Purple Martin Forum

Two years ago when we had our outbreak I froze about three coffee cans full of them and used them to supplemental feed the following spring. Worked out great, the Martins loved them, saved me money, and just maybe I cut down on the future outbreaks. If you are due for an outbreak this summer, and yo...

Brent; Patience, patience, patience. I didn't think I would ever get my Martins to take supplemental feeding, but patience finally paid off. Just keep trying, as others have mentioned it just takes that first brave soul to make the first move and you're on your way. What a great feeling it is when t...

Larry & Judy; It's always sad to learn of a colony closing, but such is life. This is one of the things that is so fascinating about our Martins, and for that matter, other wildlife. They teach us valuable life lessons. When met with unexpected hardships, like a closed colony, they adapt, no time is...

Does anyone have experience with having 18 gourds hanging on a 2" square aluminum pole. This would mean 3 levels with 6 gourds a piece. The catalog says it will support the weight, but they suggest adding a 2 ft. section to the pole which is currently 14 ft. I suppose that is for more ground clearan...

I would blame it on the SY parents. I have a feeling the loss of ASY birds due to the weather in the beginning of May was far worse than we may have thought. I know I had far more SY nests this season than usual, due to those losses. If we could only postpone the migration by a few weeks it would be...

Ed;

I did read your post on the possibility of this happening. At this point I really believe that was the case with my pair.

Bill.

I posted earlier on the Forum about what I thought was a re-nest. A pair that fledged 4 in mid-July, ending up with 3 more, the last of which fledged just yesterday, Aug. 24th. I figured that something must have happened to the first nest, but the more I think about it, the more I think they may hav...

Hi Rick; I usually get tricked at least once a year with a late nest or re-nest. This year, thinking that all were fledged I discover that a pair had sneaked in for a very late nest or a re-nest. 3 babies which they have been trying to coax out of the gourd now for about a week. I just checked this ...

Seems like I get crossed up at least once every season. This year it was to discover 3 ready to fledge babies this weekend, in a gourd that should have fledged in the middle of July. Obviously this was a re-nest, but don't ask me how this all happened without me knowing it. After I was sure all had ...

Great post John, very informative. I always wondered what they do between leaving the colony, and showing up at the large pre-migratory roost. The mini roost makes perfect sense. Up where I am located in South Western Pa. the general consensus is that our Martins actually travel North to the large p...

I think the individual bird has a lot to do with this problem. Over the years I have dealt with both aggressive and non- aggressive TS and Blusbirds. Same with the Martins, some are more willing to defend their housing than others. When it comes down to it they belong to a species of birds, but they...

I am curious as to what the Martins do from the time they leave the colony housing until they show up at the pre-migratory roost. Fewer and fewer are returning to my site every night now, but I'm thinking that it is a little early to be headed for the roost. Where do they spend their time during thi...

Thanks for all of the responses to my post. I always rely on the good advise I get on the Forum.

This is shaping up like a very successful year here. Should fledge 120, most are already fledged and enjoying their new found freedom. My last nest is due to fledge on the 29th., with a couple others before that date. We have had extremely dry conditions in my area throughout the Martin season. We h...

I am a week away from fledge date for most of my colony, and we are in the middle of a heat wave, and a drought. Temps in the low to mid nineties for this week. No relief until at least the weekend. I've never had to worry about jumpers before but with the babies close to fledge, and with the extend...

I have been at this for quite a few years now and figured I had seen about everything. Not so. This season I have an "Alpha Male", that's the best way I can describe him. He is a large, powerful, and aggressive ASY Male. Over the years I have been scolded by a variety of Martins when approaching the...

Thanks for all of the good suggestions. I will probably go ahead and do nest changes for safeties sake.

Thanks Again;
Hanover Bill.

What are the feelings out there on nest changes, are they absolutely necessary? My situation this season is that we haven't had any rain since well before most of my eggs were laid. We are in the middle of a local drought, if there is such a thing. It has rained all around us but not a drop here, an...

Hi Toy; I have some late nesters down here. They will be late getting started on their journey.

Hanover Bill.

Seems like crickets and scrambled eggs are the preferred menu for supplemental feeding. Of course it isn't always easy to get them to accept the offerings. It took me years to succeed at supplemental feeding, then this year, during some horrible weather in early May, they finally accepted my offerin...