Martins are here!!!!!

[Wingman]

Max, I have noticed that most martin nests around here are made of twigs and sticks, and sometimes plastered near the entrance with mud. Looks like they use a lot of soybean stalks in my area. When they get ready to start laying eggs, they'll haul in a lot of green stuff (oak leaves, catkins, green plant material, etc.)

I doubt a martin has moved in to your low hanging bluebird house. They like to nest up high, usually and the entrance hole probably isn't big enough (martins need at least a 2" hole). If it's close to thick brush or woods, it might be a house wren.


sparrow nest on left and martin nest on right in martin house

sparrow martin.JPG

top floor completely taken over by sparrows (this is how you can lose your martins to sparrow invasion.)

sparrow.JPG

Bluebird nest. Note cup shape and woven material.

bluebird.JPG

[MSDawg870]

Now that I see that bluebird nest pic...

Hanging fern pots on the front porch provide excellent bluebird nesting habitat.

[catfishbill]

have had bird around my house for about 4 weeks now.put up houses on a sunday afternoon and birds showed up monday or tuesday.mom and dad in southaven also have had bird for a couple of
weeks.
wingman has it down.when we clean out houses they are full of twigs,straw,mud mixture.usually have to pry it out with a screwdriver.

[Po Monkey Lounger]

My bluebird houses are each affixed to an oak tree in a cleared valley (not far from some CRP land) and are each about 10-12 feet high in the tree. I did notice some mud and scrapings around each of the holes of the houses.

Who knows, maybe its bluebirds? I can't ever catch the little critters in the act of using the houses. They are sneaky sneaky. But, whatever type of birds they are, I am glad they finally started using the houses I put up --- was about to give up and move them to other locations on the property. Hell, with my luck, its probably some sort of rare tree rodent.

[Wingman]

Mud usually means a swallow of some sort. Martins are the largest members of the swallow family.

I'll bet you a nickel you have tree swallows.

[champcaller]

when i first read the thread title i thought it said 'martians' are here.... made me think of orson wells

[Wingman]

check out this link, Max. See if you can "match" your nest. http://www.birds.cornell.edu/birdhouse/ ... /nest_eggs

[digger]

Got my first scouts today.

[JLT]

They've been at my parents house in pelahatchie for about two weeks.

[Harper]

I meant to get mine back up this weekend but did not. I will make sure to put it up this afternoon.

[MudHog]

Nothing here yet, but my houses went up last Sunday.

[Blackduck]

Cedar waxwings were here today. Martins are usually a few weeks behind

[Wingman]

My martins showed up on February 17th. 2 weeks later than last year.

Go to purplemartin.org and look at the scout reports. http://www.purplemartin.org/scoutreport/

[digger]

Mine were about 2 wks later also got here around middle of Feb last yr.

[MudHog]

Still no Martins.

I know they are in the area as I've seen them further South of me and purplemartin.org has had sighting since Jan further North of me. I'm hoping my Bradford Pear tree hasn't gotten to big that it is scaring them away. I've always read that Martins don't like houses next to trees for their fear of predators. Aside from the Bradford Pear, nothing else has changed and I've had Martins every year for the last 10-12 years.