Migration stalls until the 8th

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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.

With cold weather and north wind most of this week there will be little movement north. Folks in the south need to keep those arrivals healthy.

But beginning the 8th the winds will change and by the 10th the Ohio Valley will likely see their first arrivals.

Let's hope the weather continues to co-operate from that point forward.

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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phldave
Posts: 528
Joined: Fri Jun 15, 2012 2:44 pm
Location: Iowa/Pleasant Hill
Martin Colony History: Started trying in 2012 and still trying

I see there are scout reports in Missouri and Indiana. They must be chomping at the bit to move north. Here in the Des Moines area this am we were less than 10 deg. and with a min of 4" snow pack. I don't plan on setting up my site for another 1-2 weeks, but I received an order of hand warmers and mealworms yesterday. Sure hope I can get some to stay with me this year!

Dave
2012 late start
2013 nothing yet, lots a lookers
2014 Bust again
2015 Bust again
2016 Bust again
2017 Bust again
2018 April 14 a group joined me, but moved on after a week
2019 Had SY male seriously check me out but didn't stay
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Mitch Booth
Posts: 480
Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2008 6:23 am
Location: Akron, OH
Martin Colony History: 2012 - 0
2013 - 1 pair, 4 eggs, 2 fledged
2014 - 0
2015 - 1 pair, 5 died during week of rain
2016 - 0
2017 - 1 pair, 4 eggs, 4 fledged
2018 - 4 pair, 19 eggs, 19 fledged
2019 - 7 pair
2020 - 17 pair

Doug Martin - PA wrote: ↑
Mon Mar 04, 2019 8:55 pm
 With cold weather and north wind most of this week there will be little movement north. Folks in the south need to keep those arrivals healthy.

But beginning the 8th the winds will change and by the 10th the Ohio Valley will likely see their first arrivals.

Let's hope the weather continues to co-operate from that point forward.

Doug
Doug,

I've noticed over the years that many of your posts are weather related. Are you in the weather business as a meteorologist or anything like that?

I'm real excited this year as I offer 54 cavities and I've had limited success the past 7 years with only getting one breeding pair every other year until last year when I had 4 pair that all successfully fledged young. Last year during the migration roost which is less than 1 mile directly west of my colony I would literally have 1,000's of birds circling my site and the one night I spotted two birds enter one of the cavities that had just fledged young a few days earlier. Hopefully my fledglings were helpful in attracting other martins to check out my site.

Cheers,

Mitch
2020 - 17 pair 77 eggs 69 fledged
2019 - 7 pair
2018 - 4 pair 19 eggs, 19 fledged
2017 - 1 pair 4 eggs, 4 fledged
2016 - 0 only visits
2015 - 1 pair 5 eggs, 5 hatched, 5 dead on days 6-7
2014 - 0 only visits
2013 - 1 pair 3 eggs, 2 hatched, 2 fledged
2012 - 0
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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

Had two ASYs male come in day before yesterday, during the front, very cold wind and they were tired. Wings drooping. Tried to huddle on the balconys for warmth because the residents wouldnt let them in and they did not like the crescents. Eventually i went out to stir them off and were allowed into the cavity.
I think they are still with me, hope they hunker down for a bit longer but eventually they will be heading north to you guys. I did put crickets on the inside of the porches of all the cavities so hopefully they ate something. Its rough on them!
A good house sparrow is a dead house sparrow.
HOSP: 17. Starlings: 23
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Dave Reynolds
Posts: 2442
Joined: Mon Jan 31, 2011 4:35 pm
Location: Little Hocking, Oh.
Martin Colony History: Satellite Site “Oxbow Golf Course”..
2018 - 15 Pair, 36 Fledged
2019 - 26 Pair, 97 Fledged
2020 - 30 Pair, 137 Fledged
2021 - 30 Pair, 144 Fledged
2022 - 27 Pair, 125 Fledged
2023 - 31 Pair, 130 Fledged
2024 - 41 Pair, 198 Fledged
2025 - 44 Pair, 168 Fledged

Home Site "Little Hocking, Ohio".
2019 - 1 Pair, 5 Fledged
2020 - 1 Pair, 4 Fledged
2021 - 8 Pair, 36 Fledged
2022 - 13 Pair, 46 Fledged
2023 - 16 Pair, 84 Fledged
2024 - 22 Pair, 104 Fledged
2025 - 28 Pair, 83 Fledged

Doug ... Sure hope your right on the Weather forcast.. The weather should break before they start moving North..
If they hold up somewhere down South, that would be super, for a few more weeks.. Thanks for the update..

Dave
PMCA Member
Little Hocking, Ohio
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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.

Hi Mitch,

Glad you are finally getting that colony started. This will be your boom year. You will likely go up to 15-20 pairs.

I am just a very avid weather buff. Have been all my life. I used to call migration to each state but it was too much work lol. My best call was the year that there was a Texas arrival before Florida. Very rare but I called it.

Love migration weather systems and springtime.

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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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.

Your welcome Dave!
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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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.

CC

My early ones seem to always show up looking terrible. Some years it's really bad. I have not lost but one or 2 in all these years though.

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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Whippy
Posts: 1023
Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2017 11:15 pm
Location: Plano, Texas
Martin Colony History: See Signature

Last year mine returned on March 7th. So today being the 7th and tomorrow the 8th, with good Southerly wind flow, I'm really looking out the windows. I had two pair last year so hoping for an increase of residents this year. I have 16 cavities, all gourds. 9 BigBo two have tunnels, 3 Bo11 two have tunnels and 4 Troyer horizontal. Something for everybody. :)

I hope all of those that returned to this area (Plano, DFW) earlier this month made it through the brutal cold snap.

Coolwhips
2016 - many visitors
2017 - 1 pair, 3 fledged
2018- 2 pair, 12 fledged
2019 - 4 pair, 21 fledged
2020 - 15 pair, 67 fledged
2021 - 29 pair, 117 fledged
2022 - 35 pair, 130 fledged
2023 - 43 pair, 196 fledged
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