I had two martins late today

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Emil Pampell-Tx
Posts: 6743
Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 1:26 pm
Location: Tx, Richmond (SW of Houston)
Martin Colony History: First started in Gretna, La in 1969 with a small homemade house, have had martins ever since at 2 different homes in Texas

I went outside right before dark, saw a bird on my nestbox trap. It was a male martin sitting on the porch. There was another martin inside of the trap, so I released the martin inside the trap, but did not see it well enough to tell if it was a male or a female. The male martin returned to the trap but could not get in so it also flew away. I think that they returned later or will be back tomorrow AM. I could not stay outside to watch for their return..I was very happy to see them return. I then raised one gourd rack with about 20 gourds, so they now have something to enter that is higher...I was not expecting them, it was 12deg this morning, will be about 20 to 25 tonight.
PMCA Member, 250 gourds, 6 poles, 2traps
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Whippy
Posts: 733
Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2017 11:15 pm
Location: Plano, Texas
Martin Colony History: See Signature

Thanks for the report. My colony is only 4.3 hours North of you and I'm watching the skies ever so closely these days. Specially into the weekend where the temps will be in the 60's.

Coolwhips.
2016 - late to put up, many visitors
2017 - 1 pair, 3 fledged
2018- 2 pair, 12 fledged
2019 - 4 pair, 21 fledged
2020 - 15 pair, 67 fledged
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taxidermy lady
Posts: 2989
Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2014 10:21 am
Location: IL/Ellis Grove
Martin Colony History: Started trying to attract purple martins in 2012! It's finally happened in 2017! 5 years!!! ASY male and SY female came May 1st, fledged 5 babies!

Great news Emil! They’ll be fine with the warm up coming! They were so anxious to get home! :) :)
Sharon from southern Illinois
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trisha
Posts: 428
Joined: Fri May 27, 2005 1:12 pm
Location: Texas/Burleson, south of Fort Worth

Congratulations Emil! I'm so happy for you!
Trisha


PMCA member
2019, 36 pair
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Emil Pampell-Tx
Posts: 6743
Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 1:26 pm
Location: Tx, Richmond (SW of Houston)
Martin Colony History: First started in Gretna, La in 1969 with a small homemade house, have had martins ever since at 2 different homes in Texas

Have not seen them this morning, but its still freezing..I was unable to report them on the scout arrival report
PMCA Member, 250 gourds, 6 poles, 2traps
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Emil Pampell-Tx
Posts: 6743
Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 1:26 pm
Location: Tx, Richmond (SW of Houston)
Martin Colony History: First started in Gretna, La in 1969 with a small homemade house, have had martins ever since at 2 different homes in Texas

The male martin is back, he is sitting on an empty gourd arm on an empty rack..I need to get some more gourds up!
PMCA Member, 250 gourds, 6 poles, 2traps
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trisha
Posts: 428
Joined: Fri May 27, 2005 1:12 pm
Location: Texas/Burleson, south of Fort Worth

he wants "his" house/gourd up! haha
Trisha


PMCA member
2019, 36 pair
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Doug Martin - PA
Posts: 1920
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.

Congats! Emil

But BRRRR those guys will be hungry and chilly. Spring is springing though in the south.

Doug
Supplemental feeding plays a major role in western Pennsylvania. Finally got my 1st pair in 2009 after 28 years of effort. 3 pairs in 2010. 17 pairs in 2011. 35 pairs and 150 young in 2012 & 2013. Plus a new 22 pair colony right down the road from me.
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Dave Reynolds
Posts: 1921
Joined: Mon Jan 31, 2011 4:35 pm
Location: Little Hocking, Oh.
Martin Colony History: 2018 Success at my Satellite Site “Oxbow Golf Course”.
2019 Success at my home Site "Little Hocking, Ohio".

Emil .... Great news... Glad to here he came back... Your season has started for ya... Enjoy

Dave
Home Site “Little Hocking, Ohio”
2010 / 2018 -- Lots of Visitors
2019 — 1 Pair, 5 Eggs, 5 Babies, 5 fledged. :wink:
2020 — 1 Pair, 4 Eggs, 4 Babies, 4 fledged. :wink:
2021 — Waiting on March 2021

Satellite Site “Oxbow Golf Course”
2018 -- 15 Pair, 58 Eggs, 38 Hatched and 36 Fledged :wink:
2019 — 26 Pair, 128 Eggs, 99 Babies and 97 Fledged. :wink:
2020 — 30 Pair, 156 Eggs, 137 Babies and 137 Fledged. :wink:
2021 — Waiting on March 2021

PMCA Member
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John Miller
Posts: 4774
Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2004 9:11 pm
Location: St. Louis, MO

Congratulations Emil. I hope you have a great season. John Miller
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BillieJR
Posts: 677
Joined: Tue Apr 11, 2017 11:39 am
Location: Monroe, WI

I am so envious. Wisconsin has a long time to wait for them yet. How exciting for you, tho.
Billie from south central Wisconsin
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MichaelH
Posts: 586
Joined: Fri Mar 27, 2015 10:10 am
Location: IL/Gillespie
Martin Colony History: 2015 28 cavities 2 pairs
2016 big upgrade 56cavities 16 pairs great year
2017. 76 cavities 36 pairs
2018. 146 cavities

Alaways a great feeling to see those first birds come back ,congrats ,have a great year
2018 146 cavities.
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Emil Pampell-Tx
Posts: 6743
Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 1:26 pm
Location: Tx, Richmond (SW of Houston)
Martin Colony History: First started in Gretna, La in 1969 with a small homemade house, have had martins ever since at 2 different homes in Texas

Thanks to all of you, and I have not seen a martin since yesterday. We had 53 and rain today, tomorrow we should see 70 or so we may be able to see the martins tomorrow night.
PMCA Member, 250 gourds, 6 poles, 2traps
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Donnie Hurdt MN
Posts: 1717
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2004 11:14 pm
Location: North Prairie, MN

Hi Emil glad to see you on this forum again! I know you will soon have many more martins than the "teasers" that you had there. I am hoping that this year will bring me more martins than the one pair that nested last summer, but it was sure a joy to watch that pair raise and fledge four young. :grin:
PMCA member and Martin fanatic....
2011 A pair of subbies fledged three young but none returned in 2012 :-(
2015 One Pair of subbies came and stayed a few nits but got chased away by Bluebirds and Tree swallows. :-(
2017 0ne pair of subbies nested and fledged 4 young
2018 Tree Swallows AGAIN chased away any martins that wanted to nest :evil:
2019 Same old story................ :-(
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GeneP
Posts: 523
Joined: Mon Jul 23, 2007 7:35 am
Location: Kansas, Lawrence
Martin Colony History: 1 gourd rack with 24 gourd capacity. 2018, my 11th year hosting martins.
18 pair in 2017.

Always great to hear when your birds return, congratulations and hope your season goes well.
PMCA Member, Single Gourd Rack, 2019 marks 12 years hosting martins.
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mwren
Posts: 127
Joined: Tue Mar 17, 2015 2:43 pm
Location: OH/Athens
Martin Colony History: I have had my martin colony on the dam of one of my ponds for nine years. The colony has grown each year, but I am now concentrating on helping friends and acquaintances who have shown interests in martins. My colony consists of three T-14's with 8 Troyer gourds attatched to each T-14, a Troyer gourd rack with 12 gourds, and another gourd rack with 18 Troyer gourds for a total of 96 nest cavities. I am having serious predation issues with hawks and owls and am experimenting with various hawk guards and "screens". Established successful supplemental feeding the last few seasons and have had a blast flipping mostly meal worms and some crickets. Faculty from Ohio University are using my colony as a research site to study parasites that target cavity nesting birds. In exchange for access to my bird trail nest boxes and martin housing, they are banding all birds involved in their study.

Amazing that martins are already arriving at our southern landlords ! We are having a seriously tough winter after 3 very mild winters here in southeastern Ohio. It is exciting to hear about the birds moving into south Texas and south Fla. ! :grin: :grin:
Mike "Bird" Wren
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Whippy
Posts: 733
Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2017 11:15 pm
Location: Plano, Texas
Martin Colony History: See Signature

Just having looked at the wind pattern it appears they are in our favor. South winds blowing up from South America along the Coast of Mexico straight through Texas and on up to Indiana, Ohio and that region. So just maybe...

I am now in full lookout mode since Emil's report along with the warm up and the favorable winds.

BTW. I'm in Plano, TX which is the DFW area.

Coolwhips
2016 - late to put up, many visitors
2017 - 1 pair, 3 fledged
2018- 2 pair, 12 fledged
2019 - 4 pair, 21 fledged
2020 - 15 pair, 67 fledged
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SMJohnson
Posts: 137
Joined: Wed Feb 19, 2014 11:06 am
Location: IA/Ottumwa

mwren, noticed in your signature you've been experiencing owl predation.
Do you have tunnels on your T14 compartments? If not you may want to
consider adding them. Believe Troyer tunnels on all my cavities may be
making a big difference in lowering GHO success.
2012-13 pair..........2017- -93 pair
2013-52 pair..........2018- -87 pair
2014-65 pair..........2019-102 pair
2015-85 pair..........2020-109 pair
2016-80 pair..........2021-???

2021 Offering 180 Nesting Cavities
64 Troyer Horizontal Gourds
64 Troyer Vertical Gourds
2 T14'S - 28 Compartments
3 SMJ8'S - 24 Compartments
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Whippy
Posts: 733
Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2017 11:15 pm
Location: Plano, Texas
Martin Colony History: See Signature

Emil,

Have you seen other Martins in addition to the one you reported?

Coolwhips
2016 - late to put up, many visitors
2017 - 1 pair, 3 fledged
2018- 2 pair, 12 fledged
2019 - 4 pair, 21 fledged
2020 - 15 pair, 67 fledged
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