Purple Martin Forum

Kathy,

I am sorry the little baby did not make it. You did the very best you could and I know how heartbreaking it is to loose any of our martins. Sending hugs your way!!!

I also pay my dues every year and additional two memberships for friends. I order everything I need for my colony from the PMCA Shop including shirts and hats. Like Thomas said, the Update alone is worth the $15.00 a year. The PMCA is a great organization and should receive more appreciation for wha...

Emil, Did you get some rain the past two weeks or bug supply? I had one late nest and thought the 3 babies fledging last Thursday was it but there is still a fourth one and I hope it is ready to go in a couple of days, also the latest we had martins in 8 years. It is so hot and dry here; I am just v...

Ann, I agree with Kathy!!! This has been going for years and obviously nothing has changed other than your martins getting killed. Please take your houses down at the end of the season and let it be. As much as I love my martins, if a neighbor would try to kill them or kill them, I certainly would n...

We flipped, but had to be careful because of the seagulls interfering, when one day the crickets we flipped landed on the sail boat where one little female was sitting. She caught on, gobbled the crickets down and then there were one, two and more martins doing the same. That is how our martins beca...

Elmo, I am sorry that you also have the drought conditions to deal with and are worried about the babies. I live near Corpus Christi and it is awful to watch how few and little bugs the martins are bringing in. Like Louise Chambers and John Barrow I feed my martins every day some crickets, meal worm...

Jeanne,
Enjoy every moment yo can...we all do not know when there will be another one. Martins are awesome to watch and have as our friends.

Astrid

Dick, I now have 2 weeks old babies starting to come to the entrances of the gourds....that has me really worried. Like for you and many other Texas landlords there is no rain in sight and the few bugs that are being brought in are very small. I have been feeding every day cricks and meal worms....t...

Jeanne,

I am happy for you that you are having a great season. I know you will be glued to that nest cam 24/7....enjoy!!!!

Astrid

Tony,

Thank you for your nice post

Astrid

Alice, Great post!!! We had a lot of difficulty trying to feed the martins a few years back because of the seagulls. I felt so helpless having a freezer full of crickets just for the gull to snatch them. Then one day an exhausted female was sitting on our sailboat and she gobbled up the crickets tha...

Great work Gobbler! I will remember that...... I never use any kind of oil around the martins because of the danger that there feathers might get messed up which would make it difficult for them to fly. I have also used alcohol to get rid of mites outside and/or inside a gourd. Fortunately that only...

Does she show interest in a specific area of your house? If yes I would leave things alone for this year. If she checks out different cavities you can give it a try in my opinion

Chriscreole, When I tried to put crickets into the cavities or on the porch my martins also freaked out. Other landlords are very successful with this method. If your martins are not readily taking to the crickets you fling they not be that hungry yet. I personally would keep trying and maybe get so...

Jerlene, Thank you for doing such a great job feeding your martins and keeping them alive and well. Please do not listen to the "Nay sayers" because in today's world it just does not work that way anymore when it comes to animals and specifically to migrating birds. I applaud anyone and ev...

Delma,

I have been watching your posts and I know that if not this season next season you will have martins. You are such a great and dedicated landlord that the martins will come and find you....best wishes :-)

Tangula, I am so proud of you being all prepared for supplemental feeding even though you do not have any martins yet. You are a future landlord of my heart and I am sending good thoughts to you that you will be blessed with many martins...if not this year then next season. You are a great landlord ...

Gobbler, you are always so nice.....you know I do anything and everything for my martins and I know you would do the same. I am happy for you and your martin to spend time with each other... I love these birds :-)

It seems that this year is a particularly difficult year for the martins and us landlords. Either there is too much rain, no rain, or too cold temperatures which all affect the martins and their babies. I have seen many posts on here tonight from people not knowing what to do or simply be scared abo...

Please get some crickets and meal worms, freeze them then thaw them out in warm water and feed your martins. It is not easy but we all need to do what we can to help them since we invited them in our backyard. The martins are really smart and catch on real quick being feed supplemental food.