Purple Martin Forum

PMCA has blocked me. All I did was try to submit my annual Scout Report. Nine-year landlord and PMCA member. Love the way the block says to report the block . . . I do that and it gets blocked also! Duh.

SW Ohio. My resident Tree Swallows were late arriving this year, and have yet to start any nest building. Slower arriving PM adults this year; 14 is the most I've counted so far, in my 7th nesting season that had 48 pair and fledged 203 babies last year. I always have that gnawing little landlord vo...

Winter weather finally arrived with a vengeance in SW Ohio. Blanket of heavy, wet snow with single digit temps predicted for next week. Surely don't need any Martins yet; had my first deaths (3) last season due to cold and rain despite hand warmers and attempts at supplemental feeding. Hope you Sout...

Welcome. We love new landlords! Although Martins can be very forgiving, your housing looks a tad low, especially when you hang the gourds you just bought, which is a very good move IMO. No, you don't need nesting material for visitors as this season ends, but early next spring (winter in LA?), pine ...

Housing modifications resized II.jpgHere are two photos of how I've been trying to reinforce some of my poles at public sites...I can't lower when a storm approaches. One manufactuer told me that the location on the square pole mostly likely to bend under stress is right at the top of the interior ...

Seemed to be one especially late brood this season here in SW Ohio. Here are my notes for the last couple weeks; was trying to pay closer attention this year at departure time: 2019 Departure Monday, August 5, 2019 Some of the Martins are still here. Spotted about 20 this morning at 10:00 a.m. One f...

Yes! Looks exactly as you say, SY-M, and indeed, new colonies start somewhere, often just like this. My now-three-year nesting season colony started with an SY-M who hung around my last non-nesting season but never attracted a (live-in) mate. I am convinced the very same bird came back the next year...

I had one sy male that would rush in at dark and stayed in a certain gourd. All by himself. I named him the “nut”. I mean why would you run down here at dark and leave 18 others three houses away to be by yourself ?! So guess what this year the nut returned as a ASY and when he showed up he went st...

Your colony looks perfectly on track! Congratulations!

John & Linda - KY wrote: ↑

Tue May 14, 2019 4:50 pm

I think they're just showing off, doing it "because they can". -- John

Ever so true. Sometimes I swear they flaunt being able to fly, e.g., floating by me in a low pass, tilting those B-17 bomber wings side to side, etc.

Gotta watch for this! Favorite thing is watching them fly, but have not noticed this. Thanks.

BillieJR wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 16, 2019 1:03 pm

Lol! I think many of us look like we've lost our marbles. Good luck!

Start flipping crickets and even the neighbors that know we're "different" start getting concerned!

Crushed oyster shells will not spoil, and should keep without any special handling; however, as I mentioned, my Martins will only eat (chicken) egg shells, that do need special handling to avoid spoiling if kept long(er) periods. Some landlords boil them.

Have the same thing going on at my second-year colony. Very helpful answers, mwren & ToyinPa. Thanks.

Eggshells might be one of my biggest PM successes as a second-year landlord, i.e., they devour them, and yes, they do in fact feed them to their babies; I've watched them with binoculars, and my egg shells are really disappearing now that several pairs have babies. They still prefer them crunched in...

Really appreciate the comments. Just the kind of candid input needed. Thanks.

Thinking of adding a nice pole-house combo to my growing PM colony, but knowledge is limited and pretty much confined to gourds . . . which I like, BTW. But darned if those houses don't look sharp, especially ones like the T-14, but what happens in the off season? Can they be taken down, or must the...

We'd all like to know why birds do what they do. I've lived with 3 parrots for 19 years & still wonder why they do some of the things they do. I would guess they are letting the rain wash their face & beak clean. If you've seen them wiping their beak on power lines, perching rods, etc., tha...

On more than one occasion I've noticed some of my Martins sitting/perching with their heads pointing straight up (beak up) especially in a light rain, and often for several long minutes, maybe 10 or 15 minutes or more at a stretch, and sitting nearly perfectly still. What are they doing? Are they yo...

My Dad also called them "Bee Martins" and today when one (an Eastern) showed up at my PM colony the PMs were none too pleased and took to chasing him off. Is he a threat, maybe to their babies?