First post in 5 or 6 years

dsonyay · Sat Mar 21, 2020 2:05 pm

I haven't posted in about 5 or 6 years... I had a nice colony starting in Slidell La, but had to move to Broussard LA. in 2014. I brought my gourd rack with me and got it planted.. took SIX YEARS, but I finally have a pair building a nest this week. Insane.

I went from a terrible location (lots of close trees) to a perfect wide open area with 2 ponds within 100 yards, lots of power lines for perching and zero house sparrow and starlings to bother.

Could not figure out why I was having a problem. Ended up being Bluebirds. The boxes were too close and they kept chasing off arriving martins. They were so territorial, Martins would give up.

I moved the boxes farther away and that worked. I've got a pair building a nest now, a single male trying to lure a female, and 4 or 5 new visitors.

Video last night:
My male/female going into their gourd.

https://youtu.be/omVfeh8anHY

Bird Brain · Sat Mar 21, 2020 3:09 pm

Perfect location in Louisiana and you waited 6 years for the first pair. That gives me hope because I'm on year 4 in Texas. I've never seen a hanging S&K barn like that. Interesting. Good luck.

Dave Reynolds · Sat Mar 21, 2020 3:35 pm

..... dsonyay ,,, So glad to see you back on the PMCA.... Great that you got your first pair after a few years waiting... But all is good now.... Hate to here about the Bluebirds trouble, but you were not alone. I had Bluebirds and Tree Swallow problems that kept me from getting that first pair... Took me awhile to figure that out... Have a great season....

Dave

dsonyay · Sat Mar 21, 2020 4:46 pm

Thanks all...

The SK Barn was an attempt to make things look a little different this year and offer something extra for curious martins. It's supposed to mount on a tri pole, but I modded it to hang on an arm. One male ASY seems to favor the house. I also did the mod that doubles the room size plus I plugged the top "attic" holes.. no way to next check those ..

When I was in Slidell I added BB boxes after I started getting martins so maybe the martins had settled in and weren't easily intimidated to abandon gourds they were used to. Who knows!

Hope to post some positive things this year. Very very excited.

Lafayette parish is like purple martin Mecca.. they are like packed sardines here.. I see them everywhere out here, so a six year wait was hard to believe.

deancamp · Sat Mar 21, 2020 5:21 pm

Glad you figured it out and are back in the game. I think this is a good example of seeing whats going on and adapting to the situation. Good work!

Conrad Baker · Sat Mar 21, 2020 5:41 pm

Welcome back. I remember when I read your name the first time years ago, I thought "Yankee spelling for a coon-butt name". I think I was in Slidell when you were here (I was in Eden Isles until Katrina).

flyin-lowe · Sat Mar 21, 2020 5:48 pm

Been a few years, welcome back and good luck this coming season. I am finally getting a good colony built after a move as well. Took me about 5 years to really get going, I know the feeling. I won't be surprised if you don't have 30 pair in a couple years.

dsonyay · Sat Mar 21, 2020 8:05 pm

deancamp wrote: ↑
Sat Mar 21, 2020 5:21 pm
Glad you figured it out and are back in the game. I think this is a good example of seeing whats going on and adapting to the situation. Good work!

Thanks Dean.

dsonyay · Sat Mar 21, 2020 8:09 pm

flyin-lowe wrote: ↑
Sat Mar 21, 2020 5:48 pm
I won't be surprised if you don't have 30 pair in a couple years.

Thanks.. I remember you from back when I lived in Slidell and was posting a lot more... and I remember you moving and trying to restart a colony. It was so frustrating here in Broussard .. I would see people with plenty of martins nearby and their cruddy HS infested houses, pole leaning way over.. I was thinking maybe mine looked too good and the martins thought it was a setup.. lol.

dsonyay · Sat Mar 21, 2020 8:13 pm

Conrad Baker wrote: ↑
Sat Mar 21, 2020 5:41 pm
Welcome back. I remember when I read your name the first time years ago, I thought "Yankee spelling for a coon-butt name". I think I was in Slidell when you were here (I was in Eden Isles until Katrina).

Yes siree.. that was me. LoL. (dsonyay= D. Sonnier)

I see a couple of regulars are still here. What happened to "Gobbler"? He hasn't posted in a couple of years.. he had finally started getting some luck then disappeared.

I'd occasionally check the forum, but without any sucess, I had noting to post about. LoL

Dave Reynolds · Sun Mar 22, 2020 8:22 am

.... dsonyay .... Good question on "Gobbler T"... Sure miss his posts here... I remember he got his first Martins by playing "Country music" instead of the Dawn Song.. He always had something funny to say,,, miss his post...

Dave

pmlover · Sun Mar 22, 2020 9:05 am

im so glad your back may God bless you and your colony

dsonyay · Sun Mar 22, 2020 9:53 am

pmlover wrote: ↑
Sun Mar 22, 2020 9:05 am
im so glad your back may God bless you and your colony

Thanks pmlover. Same to you