PM "Hater" ... NOT!

AnnieM · Sun Jan 10, 2016 4:58 pm

Been meaning to post this since October... my sweet husband likes to give me a hard time about my "birds" and all the work they need. But he is always right there to figure out a way to set up speakers on timers with environmental sounds for the owls, or set up webcams so I can watch my birds over the Internet when we are away from home, and best of all help me CLEAN and put away my gourds at the end of the season. Here's to all of us who have our own PM helpers. We know they love our martins just as much as we do.

apundt-TX · Sun Jan 10, 2016 8:37 pm

That's so cool to have him work with you.
I wish my wife was interested in martins.
She just thinks I am a little too nuts over this bird.

sdsteil-IA · Thu Jan 14, 2016 2:01 pm

My wife found us a 18 acre farm with a 1 acre pond in 2011. I like to think she did this to help me attract PMs. I am still trying to attract my 1st nesting pair. I have had numerous visitors but no takers. My wife has traveled with me to pick up a new used gourd rack, Trio Grandpa and Grandma houses and has help me get the poles installed last fall. She has always been there to give me support when I get discouraged in the years past when I don't get a nesting pair. Not sure how I could keep going with out her support.

With her support I will be able to have the following new houses up - used 24 gourd rack, two used Grandpa houses, three Grandma houses and a 6 compartment Trio House. These house will be in addition to my current T-14 house.

I will be putting up 12 Tree Swallow houses with the extra PM gourds that I was able to purchase. Hopefully, they choose these houses over my Bluebird houses.

I give thanks every day to a wife God provide me!

Cheer David

AnnieM · Thu Jan 14, 2016 4:27 pm

AP, I know you are just up the road from me (we're about 15 minutes SE of Blanco), so we look for our martins about the same time. It's ok that your wife thinks u r a little "off" re your PMs. If that's your worst vice, then u r ok!

And David, your farm sounds terrific! I know your martins will come. I was lucky and got mine the next year after a neighbor sold his home and moved to Houston. He had a large colony and they were looking for a place to live the next spring. You have a lot more housing than we do; we have only 24 and that's going to be it. So we are "small but mighty" here in the Texas Hill Country!

EGunterTX · Fri Jan 15, 2016 9:39 am

Hey, Annie-- You have your homes all set up?
The last 3 years, I've seen them about Feb 11 (average), but they seem to just pass through.
Getting close. Probably get homes out of the attic in the next week.
Happy New Year!

Jose Rodriguez · Fri Jan 15, 2016 7:23 pm

I agree with you on that Annie! My wife seams to think I spend too much time at our Martin site , but she is right there helping to maintain our site and coming up with new ideas. Don't know where I would be without her! Good luck this season everyone!

JeanS · Sat Jan 16, 2016 9:33 am

Aww, that is so sweet to give him credit. I think I know exactly how your husband feels. :-) Around here, I'm the helper. I love the Purple Martins and enjoy sharing the hobby with my husband. But he is the one that worries about predation, mites, weather, nest checks, nest changes, sparrow/starling control, etc. It kind of drives me nuts in a special and awesome way. I'm really happy right now knowing the Purple Martins could arrive in Sugar Land, Texas any day now. I'm ready to help be a good landlord, even though I may roll my eyes about it more often than I should. :-)

AnnieM · Mon Jan 18, 2016 4:57 pm

EGunterTX wrote:Hey, Annie-- You have your homes all set up?
The last 3 years, I've seen them about Feb 11 (average), but they seem to just pass through.
Getting close. Probably get homes out of the attic in the next week.
Happy New Year!

---
Ed, the gourds are stowed in the shed and will stay there til around Valentine's Day. Then when we have a nice, warm day, I'll get them out. I have pine straw ready to go. Before I do that, I'll have to get out there with the string trimmer. The Little Blue Stem is waist high around the gourd racks. Last year I didn't see any scouts here...unusual. You always get them before we do so when I see a post from New Braunfels, I'll start looking up. Take care!