Purple Martin Forum

Sir, Kind words to me and us all indeed. Thank you! However, once you've met, and spoken to Mr Barrow you know there really is only one giant and in my humble opinion that is him and his lovely wife Louise in one big purple martin partnership. Im not close. Giving back no matter the scale, thats goo...

Thanks guys, as I sit in my "blind" watching martins the subbies are certainly active. Used to be (i think) they would "play house" when the adults took their chicks away for the day. They would then claim the gourd until mom and dad came back and set things right. Now, they aren...

Question for the group. Has anyone added housing for subadults when they show? If so what happened? Did they relent on their destruction? I can see plusses, they will have a home and not try to disrupt an active nest. Negatives, probably only good for one or two seasons. For years iv saved two or 3 ...

After what Rob went through, we should all buy some and send to him for Christmas.

12 years!!! A testament to your patients and perseverance!

Congrats on those eggs! We can feel your excitement!

You may get some other advice, and you have eggs now...I wouldn't change a thing. Not one thing. Just me.

You are to be congratulated!

If it weren't so dang dangerous, id make a trip to Mexico. Sure they have some. Take an hour....

Lisa, Sounds like a bang up season!!!!!! Congrats!!!!! Difficult to say really, when the chicks crowd the entrances everyone is on high alert. Doesnt take much time set them off. If its a fledge leaving, oh yes! They all take off after it screaming and calling its a big deal! Did they come back ok?

Faith, Welcome and you are in the right place, each of us has a deep love for them and we are here to help. PMCA is usually on the ball, dont be dissuaded by leaving a message, lots of help available there. Congrats on your martins! I will provide a word of caution however, do not be fooled by the f...

No kidding!!!! Wow, yes that is a new one, good lord. Grabbed it and went! Never ending wonder with these guys.
We are swamped with lousy subbies so I'd be too quick to blame them.

Perhaps it was a fed up adult! Fly already, we gotta go!

Thomas, may very well be mites but it may be they are starving. When your holding them, check the keel or brest bone. If it pronounced like you can really feel it, they are starving.
If thats the case, can feed them crickets.

Brent has a solid plug and pull method.

Rob, This year because iv only one precious bottle of the old sevin, iv used it sparingly. For me that means use a turkey baster, under the nest material or under the inner porch if chicks are present. One quarter teaspoon or more each time. Just about out of sevin now, found mites so used the golds...

Good catch sir! And well done. Iv seen a few, didnt know what they were, chased one all over a poor chick till I finally squished it. Lice! Makes sense.

Should work pretty quick, humidity affects the ingredients, but a year isn't that old.

Thomas, I'd follow Robs advice. Plug the entrances, place the martin chick back in, raise it, wait 15 minutes and after putting it back up, pull the plugs. Exact same thing here, found a starving chick under our porch. Very pronounced keel. Fed it for a day and a half, it ate 19 crickets last feedin...

Hey Rob, good afternoon sir! Never that late, just before egg laying yes subbie is accepted. Iv not seen them step in like that, I think its unique and awesome...may be more common? Iv not seen it. But iv a very small corner. Have a female feeding 2 chicks all by herself, attacks subbies that are re...

Yes agree with you 100% I love it too.

And yep it will work under the pole, just fine. I pictured a repeating ground sparrow trap under the pole.

Yes Brent, agree with your path.

Thomas is it the ST1 with 3 compartments? Two to trap, one to hold them?

Good looking set up! Love the blind too! I don't put the food traps near the gourds, good thought. nest box traps like you have near and within sight of the gourds though. Perhaps turn one trap to face the gourds? Food traps are up under our overhang in back to catch the stray HOSP... mostly fledges...

Barb,

For chicks I use half inch...thats the jumpers. For flipping or food treys, the biggest they have.

Try putting a WEP crescent PMCA sells over the entrance of the crescents. Id do them all. Iv got them on every crescent iv got.

This is a little test I did with a starling, nope didn't get in even with a bit of pushing.