Purple Martin Forum

My prediction is that Mike Dingman of Melbourne Florida
will be the first to report a Martin sighting on the
Continental United States on January 3rd 2021.

I soak mine in 55 gallon barrels. Eight at a time.
For 3 to 6 gours. Then hose them down with a spray nozzle.

Look under previous post titled
Design and build SMJ8.

I've used Expanded PVC Foam Board on
3 houses that I've designed and built.
I used 3/4" plywood for the frame and
used the 1/4" Foam Board as a skin.

Nest check on June 24th showed 3 additional nests with eggs and 18 more eggs laid. Bringing the total to 107 pairs and 552 eggs laid.

Nest check on June 24th showed 3 additional nests with eggs and 18 more eggs laided. Bringing total pairs to 109 and eggs laid 552.

What type of openings do you have on your housing? Any tunnels for predator protection?

Year number nine shaping up as successful.
Did a nest check on the 148 nesting
compartments on June 11th at the Colony
located 4 miles South of Ottumwa. Found
to have 107 nesting pairs with a total of
534 eggs having been laid. An increase of
5 pair from the 102 in 2019.

Hey Paulette My name is Steve Johnson and I'm in my 9th year of hosting Purple Martins. My Colony is located 4 miles South of Ottumwa on Hiway 63. Got up to the low to mid 60's on Sunday where I was. The Martins had 3 or 4 good hours to feed before the storms rolled in around 2:30. Got 6,000 cricket...

How low was the Hawk hovering. If it was fairly low it doesn't sound like typical Red tailed behaviour.
Generally speaking Red tailed hawks are no threat to Martins or a colony.

It's a little difficult for me to see very clearly but it appears like 2 of the racks have gourds with round opening and no tunnels. And 1 rack with Troyer Gourds with tunnels. If that's the case the gourds with round holes, no tunnels, no owl guards or cage could be very vulnerable to Great Horned ...

If you don't have Tunnels Guards or Cages on your housing I suspect
your Colony could have been the target of a Great Horned Owl.

What type of openings do you have on your housing? Several years ago I found blood around the Connelly 2 opening on a T14 house. The parents were not to be seen again but the eggs remained in the nest site that was attacked. There were other nests with missing eggs and chicks all from housing that d...

1st 13
2cd 52
3rd 65

Ok
I'll take January 2cd.

My mother is 98 years old and lives two and a half hours from my Colony Site. For safety reasons I need to be with her constantly except for once a week when I'm releaved and able to monitor the Colony. Not able to be there on a regular bases allowed for 2 pair of Starlings and about 8 pair of HOSP'...

Knowing that you now have young chicks and are about to have many more.
How concerned are you about what appears to be a very high concentration
of Buffalo Knats this year. And what are you prepared to do in the event
this becomes a real problem?

Extremely pleased with what is shaping up to be a banner year.
Based on observations today it appears as though it's very possible to house 110 pair.
Up from 87 pair last year and 93 in 2017.

Anyone know the statistics on what percent of surviving
SY birds return to their natal colony?

First sighting 4 miles South of Ottumwa