Purple Martin Forum

Unfortunately, "snake netting", "bird netting" whatever it is sold as and used for- is a very cruel punishment and guaranteed death for native snakes, especially ones we need like Black Rat, King, etc. that keep populations of rodents and other varmints at bay. Shooting an invasi...

After moving and setting up a pretty ideal Martin spot, I'm getting a lot of visitors but no stayers over the past month. This last week or so, I have an ASYM and 2SYF that come daily, go in and out of all the gourds (6), the M sometimes fights off other SYMs- and then they leave at night. The M and...

FYI - I just bought a Songbird Magnet instead. I'll let you know if it works!!

Im in east central Indiana and last year was my earliest arrivan ever, March 11th....I put one of my T14's up this past weekend, more to use for some early trapping. not too long ago I never saw an arrival before April. The last several years it gets earliera and earlier. Seems like they ride in on...

Hi guys, I have a wireless speaker set up on my back porch near my new martin housing and I want to put it on an early timer, etc. to automate playing the song. I've found a lot of videos posted that play for hours that say they are the "dawn song" but actually they sound to me more like d...

Wow, hopefully that recent bitter cold didn't get him. I am in SW Indiana too (EVV) and I guess I better get my houses out!

Thanks everyone. I will continue to hope my luck changes then. Again, I may have had 50 birds before but I really didn't know how this all works with SYs etc. They all just kind of showed up. I'll keep on it.

Thank you- I will keep everything out as it is and hope a sub-adult comes by. My setup is all good- it's really just getting exposure to the Martins. I saw one fly over yesterday but he was a full black male and wayyyyy up in the air- but unmistakable wings and soaring. I do have a fair amount of tr...

I got lucky just putting houses out where I lived in KY and getting ~10 birds that same year and up to about 50 in 2 years after. I moved to Indiana for work and am now in an area with some birds (not a ton) and have gourds out, decoys up, martin song going all morning up to noon. Just not seeing an...

Thank you again guys- this is super helpful. I bought 3 decoys and will be pumping the dawn song as the season starts! I don't plan to leave the decoys up if I happen to land some martins. We will see. You guys are all awesome, thank you! Fingers crossed they find me again!

Thank you, sounds like both are worth trying since it is a brand new colony! Appreciate it.

Shameless bump- I figured I would hear from FlyinLowe or CC!!

Hi again guys- short recap: I've had martins for 3-4 years but they just "showed up" at my last place- I moved, and want to start a colony but I never had to "attract" them before. I bought a 6-house troyer gourd setup, two questions: 1) Should I put out decoys? If so, how many- ...

I don't have my catalogue in front of me but on Troyers website they show the tunnel/porch but it is $13.99. Either way, if it were me I would either convert them or replace them. You could try them and see how long it takes the starlings to move in, but the issue is when you get martins to move in...

Thanks guys- I will go ahead and convert them. Based on the pricing, it seems like it makes more sense to pay the extra couple bucks and get the tunnels. I also won't have to saw out the holes to match the SREH that way... so less work as well. I'll respond back once I have them converted and show y...

Hi guys, thanks- I wouldn't have really thought that the Heath Houses naturally defended against starlings because of shape, but makes sense since I never had issues and yeah those are small compartments. Lowe- I am in Newburgh right outside Evansville. I've seen starlings migrating by, but not stop...

Hi all, I was a surprisingly successful landlord in KY (by dumb luck, chance... you name it) before I moved to IN this year. I am changing from Heath Houses to the Troyer Gourds and picked up a nice rack set when I moved from an old martiner who had to hang it up due to age. So I'll be using his old...

Man the Midwest is just getting weather worse this year than I have even seen it. Just blow after blow. Had all my houses at about 4' up (low as I can go) and the last storm that came through this past weekend broke one of my poles in half. Like the actual metal broke- supposedly sheer winds in the ...

Can Martins take down cicadas? They are rather big bugs... but I imagine Martins can given they are aerial masters. Will be a feats for sure if so.

Are you sure their wings were trapped? We've had 3 very cold nights here in KY in a row and few bugs for eating, last night was particularly bitter with the full moon and clear skies. Those conditions are tough on the birds, cold weather is the #1 killer.