 pairs nested. Ended w/ 24 total
2015 24 gourds, 22 nests. Lotsa birds!
2016 24 gourds and good activity.
2017 32 SREH gourds. Great activity.
2018 40 SREH gourds. Good finish despite big storm damage. No more dangling gourds.
2019 56+ SREH gourds, all on 3/8 rods. Birds did very well.
2020 56 SREH gourds.
That's some pretty good drama! Glad everything turned out well. You are a wonderful landlady!
~Mary B~
Lifelong PM Admirer and Nature Enthusiast.
Ruthless trapper of S&S year round.
2013-2016 Unsuccessful at starting a PM colony. Health problems.
Rehomed all my PM stuff. Good Luck and Best Wishes to All.
Sounds like what happened to me last May 6. I don't have a colony but a pair came by looking things over. I was parked in my lawn chair on the driveway just taking it all in---first martins I'd seen that year. Looked away and heard all this wing flapping business and then the female flew off crying that terrible cry they make. I thought the ASY male was gone. I never even saw the hawk it was so quick. I was just dumb-struck! How could this happen to the first ones I see. I'm thinking I'll never get martins. After about 5 minutes the male came out of the gourd and flew off. I thought "well that's the last I'll see of them"!!! But they came back about a half hour later. I was thrilled but after 2 days they were gone. I was grateful to have them that long but I want some keepers!!! So I can relate to your situation totally! Glad it turned out well.
_______
Jody
I had 30 pair 3 years ago when the hawks found them. They were relentless in their attacks and either killed or drove off a lot of my birds. Two years ago I only had 16 pair and last year 8. I bought decoys the second year and they do help. Last year I put some fence material around the houses and it seems to help. I only have one pair so far this year. I'm pretty much starting over. I played the dawn song Saturday evening and a hawk showed up within 5 minutes. Very discouraging.
I know how you feel. It is very scary when a hawk attacks, especially when you only have one pair. After a hawk took a male earlier this year, I thought my season was already over. But the female attracted another male and they are still spending the night. So I will keep my fingers crossed for the both of us and all the other landlords with hawk problems.
As John reminds us, hawks can be a big problem even for those with a large number of pairs. Good luck John with re-building your colony! Please keep up hope.
Decoys and owl/hawk guards, that's about all we can do that I know of.
I tapped on the pole and no female came out. All I could do was stand there and say NO over and over. I wanted to cry. I lowered the house, no female came out, I just new she was taken. I opened the compartment and there she was, in the nest bowl looking at me. I think she was as scared as I was. I talked to her calmly, closed the compartment and winched the house back up. The male flew up above as if to say "please tell me she is still in there". I could not believe it. I only have one pair. I would have been totally devastated. I just couldn't believe my eyes 
. I am so glad that hawk missed. Now I know how ya'll feel. We can't harm the Hawks but I sure can HATE them now 
Mary