Question Re: Scout Reporting

[MamaBruff]

I know this is pretty basic and easy for established colonies, but for struggling, desperate wannabees and restarts, it's a little ticklish.

So... I had a fly-by ASYM looker on 4/3. Very Vocal. And yesterday 4/7, an ASYM looker was ON the house, vocalizing and inspecting the compartments I had open. Maybe the same bird. I stood on the patio talking back, restraining from running out to greet him with dancing and wild waving. Then he flew over to me, swooped and circled over my head chattering up a storm, then back to the house and perched, continuing to vocalize. Flew away before I could get a photo. No sign of him since...

What a wonderful little burst of giddiness! I would LOVE to assume this is MY Scout, and that he is out feeding and recruiting... (???)

Is this normal? Should I log this as a scout report? Same thing happened last year and fizzled out into nothing. I don't want to spoil the "karma".

Maybe I will go out and add another decoy...

[Chuck4]

I would report it Mary. Glad to hear it. Best of luck to you. My martins first touch down and then become elusive early on in the season.

[avesrun]

Hi MB. I'm not in charge of the research; however, I've reported a "scout" the last two years that exhibited the same behaviors. Louise was going to check in on the same question you're asking. Somewhere in the scout reporting info it states that scout reports are for "established sites". at some point we may get clarification on your question so glad you've revisited the question.

The reason I reported my "scouts" was due to the fact that no other scout reports ever show up for my area and by reporting I believe it still helps for showing migration movement. I don't know of any significant martin sites near me; if I thought the scouts showing up at my setup were from a nearby site that also reports their first scouts I would not report them.

There are martins at a golf course two miles from me and also from a lake that is about 5 mi from me but I never see scout reports for those sites. So if the scouts I've seen the last two years are martins from those areas I feel I am reporting for them.
Good luck in 2015!
TimG

[DornCounty]

Here is what the report form says....

PLEASE NOTE: We are only interested in "scout" dates from active sites (i.e., sites that housed breeding Purple Martins last year), and are only interested in the date of first sighting of adult martins seen perched on martin housing (or seen or heard flying above active martin housing). If the site did not have breeding Purple Martins last year, we do not want your adult (ASY) date, just your subadult male (SY-M) date. Subadult female reports are not collected due to the level of difficulty in accurately identifying them. Thanks

[Chuck4]

Here is what the report form says....

PLEASE NOTE: We are only interested in "scout" dates from active sites (i.e., sites that housed breeding Purple Martins last year), and are only interested in the date of first sighting of adult martins seen perched on martin housing (or seen or heard flying above active martin housing). If the site did not have breeding Purple Martins last year, we do not want your adult (ASY) date, just your subadult male (SY-M) date. Subadult female reports are not collected due to the level of difficulty in accurately identifying them. Thanks

I was thinking Mary was active (formerly so anyway). She hosted a pair in 2013, but I guess I was mistaken to suggest she report... But now that I think about it, the form does ask you to state the number of years active.

[MamaBruff]

Well there we have it! Thanks Andrew, Tim, and Chuck! I should have looked harder for the answer, but the conversation was better.

With that said, I will continue to be vigilant and watchful for the arrival of the precious SYMs!

Eyes to the Skies.

[phldave]

Tim, I guess we will just have to hold our tongue until we pop out some purple martin hatchlings. So be it.

By all means keep me informed via this forum and our Iowa forum. Once again the waiting is killing me.

[4th Gen Martin Fan]

Mary,
Whether you report it or not, I just want to say that I am so happy for you. The martins know about the Waldorf Astoria Hotel Joplin.
Nothing but the best service and available in Honeymoon Suites!
Mark.

[Chuck4]

Mary,
Whether you report it or not, I just want to say that I am so happy for you. The martins know about the Waldorf Astoria Hotel Joplin.
Nothing but the best service and available in Honeymoon Suites!
Mark.

Yes, Me too! I'm hoping the fella finds some friends to come hang out soon.

[MamaBruff]

Thanks Dave, Mark (you are so funny), and Chuck! I would put up a neon sign and billboard if it would help! In the meantime, I'm "leaving the light on" for them!

[Dave Reynolds]

Go ahead,,,,,,,, Mama report it...... Have a great season

Dave

[taxidermy lady]

I agree with what Tim said! No one in my town reports a scout. There are birds in my town. So we are helping the report by us PMCA members reporting our scout! Everyone I have talked to in town doesn't know PMCA exists. I reported one last yr.
I think all PMCA members should be able to report the first martin at our site!
Good luck to everyone!

[DornCounty]

The scout report is a scientific study..best to follow the rules..it's nothing personal. Just report the first SY.

[taxidermy lady]

Ok so if FRED shows up again this year your saying don't report him. He was here 6 weeks last year trying to attract a female and in his mind this was his site. And I considered him my scout. Just wondering

[avesrun]

A great point TL. Personally it's my opinion that with the premises set forth that it should titled something other than "Scout Report" .
Maybe "Established Colony Scout Reports" for the many folks like me and the OP of this thread who initially miss the additional verbage on parameters of reporting. Maybe this would help insure that parameters are more closely adhered to keep data consistent.
Tim G

[baileysambone]

Mary,
You are an active landlord. Just because they didn't return doesn't mean you are not active. You had a pair, they fledged young.
Submit the report.
Some people on this forum are way overboard.
You are an active landlord. Wishing and praying that you have many more pairs this year.
Have been watching the weathwer channel. Hope you are okay in Joplin
Yvonne

[Chuck4]

I guess if one takes the time to read the scout report page it becomes clear when to report a scout.

Something I learned recently is that an active landlord is one who had at least two breeding pairs on the previous season.

I prefer to report along established guidelines. I personally don't think they are overboard at all.

[MamaBruff]

Sorry I opened up such a can of worms. You all said some very nice things (Thank you) and had good points on both sides of the issue. I am glad we were able to discuss and get this clarified.

And so, I will play by the rules as they are. Like Andrew said, the data collected has to be consistent to produce accurate results. I understand the 2 pair rule as well, given the survival rate from one year to the next. Two pair one year is a pretty safe bet that ONE of the pairs will return the following year. (That's probably why I didn't have any nesting PMs last year.)

Still it rankles me just a tiny bit. If "Mr Looker" returns with a wife and they settle in BEFORE the SYs arrive, I can't report him. Hmmmf. However, the age and information of a colony's breeding pairs are recorded in the Nestwatch data, so he WOULD be counted that way. No big deal. I will still love and enjoy any and all of them. Just having Purple Martins of ANY age IS a Big Deal to me.

[Louise Chambers]

We're considering amending that part of the scout report study - it seems dated, perhaps based on thinking that new sites are most often occupied by SY birds instead of ASY birds. We'll try to complete the discussion and update the reporting guidelines as soon as possible. We appreciate everyone's contributions to both the scout report and this thread.

Timing is always interesting - we are still getting reports of ASY arrivals from as far south as the Gulf states, and as far north as northern US and Ontario. Makes me appreciate how drawn-out migration can be.

[MamaBruff]

Thanks Louise!