I have been a martin landlord for many years and manage housing both at my home and my work place. I am a biologist for the USFS and know quite a bit about birds. My spot at home is not your normal site. Lots of trees and the housing is set up where we access the housing via our flat top roof. The birds always have tolerated the trees and the whole yard. I mention all that just to set the stage, flying around the trees, houses, wires must be a bit more challenging than an open field. This year at least one of the martins has taken to dive bombing me EVERY time I go into the yard. Even if I am in a very tight part of the yard with trees and side of the house, he will find an opening and come after me. I have only done 2 nest checks and he started it after the first check. At that check I removed a sparrow nest and just looked into the martin nests and then was out of town for a week. I came back and he has been dive bombing me ever since. It is really quite funny. He will dive bomb my husband occasionally but nothing like how he attacks me.
I just laugh at how much time I spend worrying with my martins and taking care of their housing. Maybe not as fanatic or caring as some, but certainly unappreciated by this little guy. Anyone else ever have this experience? Is it just a crazed martin with a very unique personality? I have worked in the wildlife profession for 40 years, and one of the reasons I do is because it is fascinating and you NEVER know it all or have had every conceivable experience. This is a first for me and really pretty humorous.
Landlord dive bombing
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Whippy
- Posts: 1023
- Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2017 11:15 pm
- Location: Plano, Texas
- Martin Colony History: See Signature
Maybe he wants to play.
Take some crickets out with you next time and when he dive bombs you toss him a cricket or two and see what he does. Most likely he'll ignore the crickets but these birds have such neat personalities that he may just start taking them.
Coolwhips
Take some crickets out with you next time and when he dive bombs you toss him a cricket or two and see what he does. Most likely he'll ignore the crickets but these birds have such neat personalities that he may just start taking them.
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
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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G Saner
- Posts: 257
- Joined: Wed Nov 13, 2013 3:37 pm
- Location: TX/Kerrville
- Martin Colony History: Fort Worth, TX (1967-1976), The Colony, TX (1981-1985), Carrollton, TX (1986-2013), Kerrville, TX (2015-present).
Two SuperGourd poles (12 gourds on each) at River Point Assisted Living Center.
My martins recognize me. My site is at an Assisted Living Center so I drive there and park about 100 feet away from the poles.
I take a short aluminum ladder to check the upper gourds and a orange 5 gallon pail to keep my nest check notebook off the ground. When I pull those two out of the trunk, the martins sound the alarm before I even walk toward the gourds. They know what is coming. I recently demonstrated this to my wife and she thought it was hilarious. Later in the season, I am sometimes divebombed by the martins with older chicks. Gary
I take a short aluminum ladder to check the upper gourds and a orange 5 gallon pail to keep my nest check notebook off the ground. When I pull those two out of the trunk, the martins sound the alarm before I even walk toward the gourds. They know what is coming. I recently demonstrated this to my wife and she thought it was hilarious. Later in the season, I am sometimes divebombed by the martins with older chicks. Gary
G Saner
That is funny because it has happened to me this year. I'm thinking " Hey it's me!". For me it's been this incredible protective female. Beautiful bird. I mean she'd come so close to my head I could hear her wings flapping and she'd make this loud scary vocal sound. It was great. Her chicks have fledged last week so she's busy with them now. Thanks for sharing!
Brent
Brent
Brent
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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
ebsmith,
Thats gratitude for you, all the hard work, sweat, worrying and this is the thanks you get. Thanks for that story! Pretty funny.
Thats gratitude for you, all the hard work, sweat, worrying and this is the thanks you get. Thanks for that story! Pretty funny.
A good house sparrow is a dead house sparrow.
HOSP: 17. Starlings: 23
HOSP: 17. Starlings: 23
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Archer
- Posts: 786
- Joined: Fri Mar 11, 2011 1:09 pm
- Location: Manitoba/Altona
- Martin Colony History: six pair in 2014, have grown to 52 pairs in 2017.
Yup, happened here too. I just laugh and feel honoured.
2011- first year trying, a few visitors.
2012-One ASY pair, raised two young, lots of subby visitors. So thankfull.
2013-daily subby visits.
2014-Six SY pairs
2015-18 pair, 83 fledglings
2016-36 pair, 147 fledglings
2017-52 pairs, 192 fledglings.
2018-60 pair, 246 fledglings.
2019-59 pair, 238 fledglings.
2020-62 pair.
2021-65 pair.
2022-63 pair.
2023-60 pair
2024-62 pair
2012-One ASY pair, raised two young, lots of subby visitors. So thankfull.
2013-daily subby visits.
2014-Six SY pairs
2015-18 pair, 83 fledglings
2016-36 pair, 147 fledglings
2017-52 pairs, 192 fledglings.
2018-60 pair, 246 fledglings.
2019-59 pair, 238 fledglings.
2020-62 pair.
2021-65 pair.
2022-63 pair.
2023-60 pair
2024-62 pair
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The Country Toad
- Posts: 22
- Joined: Sat Feb 06, 2021 12:24 pm
- Location: rogersville al
I've got a female doin the same thing! Dang near growling at me when she tucks in and rifles my way!
Lol yeah me too! This adult male has been dive bombing me the last 3 years now probably the same male every time, he really hated me at first. This year it doesn’t seem as bad. It used to scare me a lot lol but I’ve gotten used to it now. But I’m always like it’s me silly, I’m here to help I’m not gonna hurt anybody! I don't think he listens to me, but I noticed a male chasing after the sparrows. I think they are the same male so being territorial isn’t the worst thing.
Kelly
Kelly
2015- 4 fledged
2016- 15 fledged
2017- 50 fledged
2018- 82 fledged
2019- 116 fledged
2020- 175 fledged
2021- 170 fledged
1 12 room Trendsetter, 1 18 gourd rack, 1 28 room Trendsetter house.
2016- 15 fledged
2017- 50 fledged
2018- 82 fledged
2019- 116 fledged
2020- 175 fledged
2021- 170 fledged
1 12 room Trendsetter, 1 18 gourd rack, 1 28 room Trendsetter house.
Thanks everyone, it is fun sharing the humor. I did notice that once the chicks got even bigger, close to fledging, they stopped dive bombing. I also replaced one that had jumped, and even though they bombed me while I was doing it, afterwards for the next day or so, they just watched me from the wire. Looks like we have had a successful and humorous nesting season, wishing the same to you all!!