Purple Martin Forum

For those trying to star a new colony, make sure you have an open site. No trees close by to your housing. Keep starlings and sparrows away. If any Martian’s in your area, play a song bird magnet, to lure any passing thru martins to take a look at your new place for them. Martin decoys might help al...

I had to use another user name and password (other than my forum user name and password) to report arrival. WIsh I could have used the same one as forum but I wrote it down. As long as I do that I am ok.

Sorry you are losing your colony but you should be able to get martins at your new site. Our first martin arrived Thursday morning. Now have 3 present. Expecting more very soon. Hope your get martins at your new place this year. We may be moving in near future also and it just hurts thinking about l...

Thank you Dave! Yes I am waiting for help to post report by state.

Our first martin arrived Thursday February 18, a female martin. We noticed her about 8:00 am. Saturday we had 3; 2 males and 1 female. Having trouble reporting Martin arrival by state.

Terri Spencer
Birdy Girl

I am having trouble reporting our martin arrivals also. I know things change but I liked it the way it was in past years.

when reporting martin arrival, do I need to register and set up new account? I have reported before but says user name and password not right. If I need to register, do I use a totally new user name and password or my forum user name and password? I have report previously, but this is something new ...

Dick,
So glad you are there taking care of these birds. They have such a tough life. Storms, snakes, Hawks, owls, mites and lots more things and circumstances that can kill them. Hope they make it to Brazil safely and soon.

Wow! That is a LOT!! Wish I lived close. Would definitely come see this big roost.

Don and Ashley
Congratulations on your first pair! We had a first pair in June also several years ago. We have given up but was surprised just like you were. So happy for you. You will probably have more pairs next year. Thanks for sharing the pictures.

Bulldog1 Glad to see your post. I have been wondering if the martins will form a roost at the Tronox plant in Hamilton this year since they put up those things (balloons) on top of plant to scare the martins away last year. Was hoping to come see a martin roost this year in Hamilton MS. Most of our ...

Tim Sorry they went to ground but glad to noticed and corrected the nest problem and they are back in the nest. Maybe they will be ok. I recently saw a post on the forum about water going in through the holes on bottom of gourds. Don't know what the answer is to correct water problems but we do have...

Chuck
I don't know about lake Arkabutla , but the sticky post at top of page says there is active roost at Memphis Tn, Shelby county. Needing someone to locate roost. Isn't this fairly close to you?

It is working!!

Louise I sent u an email. Testing to see if this works. Saved your email just in case need for future.
Thank you

Weight is good as of today. Will see what Sunday brings for this baby. Hope he fledges when others leave nest cavity Sunday morning. If he doesn't fledge Sunday, and not being fed, I may have to go with other option to move to other nest cavity.

We have a situation where all babies have fledged from this gourd except one baby. Looks ready to fledge to me. He was the only one left in gourd yesterday and today. This baby has 2 parents. I have really watched pretty good today and no bird is feeding this baby during the day today so far. Now la...

Young martins can jump for any of the following reasons: 1. Mites - if you see mites crawling on gourds/housing or the babies- treat to get rid of them. I use 5% seven dust, 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon per cavity under nest material and around edges of nest material. 2. Heat - we vent our gourds with pvc el...

We had a baby Martin with a very similar injury as your pic shows. We moved the baby to a nest with 2 parents that were very active feeders of their young. I applied a very small amount of neosporin to the injury morning and evening for maybe 3 days. The injury healed and the baby did well and fledg...

Kathy Yes the owl is around every night, all night. He sits at different areas. Thursday evening late, while running off fledglings wanting to sit on racks for the night, I noticed a porch partially broken off a gourd porch. Tonight noticed another gourd with broken porch. Nothing I can do because w...