Purple Martin Forum

Bamboo hat is awesome! Great idea. I’ve also used signboard. As Tom said , I drill holes in them to let the wind blow through with less resistance. They work well. How do you keep that hats from being blown off? Great idea!
Rob

Hey Tom..congrats on another successful season.. well according to that photo, that’s 2 less hosps to deal with! Great shooting. Ha! Have to laugh about forgetting to pump.. I used to forget to take my safety off at times. Would aggravate the heck out of me. Now I have my routine.. when I go to put ...

Damn, sorry that this happened to your martins.. to your point, I’ve seen exactly what Phil describes all the time. But I’ve never had a flying fledgling return to an active nest, that isn’t his, go in, and hog the food from smaller chicks in that nest. In fact I’ve observed just the opposite. Every...

Wow.. close call with the snakes! Glad your guards worked. That is a good sized snake. Probably long enough to wrap around the guard and climb. Good idea to add the netting … I be wouldn’t chance it either. 80 left to fledge is a lot! I’ve also seen the parents dropping bugs in flight, and teaching ...

Great save. Glad the little guy made it! Good work..
Rob

Dave, that must be cool to watch them fly through the sprinkler to cool off. There’s lots of natural water around my site. I’ve seen them come back soaking wet sometimes on hot days, after they’ve cooled off. Fun to watch. I may give the sprinkler (not on the houses) a shot next season. Would be coo...

I’ve noticed the same behavior in very hot weather Tom. Feeding definitely slows down or stops during hottest part of afternoon. Agree, I believe it allows the chicks to just sleep, in that period of time, less movement equals less body heat. I think it’s natural instinct .. the parents know to let ...

Very interesting observations.. thanks for the info … so far, in the past, under very hot conditions, temps definitely above 91, with 2 , 1 inch elbow vents, in each gourd, I haven’t had jumpers.. but hey, whatever works! It’s very humid here in SE Louisiana, and I am a little Leary of wet nests, wi...

Great story! As you describe, Fledgling time is always awesome to observe. I’ve never heard those vocalizations you describe, and I pride myself on studying their calls and meanings.. I hope I get to hear that!! Very cool!
Congrats
Rob

Congrats on your success! As far as the one egg, it could be the first of more to come. Martin females lay one egg a day, usually in the early morning. If you nest check again in 2 days , and find 3 eggs , or one egg for each day, then you know you have an active nest, with a female laying her eggs....

As Tom and Phil mentioned, it Might be a good idea to mount a game cam to monitor it. Raccoons are cagey, smart, and determined. He may learn how to navigate the spikes. A typical round metal pole guard is smooth and sways when pressure is put on it.. that makes it impossible for a raccoon , squirre...

Wow! That’s a predator guard! I’ve never seen one built in that manner, but whatever works!! What kind of spikes did you use? Are they metal? Necessity is the mother of invention! Very cool.. I’m glad it worked and it stopped your intruder!
Great job.
Rob

Agree with the above responses… 4 of 5 can definitely be considered a success! Great job..
Rob

Interesting question.. from my observations, the fledglings still only have the “chirp chirp” vocalizations, at the time of departure for their first migration, back to Brazil. They obviously develope adult vocalizations sometime between departure and their return, next season.. exactly when that is...

You can try a removable pole guard. It’s a 3 to 4 foot metal tube that fits around your pole. It can be removed for nest checks , then put back on.. pmca sells them and other sites too, or you can build one.. if it’s a raccoon , a pole guard should stop him from climbing up the pole..
Good luck,
Rob

Hard to tell in photo, but looks like it could be SY.. you can tell for sure by listening to his song.. a male Martin has a series of rapidly repeated click sounds at the end of a song phrase. It’s an unmistakable sound.. can’t miss it.. it’s a sure fire way to identify male or female.. … That’s a g...

Yep Tom… 3 in 3 days… yes indeed! …that’s the beauty of traps.. they’re always working and hunting, even when we’re not…
Rob

If you’re concerned about rain getting in through the small vent holes, A 1 inch elbow vent would work, but agree the more ventilation the better.. but like Phil I’m in very hot and humid environment. I use 2, 1 inch elbow vents in all my gourds..
Rob

Great article tom! Great trapping tips… as my HOSPs are pretty well under control, and I’m more of a hunter of my HOSPS, than a trapper, I prefer hunting method, … but awesome info if I need it in the future. Will save this article. It’s definitely something all new Martin landlords should read, if ...

Dave I lost one chick to that exact occurrence. An SY dragged a chick to the front room of a 6x12 compartment.. I found him there during a nest check. Looked very weak and unfed .. I fed him then put him back in the nest, but he couldn’t recover. He was too far gone..
it’s a possibility..
Rob