Getting PM’s to stay.

wroeske22 · Mon Jun 07, 2021 2:39 pm

Hello,
I am new to the forum and new to attracting purple martins. I built a T-14 Martin house in January and recently added 6 Royal Wing gourds with tunnels. I began with round holes thinking I could control the Starlings, I was quick to find out that it is impossible to do, I now have Conley II’s on the T-14 and they have not been breached. The tree swallows and blue birds have not been a problem, they have there own boxes. The blue birds like to perch on the top of the house but show zero interest in the holes.
I have had a speaker mounted on our house pointed across the valley toward the active colony’s since the beginning of May. On June 1st I attached a speaker to the Martin house pointing straight up, in the morning on June 2nd I had my first SY male visitor. He checked out a few holes and flew off, after that I decided to cut the wire to the first speaker mounted on our house. Today, June 7th a second visitor came and stayed from 1:00-1:40, he checked out all the different holes and seemed to be looking for the source of the martin songs.
I have 6 fake nests built and mud smears on the entrances. I am here to ask if I should put up decoys and maybe some mirrors? And if there is anything I should change or make sure I do to try and keep the visitors? Or should I just be patient.

P.S. I am in western NY.

Jones4381 · Mon Jun 07, 2021 7:14 pm

Nice Set up. Decoys would be good. Eliminate any invasive birds and you'll get em to start colonizing there.

randyM · Mon Jun 07, 2021 11:17 pm

Welcome aboard!!

A few decoys would be a good addition, but mostly be patient. Many folks wait 3-5 years to get their first nesting pair. It is a very good sign that you've had visitors already in your first year. I would play the dawn song or daytime chatter CD through the month of June. If you don't attract a pair by early July, you likely won't have a nesting pair this year. However, I'd also suggest playing the CD during the fall migration (month of August in the north) to attract the attention of first year migrants that may remember your site on their return migration next spring.

Best of luck to you!

wroeske22 · Tue Jun 08, 2021 6:39 am

Thanks, I will get a couple decoys.

Once I get a bird that stays through the night should I continue to play the dawn song 24/7?

Archer · Tue Jun 08, 2021 11:14 am

I would advise to not put the decoys in a prominent position such as your top perch. New martins to a site can feel threatened by the decoys. Placing a decoy further down on the house or with one head sticking out of a hole would not be at threatening to new martins. Overall watch their reaction to the decoys, and make adjustments accordingly. Nice site for martins.

randyM · Tue Jun 08, 2021 1:04 pm

I'd suggest playing the martin CD from an hour or so before sunrise until dark. I would not play it over night, but have done so my self when I was on vacation for a week in the past before my colony was established, as I did not have a timer on my CD player. When you have martins visiting your site, I would turn the volume down a bit. I played the martin CD every day, all day, for the 3-4 weeks a SY male stayed at my housing 5 years ago...he didn't seem to mind the constant playback. I believe the same bird came back the next year as an ASY bird and attracted a mate and successfully fledged their young. I played the CD all nesting season and during spring and fall migration. The pair didn't seem to mind the decoys or CD at all. The next year I had 4 nesting pairs and again played the CD all nesting season and during the spring and fall migration. Having a well-established colony now, I only play the CD during the fall migration to attract hatch-year birds heading south in hopes they remember my site during their return trip north the following spring.

Robert Anderson · Tue Jun 08, 2021 4:33 pm

wroeske22 wrote: ↑
Mon Jun 07, 2021 2:39 pm
Hello,
I am new to the forum and new to attracting purple martins. I built a T-14 Martin house in January and recently added 6 Royal Wing gourds with tunnels. I began with round holes thinking I could control the Starlings, I was quick to find out that it is impossible to do, I now have Conley II’s on the T-14 and they have not been breached. The tree swallows and blue birds have not been a problem, they have there own boxes. The blue birds like to perch on the top of the house but show zero interest in the holes.
I have had a speaker mounted on our house pointed across the valley toward the active colony’s since the beginning of May. On June 1st I attached a speaker to the Martin house pointing straight up, in the morning on June 2nd I had my first SY male visitor. He checked out a few holes and flew off, after that I decided to cut the wire to the first speaker mounted on our house. Today, June 7th a second visitor came and stayed from 1:00-1:40, he checked out all the different holes and seemed to be looking for the source of the martin songs.
I have 6 fake nests built and mud smears on the entrances. I am here to ask if I should put up decoys and maybe some mirrors? And if there is anything I should change or make sure I do to try and keep the visitors? Or should I just be patient.

P.S. I am in western NY.

Patience worked for me. Finally have a nesting pair (fingers crossed) in 4th year of offering housing.