Mentor Request

[mngramps]

I have volunteered to setup PM housing and attempt to start a colony at the River Bend Nature Center (RNBC) IN Faribault and could use some help getting started. I recently purchased 8 used SuperGourds and pole ready to set up. It is from a very well managed colony west of the Twin Cities metro. The site fits the guidelines for open areas and distances as best I can determine from all the reading I have done on this forum and the PMCA website. I am not aware of any active managed colonies in the immediate area but there could be. There are several lakes west of Faribault that have houses along the shore but I doubt they are managed. My plan at this point is to get the pole cemented in as soon as possible this spring and then monitor the BB/TS houses nearby for nesting before putting up the gourds. There is a very active BB group in the county and a good population of BB's. The one big concern from RBNC staff was if there would be conflict that would be detrimental to the BB's. I assured them there would not if the BB's nested first in their own housing nearby. I hope I am right. If there are any members in the area that would like to get involved I would sure like to hear from them and anyone else that is interested. All the reading and research I've done only goes so far.

[Tony Lau]

Hello and welcome to the forum. I'm not aware of anyone on this site that lives in Faribault, but I'm sure Keith Radel from the BBRP would know if there are any martin colonies around there since he does so much for bluebirds down there. His number is 507-334-2491. Perhaps he knows someone that could help you out down there.
As far as waiting to put up the gourds, tree swallows up here seem to nest fairly late in May, the prime time to get sub adult martins at a new site. Maybe you could put up the gourds and if the tree swallows or bluebirds try to claim one plug it up. Hopefully you get lucky like me and they will ignore the martin gourds. Let us know how you do!

[meb]

Bluebirds start showing up in March. Cavity nesting birds zero in on black holes, so bluebirds WILL investigate your gourds, unless you keep the holes covered until they have settled into some other housing.

In my area, Tree Swallows arrive a week or so before the Purple Martins, and they, too, will try to claim your gourds, and will chase Purple Martins away.

Your best course of action would be to install two bluebird houses nearby WELL BEFORE the PMs get here - one for a pair of Bluebirds and the second for a pair of Tree Swallows. Once they have claimed the houses, they will leave your gourds alone and will chase away all other Tree Swallows and Bluebirds.

Tony mentions in his reply above that Tree Swallows seem to nest at the same time as sub-adult PMs, but they often claim a cavity early and then dawdle a long time before actually building their nest.

I believe Keith Radel will offer some good advice about Bluebird housing; however, Purple Martins are not a priority with him, so if you don't find other PM landlords in your area, post your questions on this web board, and we will all help you as best we can.

I didn't even mention House Sparrows and Starlings - big problems for some PM landlords. I'm sure you've read about them already!

[mngramps]

Thanks for the information. I have read the SY males arrive 4-6 weeks after the ASY males so if i figure correctly the gourds should not be opened until May 15 or later. Does that sound right? In other words, don't rush.
Dave (mngramps)

[Tony Lau]

Many new colonies are started by ASY pairs, as was mine. There are many dilapidated houses out there and hoardes of S&S for them to fight, so they will move from a bad site to a good site. In 2008 I had 2 ASY pair and 8 SY pair, last year I had 16 ASY pair, so at least 6 pair moved from another site to be at mine. As long as you can control the S&S, and have alternate housing for bluebirds and tree swallows, have your housing ready in 2 or 3 weeks at the latest.

[Don]

Assume that you will get ASY birds. The first year I started here in MN I got nine pair. The first pair that arrived were both ASY birds. Most of the nine pair were ASY birds. You may get only SY birds but don't hold back opening housing because you assume that the ASY birds will return to last year's facilities.
Be prepared to eliminate sparrows and starlings.

[meb]

To get an idea of when Purple Martins will be arriving in your area, be sure to check the PMCA's website for "scout arrivals". None has been reported in MN, yet, but you can click on the links for prior years. They generally arrive about the same time each year. In 2009 ASYs started arriving the first week in April. SYs didn't show up until the first week in May.
http://purplemartin.org/scoutreport/sco ... =2010&S=MN

[mngramps]

I had better pickup the pace here.I was thinking I had 4-6 weeks to get housing up and ready. Have been trapping sparrows at the home site but need to move it since my bird dog started sitting next to it watching the sparrows inside. thanks for the heads up on arrivals.
mngramps

[mngramps]

How important is having a mowed or clean area under the housing? The mowed area around the nature center is a little close to the building. It is 60-70 feet to the outer edge of the mowing. Beyond that is natural prarrie. Will placing a pole 29-30 feet into the prarrie grass be a problem?
mngramps

[Tony Lau]

Tall grass means predators can sneak up on them so it is discouraged. That said, I have wildflower gardens adjacent to my racks and it didn't seem to deter the martins at all.

[mngramps]

The River Bend Nature Center pole and gourds are up, finally, and, just in time before a thunder storm moved in. Working on a lightening rod is not smart. Bluebirds have started nest building in the nearby pair of BB houses so have closed the gourds for now. Have seen what appears to be tree swallows flying over the pond and prairrie near the gourds. I didn't expect them this early. Will they be a problem when the gourds are opened?

[Tony Lau]

Some people have lots of problems with tree swallows and gourds. The tree swallows here never have even tried to nest in one of mine though. Make sure you have another bluebird box paired with the one the bluebirds have taken and hope the tree swallows claim it. If they do start claiming the gourds, see the info post on bb/ts interference near the top of the main page.

[brandonk]

Tony, I have two BB houses paired together. Last year the BB claimed one of the houses and never allowed the TRES to claim the other. EVERY time the TRES would come to the hole, the BB would fend it off.

This year I twisted the house so that the BB could not see the hole in hopes this will allow a TRES to nest successfully.

Have you heard of this type of activity before?

It's great to get the BB's, but I purposely put the BB houses together (recommended distance) to get the BB's and TRES's.

[Tony Lau]

Bluebirds and tree swallows will usually fight each other for awhile, but if they both want to nest there they get used to each other. Often a whole flock of tree swallows will come to fight off the bluebirds so they decide to only defend the one house.