I still have one young yet to fledge. Named him Z. Some days there are many birds visiting but today there are no birds in site. Z is finally sticking his head out of the gourd directly across from my porch. I don’t see the subadult male but the female is usually up calling out above. Not today yet....

Steve & Emil, Thanks for your replies. Good to see both of you still on this "good ole" forum. Looks like most of mine have now moved on for the season to bigger roosts. I may figure something out for next year to build a protective roost core on this rack. I will share it if I do. Had a good season...

Ever since I installed my Gemini rack a few years ago it has been used after fledging time in July as a night time roost. At night the internal ring supports completely fill with young birds. Sometimes hundreds. Not sure they are even all of my birds. Anyone else seeing this as well with this partic...

My electric guards are made of 6" pvc pipe wrapped with a coil of bare electric fence wire. You can get everything online or at tractor supply. You must use the black coated wire to go from the charger to each pole underground. I use a $25.00 5 mile fence charger. It is very effective. Raccoons are ...

Nice catch Steve!

My Martin housing is right around my pool and patio. Within 30ft. Very little poop and very few bugs in the pool.

They drink from the pool and like to watch us swim.

Doug

I had a similar experience years ago. Wasn't a raccoon..... it was a whole clan of them including about 6 young. They go right up the pole and grab them out and toss them down to the young. Mine went past predator guards. Luckily they only got a handful. I stayed up 2 nights shooting them. They also...

Took me 28 years to get a colony started here in PA. There were none near me within about 10-20 miles. In 2008 a SY male hung out at my site every day listening to the dawnsong at a lower volume. It kept him company. My speaker was 80ft or so away from the housing as well. The following year he show...

Mine go over and take a bath at the pond next door. Then the wiggle.

Archer has a good point and I agree. Shaking out the feathers.

It is surprising on cooler days how often they are inside the housing. Otherwise in nice weather they seem to scatter out in pairs to different areas. I think they tend to not want hawks to know where they live. Fun to watch them come back home in the evening. I agree that they are sometimes not tha...

I had better success lowering the housing halfway and tossing by hand. This gets you up close and personal with them.

The arm motion is important at first. My birds at home still come to me when I scratch my head when they are hungry lol.

Doug

After 3-4 days of temperatures around 50 and rain we finally have sunshine today. Martins are in good spirits again. Mine ate a lot of mealworms with Nekton Tonic I the past few days. I also helped train a new colony nearby to learn to supplemental feed. The new landlords asked for some help so I gr...

I have seen at least 2 males so far. Several females prior. Thought I would give a heads up. Update there was a pretty good sized group that I cringed watching pile into unavailable cavities. I may have a few spots open on the bottom row of the Gemini but they did not find those. I was surprised whe...

Because spring weather is very difficult for insect eaters in the northeastern states in general. It takes a very strong commitment to have a colony in these areas. Low pressure systems can stall for long periods and wipe out the populations. This is another reason.

Sounds like you are off to a great start there! A lot of fun watching a new colony take shape.

My Martins have been busy nest building the past several days in between rain showers. This year there are green leaves available already.

Last year they were later getting started. It really was cold and wet.

Doug

They just came in here as well. Saw my first hummer this morning too.

Wishing you the best Toy.

Doug

Hi Bill, Not much info to go by on this one. The weather has been borderline but not Martin killing weather. I would suspect a wing entrapment or a fight or both. Wings sprawled on ground tells me exhaustion. Sounds like the female was trapped inside perhaps with another male that may have pushed it...

Dick, it’s temping but there is another colony a few acres away as well. A lot of birds for an area away from a large body of water.

My housing is right around my pool and patio as well. 50 pair is plenty at fledgling time lol

Doug