Purple Martin Forum

He spread a lot of knowledge back in the day.

Short of building large cages on top of your poles, there isn't a lot you can do. The owl guards and deeper cavities help but once the owls find them they can be relentless.

Everyones exeriences are different. I have never been able to get mine to eat from a feeder or platform, only on the fly. They took to flipped crickets the first year I ever had to feed, in about 10 minutes. There were some who were huddled on the shingled roof of my house and I flipped crickets up ...

If there are breaks in the rain they should be fine. If the rain never stops for four days, then yes you would need to try flipping crickets. I am not from your part of the country but when I have been down there from time to time neve experienced all day rains for multiple days. If it stops raining...

In your "modified" 'pic how far off the ground is the winch? There have been photos on this forum before of a large rat snake going from the ground with it's head straight to the top of a guard or to a winch without touching the pole. That is why the recommend the top being at least 48 inc...

Hopefully the one you are seeing is from last year. If so he will stay and will attract a mate. Statistically they say you need to have 6 pair or more to ensure you get returnees the next year. The number of martins that don't survive the migration down, the over winter, and then the migration is pr...

I have had martins for many years. I have always waited and applied Seven to each nest a couple days before the first eggs in the colony are set to hatch, or within a day or two of them hatching. Is sprinkle a small amound under the front edge of each nest. This way the adults don't get in on them o...

Do you have any photos and detals of your electric set up. If they are insalled properly they are ususally the best option. There was something going wrong or the snake would not have gotten up.

I have 2 gourd racks and 2 T 14's. Both get equal use each year. I am surprised the SY's don't fill it up once they start arriving and the gourds are full.

I started with an S & K house years ago. I just drilled a hole on each end and the bought like a 6 foot long fiberglass garden stake. So it stuck out about 3 feet on each end. I put a small hose clamp on the stake just outside the hole so it couldn't slide out. Cheap and much sturdier than those...

This day and age a BT speaker and just an iPad, iphone or anything else should be simple enough to program to start and stop. Back when I started I bought CD player alarm clock from Wal Mart that had dual alarms. I would just set it in a trash bag and up off the ground on a crate or something. If I ...

Been a weird year for me. The last several years my arrivals have gotten earlier and earlier. This year they were a little later than recent years. I had three show up and then early last week we had a cold snap and I didn't seem the for about 5 days. Then last Friday they came back. Saturday mornin...

I've tried the rat shot 22 shells before and you have to be so close to the target with them to do damage the starlings would be long gone. Troyers makes a simple trap that is made for their gourds. If shooting is not an option that is about your only choice. Some times early in the year they are sk...

Wont be a problem. Martins have site fidelity but don't always nest in the exact same cavity they did from year to year. Some do some don't. I have a variety of Troyer gourds as well as 2 T 14's.

I am certain the comments on the scout reports are used by the PMCA and are not available to view anywhere.

I have round poles I repurpoused for my T 14's. On both of them I just cut a slot in the top of the pipe and set a garage door pulley in it. I also drilled a hole and ran a bolt righ above the pull sot the cable couldn't slip off. I don't think it can due to the weight of the house but is was only 1...

It is unlikely you did anything wrong. Martins are communal creatures that prefer to nest with other martins. That is one of the hard parts to getting a colony going. Once you get a few pair your numbers will start to increase but getting a pair to nest by themselves, or that happen to atttract a co...

The point of the Scout Arrival Study is to track the migration. So, if you see a martin in your area you should report it. It doesn't have to be one of "your martins". If you see one just passing through that does not stay, it should be reported. This gets more accurate migration informati...

Martins have strong site fidelity. It is unlikely that they abandon your site due to a change in housing style during the off season. The tri tel poles are not great and you have more of a chance losing your colony due to a pole failure than you do losing your colony by switching the housing up next...

The martins won't care at all if they are 4 feet apart of 15 feet apart. I always make sure I have enough room to get my mower between and around everything. And even i the housing is lowered I still have room.