Any Birders here?

[johnr]

Do they shit up your yard and vehicles?

 

[Davey Crockett]

Nope , Martins stay away from the house but swallows make a mess of things.

 

[fireone]

Tree swallows showed up a couple days ago. Martins are usually a week behind.

 

[Auggie]

I found this juvenile Great Horned Owl by my office a few days ago.

 

[Davey Crockett]

https://www.purplemartin.org/research/scoutreports.php?C=Boissevain&S=MB

Here is a migration map. . Boissavain is roughly 20 miles as the crow flies and they arrived there about a week ago but that's north of the Turtle Mountains . The latest recorded arrival at Boissavain was may 28th. We don't have swallows yet either but this heat will drive them North.

 

[LBrandt]

Everybody talking about swallows, anybody seen any spits. LB

 

[Davey Crockett]

Everybody talking about swallows, anybody seen any spits. LB

hummers are still a week or so away .

 

[LBrandt]

Barn swallow or Martins showed up today. Already shit on my dinning room picture window. Its the price I pay for those little bug eaters. LB

 

[Retired-Guy]

My grampa had a never-ending war with those sparrows nesting in his martin houses - birdshot out of a .22 was his go-to

You best research the fix cuz I think the martins can't stand those undesirables nesting in their neighborhood - horribly racist birds that they are

My best friend's dad was a martin enthusiast and always had a couple of hotel style houses. He always said that they needed a sparrow's nest or two because the dirty buggers attract the fleas and other critters away from the martin cubes.

 

[Retired-Guy]

hummers are still a week or so away .

Just hung a feeder about an hour ago so will keep you posted.

 

[espringers]

Can anyone explain why I have no Martins yet? It will be 2 years in July. I know they like some landing space. And I have an unlimited amount of space to give them. But, I also didn't want it 100 yards from my house where they wouldn't serve their purpose. It's 15 yards from the barn and more than that from any tree or our house.

 

[Davey Crockett]

It's hit and miss the way it is and there are more houses going up. If I remember right, It took 3 years for my Dad to get a colony in the early 70s . Then by the 80s the evergreens had outgrew their environment and they were gone. I moved the house and I don't recall exactly but I think it was at least 2 more years till we had another colony. If you googled what it takes to make them happy before you set your house then you are good to go, It just takes time. Iv'e read about martin decoys , I was going to post on your last post but I didn't get around to it. Some say they work and others say not. Keep the house clean if other birds try to take over and you will eventually get a colony.

 

[Davey Crockett]

And the first year was a wash if it was July when you got the house up.

 

[espringers]

I figured that. I did have one or 2 last year. Then the left. Which has me worried of course. I gave you a free house for fucks sake! Live in it and eat free mosquitoes. Wtf is wrong with you?! Joe biden maybe?

 

[Retired-Guy]

Can anyone explain why I have no Martins yet? It will be 2 years in July. I know they like some landing space. And I have an unlimited amount of space to give them. But, I also didn't want it 100 yards from my house where they wouldn't serve their purpose. It's 15 yards from the barn and more than that from any tree or our house.

Looks like a suitable location. Maybe just no birds around.

 

[Sluggo]

Sluggo are they building nests ? They still haven't shown up here yet but we today we will get up to 70 degrees so won't be long now. They must remember the cold wind in these hills when theres still snow on the ground.

None had been back until today, 2 showed up for a few minutes and then took off. Now what?

 

[Davey Crockett]

None had been back until today, 2 showed up for a few minutes and then took off. Now what?

All I know is they send scouts ahead of the colony , usually to the same house they inhabited the year before. Did that house happen to be in your neighborhood last summer ? I'll pay more attention to thier habits this year when they arrive. The first swallow showed up here this morning.

 

[svnmag]

^^^^Probably need to install a few trollop swallows to first lure the males.

 

[Sluggo]

All I know is they send scouts ahead of the colony , usually to the same house they inhabited the year before. Did that house happen to be in your neighborhood last summer ? I'll pay more attention to thier habits this year when they arrive. The first swallow showed up here this morning.

This house was in my neighbors yard for the past 20 years. Moved to my yard 40 feet away this year. Martins nested in it every year except last year. I think because it hadnt been cleaned for 5 years and the sparrows filled it up. I cleaned it out of course.

 

[Davey Crockett]

I bet they come back.