Purple Martin Forum

Just an anecdotal experience, but last year I had a couple of TS that arrived a couple week earlier than the PMs. They took a shine to one of the PM house gourds and I started to deter them and clean out their nests. I happened to be on a long business trip around that time and when I returned I fou...

That's great ... sounds like both of your colonies are growing. This is turning into a very good year for you. Congrats Last year I fledged 2 nests of 3 birds. I had a third nest with eggs, but a severe storm tore off the gourd and when I put it back the eggs must have damaged. I know I have 3 nests...

A lot of activity in the mornings. This morning I counted around 16 martins in the air and several more in or on the 2 houses/gourds. I think I have a large abundance of SY males and ASY males but short on females. As of last Sunday nest check I have 3 nests with 5 eggs in each and another 3-4 nests...

Your pretty far north in IN, so I would say you still have a outside chance (not great but not 0%). I am a little north of you, and I am still seeing a few new SYs showing up the last few days. I would say, that when I was starting and prior to getting any mating pairs I left my house up until late ...

Great NEWS!!! I have one nest with 5 eggs and another 4 nests without eggs but green leaves coming in. Seems like every day I see more PMs filling in. Hard to count with them coming and going, but by my count I have around 12-16 PMs in morning. I'm thrilled and last year I was only 3 pairs and few v...

Wishing you great success and appreciate your desire to gain more advice. When I started, I leaned heavily on this forum (and still do). I tried for so many years with little success, but I never put 100% effort into House Sparrow efforts. Prior to last season I went 100% in and trapped and shot eve...

If I have one in the trap, i also add some seed to double tempt him in. If he is super cautious, sometimes I will prop the trap on a table so its off the ground, but either way I have never not caught the other 1/2 of a mating pair. Crazy, but I got 42 this way last year ... only 10 so far this year...

As of today, i have one ASY pair that just started laying eggs, and 3 male ASY courting the same ASY female. I think I saw a couple SY this morning ... hopefully we can get more to fill in.

For what it's worth ... I had PMs for the first time last year ... 3 pairs for sub adults. By God's grace they have all returned as ASY and took up residence in same house/gourds with more sub adults showing up each day this year. Last year I had the same issue with Tree Swallows and tried moving th...

Randy - very interesting and helpful for us newbies. You are an inspiration to do what we can ... here's to warmer weather. Also good to see that PMs can recognize their helpful human friends in time of need.

Thanks all - helpful advice. I tried again this morning all remaining PMs freaked out and took off for the trees. Guess I just need to get them more comfortable with me.

follow-up ? ... when you say you lost 25-50% do you mean they left to return later or passed away?

Here in SE Wisc we have had a week of cold and rain, most of my PMs are here only in the morning and then gone all day. Not even sure if they are all still around. I wonder if they are taking a few days off to vacation south of here. I tried flinging crickets to the remaining and was not very good ....

I lowered my houses last night also ... nasty weather. Raised back up this morning and they didn't seem to notice. i will say I haven't seen any SY PMs yet ... just the ASY here. Also, waiting on some SYs at my father's new PM set up in Northern IL.

Where can you find the old Sevin containing carbaryl? Or does it not matter? I looked everywhere for the old stuff with not success, because many on this forum said that is the way to go. If you can't find it, will the new version work?

Well this is a first ... This last week I have trapped around 7 White Crowned Sparrows between my two repeating traps. I have never seen these before so looked them up and they are migratory native sparrows heading to breeding grounds in the Alaska and Arctic regions. Looks like they winter in Mexic...

great ;when they have your address ... hopefully our adults call in many more.

Starting to see some Martins return to the site. So far 3 pairs of adult male/females. Weather is good this week so interested to see if any sub adults show.

For me, I like to give the sparrows a day or so to build their nest. Its unmistakable as it will be jammed packed ... then I put my cavity trap in that apartment without removing the nesting material. Within 15 min I will catch either the male or female, which i will then transfer to the center sect...

I did this year and last. I do feel that once the first wave of scouts arrive, the rest of us later starters aren't active in the scout report. Since this is my second year, I will say it makes me nervous when I am weeks behind colonies that are much further North. As such I tend to look over the Su...

Great news ... I would think the dawn song wouldn't hurt. You have great setup and they have your address. I had a pair show up here on Saturday morning early. The male left mid day and the female stayed most of the day. Sunday the female showed again for the morning. Nothing here today, but really ...