For us "Wannabe" landlords

Mitch Booth · Fri Apr 10, 2015 8:59 am

Hi everyone,

I noticed Mamabruff (Mary), Taxidermy Lady (Sharon), Avesrun (Tim), Phldave and myself are all kind of in the same boat trying to establish or re-establish our colonies.

I thought we could possibly pray together to the purple Martin gods for some luck this year for one another. Lol. Seriously though I wanted to see how all the other hopefuls such as myself are progressing this year. I'm rooting for all of you guys. Especially for MamaBruff as she is in my shoes. Having one active pair that successfully fledged young in 2013 and then end up w nothing but visitors was absolutely devastating last year!!!

The scouts are just now starting to come into Northeast Ohio. I've been visiting our local super colony about 5 miles away with 156 gourds and they only have a handful of birds back.

Mitch

bluetick · Fri Apr 10, 2015 9:51 am

Mitch I am praying for you this year. Hope you get a pair soon. Mine are just now returning. Bluetick Dave

avesrun · Fri Apr 10, 2015 10:42 am

Mitch thanks for the post. I can only imagine the feeling of having nest pair one year and then NOT the next.

I feel I have progressed this season in that I have enhanced my site with additional housing and had ASY visitor (yesterday) 10 days earlier than in the past. I will be continually praying for all martin wannabes to be successful in 2015. That's all we can do after doing due diligence of offering safe and protected martin housing; pray and hope they come and stay while practicing patience and persistence.

It seems scouts are still arriving in the Midwest as we speak. After having an ASY male show up yesterday at my home, I drove over to the golf course (which I've been checking daily) two miles from my house and they had an ASY male on one of their trio houses by a pond on the course. There was also a new scout report for a town a couple of hours or so sw of me today so the scouts are still arriving. I believe we should still be looking for scouts in Iowa anyway until at least late April.

Our chances get even better for the entire month of May upon sy arrivals to our areas so I'm trying to keep cheered up! Take care and best of season to all!
TimG

taxidermy lady · Fri Apr 10, 2015 10:57 am

I have all fingers, toes and legs crossed! Wishing everyone the best of luck!!!

phldave · Fri Apr 10, 2015 4:35 pm

This is almost like when we were kids at Christmas, wanting that special toy that you just had to have. We would do anything, to get that particular toy.
Well from what I can gather, we have all proven that we will be nourishing, caring, protective caretakers that will do everything within our power to take excellent care of these fine beautiful creatures. Now it's up to a higher power than us to direct them to our care. This has just got to be our time. How could such a resource as ours go to waste.

kirt J · Fri Apr 10, 2015 5:27 pm

They are just starting to show up in Minnesota. So I got a number of weeks before the subies come up. Tenth time is a charm right?

Anthony Neira · Fri Apr 10, 2015 5:41 pm

Hang in There Mitch! Prayers Out For You !

taxidermy lady · Fri Apr 10, 2015 7:43 pm

Mitch,
In 2013 SY came May 10th. In 2014 ASY came May 6th! It is still early, lots of praying time left!!!

MamaBruff · Fri Apr 10, 2015 9:45 pm

OK Wannabees. Lets all form a circle and hold hands. You too Jody (purplemartinlover2), and everybody else with empty martin houses. Let's give Thanks for the opportunity for us to host Purple Martins. Thanks for the landlords who do have them, for that is where our future Martins come from... Thanks for our Forum friends who encourage and teach us. We pray for Patience. And Wisdom. And Purple Martins!

MichaelH · Sat Apr 11, 2015 2:42 am

Yes I am in ,with the holding hands and praying with you all ,maybe a couple more weeks and the first sy will be on our doorstep.yeah
I was working in the next town over from me the last few days so drove by three sites all on the same block and have been checking them out well on way home yesterday they had a bunch flying around and goin in and out of house and gourds,2days ago nothing so they really are arriving in bigger numbers now here ,this is the year for all us wannabe landlords ,keep smiling and looking to the sky's
(Ps it's only 2.30 in morning can't sleep and the robins and birds are singing outside already is it to early for the dawn song to go on,
playing it every imorning now,, a little early but you never know .
ok I'll wait till five to play it that's when I normally put it on
Have a great weekend everyone
Mick

Jose Rodriguez · Sat Apr 11, 2015 5:22 am

Amen! Good job Mary!

taxidermy lady · Sat Apr 11, 2015 8:31 am

That's a big AMEN for me!!!!!

Trishy · Sat Apr 11, 2015 8:56 am

The rest of us are praying with you!!!

BIOteacher012 · Sat Apr 11, 2015 9:10 am

Hi Mitch,
I will say a prayer for you and for my dad. He contacted you last year, being in the same predicament with having had a successful nesting pair in 2013 and then ending up with no returns in 2014. His name is Jim, and he lives near Montello, Wisconsin. Not sure if you remember this contact!! Anyways, I thought I would say a prayer for both of you for this coming season. May you both have many martins to enjoy, as well as all others still hoping for establishing a colony this year!!

~Ray~Gingerich · Sat Apr 11, 2015 9:44 am

I've been there and done that so I know how it is. I first started out way back in 1977, looking back now i know of many mistakes I made, tilt down pole, houses under trees, incorrect housing type ( no access doors) and a host of other things. It was 1999 I got my first SY pair, 5 eggs, 5 hatched, 5 fledged but the next year only the male returned. The next few years it was mainly SY males trying and 2 pair in 2006. I couldn't monitor the 2006 nests because something happened to the lowering device. It was 2008 when I got another 2 pair, I spent every minute I could watching, protecting and monitoring the nests that year and it paid off big time.

I hope it will be a good year and everyone gets their martins!

avesrun · Sat Apr 11, 2015 10:13 am

I love it MB! To me it's all about doing the work, giving thanks, and praying and ultimately submitting to a higher power. That being said I respect all beliefs.
And one of my beliefs is to never under estimate the power of prayer so REALLY REALLY appreciate the community of support and am offering same to EVERYONE.
TimG

wastrox · Sat Apr 11, 2015 3:17 pm

Just gotta jump on this thread. This is my first year and the odds are against me in terms of my sight. Huge oak and poplar tree-lined property and no thriving martin colony anywhere near me so far as I know. I spent a good deal of time walking my property and visualizing flyways never thinking my husband would consent to taking down huge trees then what do you know but the folks doing tree work across the street offered me a great rate and I've got two flyways more than I did a week ago. Still not ideal but much better I'm hoping. Maybe I'll post before and after pics once they're all done. In the meantime, I'm all about the power of prayer, manifestation, visualization and just believing they will come! For those who have waiting years, all I can say is WOW and I hope you get you some martins this year as you have certainly earned it!

Mitch Booth · Sat Apr 11, 2015 7:59 pm

Brian,

I most certainly do remember talking to you dad! Has he had any visitors yet this season?

I haven't seen a one yet. I do have several pair of tree swallows showing interests in several gourds away from my T-14 and gourd racks hanging on Shepard poles.

Starting to wonder if I should take down my 8 bluebird/tree swallow houses for a few years to give the martins a chance? Most of them are a good ways away from the two gourd racks and T-14.

I generally don't see my first SY until mid May? Anyone have any ASY visits yet this year?

Mitch

MarkinMn · Tue Apr 14, 2015 10:51 am

.....Hey Mitch....I have 4 tree swallow/bluebird gourds, 3 wood bluebird houses, and 2 wren houses and leave them up every year......the tree swallows ( i believe) help to make my yard more attractive to the purple martins.....maybe they send the message that it is a safe place to stay .....you know, free of barn cats, owls, racoons, ect......That being said, they are also fearless defenders (both ts's, and bb's) of the martin houses (which they use as perches) from the talaban starlings, and the al qaeda house sparrows, before the martins arrive. The gourds and 1 bb house are all within 50' of the martin houses. The Martins (when they do come) settle differances quickly with one short little argument, then get along swimmingly together. (they are still cousins after all)....so Mitch, thats why i have tree swallows, house wrens and bluebirds.....I have something to enjoy when the martins don't show....and i think that they bring just plain good luck.......remember ....the real happiness is found while on the journey. not just, at the end of the road...............................mrk

Mitch Booth · Thu Apr 16, 2015 3:34 pm

Has anyone in the Midwest or the Great Lakes Region had any visitors?

Mitch