Purple Martin Forum

ToyinPA wrote: ↑

Wed May 13, 2020 2:33 pm

In my area it's crows & squirrels that seem to rob the nests of eggs & chicks.


Toy in PA

Interesting Toy. We don't have many crows that I see but we have our share of squirrels.

I was excited to discover I have a nesting cardinal pair in a bush at my home (my non martin site). Two very new babies and a busy mom. I unfortunately also have starlings nesting around the same property. The next day I look in on the little nest to find it empty. Not a thing around to indicate the...

I'm north of you about 120 miles. Had my first opportunity to check our lake house site yesterday. I have one nesting pair. Hopefully will get some more in the next few weeks. Good luck.

I'm in a similar boat... only I'm more delinquent. My martin house is at our lake house and hour from where I live. I only get down there on the weekends. I have just three nesting pair and another possible as of last weekend. Unfortunately I also have a single sparrow pair whose nest I eliminated t...

Put me in the camp of... has trees and martins. I have trees very close to my martin house. Martins seam to navigate around them pretty good. I only have three pair right now but others visiting. I do have a lake front as well so that helps. Stick with it. I just restarted our efforts to get martins...

I have a single martin house on our lake property. On the waters edge, two nearby trees and our lake cabin also relatively close. Hardly ideal setup for me but I have been successful in getting martins. Not a ton like some here but we get them and hopefully will be increasing this year. If moving ho...

I can't help but experienced the same thing. Checked on my late pairs babies this weekend while at our lake property. All three of their babies had died. I'm confident mine was due to heat and as was said... probably inexperienced first year parents. I'll vent my compartments better for next season....

Nice work Mike. Sounds sorta similar to our martin experience. We have had a house up at our lake place for decades. Had some success getting them occasionally but it really has been a looooong time. few years ago I got serious about our site (tree issues) and rebuilt our house. Have had a single pa...

I'm in a similar situation jpp… and also in Kansas. I only have thee pair but one the babies are probably only a week old or so. My martin house is remote and I can't keep them cooled of any way. I had one pair that has fledged and the other was really close last I saw them. I'm hoping my saving gra...

This would be my sister in law. She has a birdhouse she calls her "sparrow house". She recently was telling me how pretty the male is. I'm sure they are pretty... in England ! Exactly. The funny part is she got really upset when a "big fat starling" tried to take over her "...

You have to remember that to lots of people birds are birds. If someone came onto your property after the mating season and took down your martin housing I am assuming you would feel differently. That's my problem. I have lots of neighbors that put up feeders and houses specifically for House Sparr...

Just because it's registered under a dentist co that is no longer around does not make it 'bogus'. Not unusual to buy/register a property under company. Also not unusual to retire or change business. If the taxes are paid deed is in good standing. If you're feeling gutsy and they are about ready to ...

No PMD... I didn't get on the water and can't access the other neighbors site other then by boat. Boat is still in storage... didn't have time to get it out this weekend. You are correct though. Very happy we got the time down there that we did. Hope to get down during the week this week to see our ...

As I have posted here a few times, my martin house is at our family lake house. I only get down there on the weekend and due to a busy kids schedule that has been even harder this season. Last time I made it there we had two pair of nesting martins and 11 new babies and another nest in the making. I...

I actually had the same thought PMD. Been a busy spring and we haven't put out boat in the water yet. When we do I'll check the other site out and see if it has martins and how they are doing.

Thanks PM> I mostly feel bad because I'd like to see my birds more. My sister was at our lake place this weekend and she said the martins were doing well and looked happy. There is another site at the same lake that had a load of martins using it last season. Same old 12 hole Trio like mine. House l...

I'm a delinquent landlord as well. My martin house is at our weekend retreat and I'm only able to get there on the weekends at best. I have three pair last time I was there which is approaching three weeks. My martins are pretty much on their own this season as I have been busy with kids activities....

I reestablished our martins after a loooong hiatus. Last two seasons we had one nesting pair. Both years we were successful at fledging some new martins. This season we have three pair. Sooo… as was said above. Just takes one pair to get it started again. Good luck and enjoy them.

I finally discovered the benefit of only having one pair the last two years. You can actually see and count your new fledglings

If that's not a case for open flyways I don't know what is.