Purple Martin Forum

Hello my friends Just in case you have a HOSP that you cannot trap thisi idea well help you use the ST-1 trap with bird feathers stuck to duct tape. The HOSP love feathers for there nest you will trap many. And if there is a pair in a gourd that you cannot trap this will work it will trap all HOSP n...

Hello friends The best part about this colony There on display the country club runs the CVS charity Classic with golf pro's from all over its a three day event and the Martins are seen by hundreds. The manager has told me they love the Martins and will buy another 12 gourds and rack I made a offer ...

Hi cransy Thats not good news even for us southern New Englanders who have lost most if not all our birds due to the harsh springs of 05,06 Any birds that fly into this air mass will be killed most northern martins dont fly into this area till May good thing my are due in now! 17th is aveage but mos...

Hi thats not a good thing to have martins on a roof that means there stressed and hungry and almost always menas you will find a few expired its funny how so many southern landlords have never seen that up here in the north where we often get bouts of cold rain we often see them in the same place. L...

No Martins RI,CT,MA Kind of happy to hear that people well south of me like DE have no martins thats means my birds are well south of you in southern FLA i hope... There return here is anytime after the 15th a rare older bird may stray in before that but most perish if they do because so harsh up he...

Hi your birds are very stressed at this point keep a watch out for them when they sit on rocks its for warmth but if they could talk they would say they are very hungry three more days of 40 temps or high winds will not be good For your colony. temps of 50 with high winds will kill martins! I hope i...

Hello my friends I am thankful i have no martins temps mid day 36 and not much warmer for my friends in NJ who have martins I feel for them i'm sure there will be a large scale die off of early birds for that area. Just be happy they are the older flock and there are many more on the way mine are du...

Hello, I often wonder since there is no more DDT and Eagles are some what common now along with the coopers & sharpie hawks if that is going to affect the population of HOSP and Starlings a day dont go by that i dont see one of these woodland hawks hunting in my city and near by towns they seem ...

No Martins in New England yet.... Thats a good thing winter is back
I see a few are back on Long Island NY they are best to stay there and
not move in land yet it would not be a wise move at this point i can wait
till the end of the month no rush here. Ray

Hi Karen Should we say that's progress? I say its sad... Large numbers of farms have been sold in southern New England as well the Martin in these parts is a very rare bird sad that there are plenty of martin units up but all in the wrong locations and people just will not relocate them to a better ...

Hi Patrick Dont feel so down after what i'm going to tell you this may even make you feel much better back in 2005 we had a cold spring one week of cold weather the entire population of martins in RI and South eastern MA were decimated i lost a 11 year old colony since that day none have returned th...

Mike, well interesting to hear from other people that manage sites at schools one time i did get into a fight with a school treacher about killing sparrows to save bluebirds this was at a conservation park too. But on school grounds i guess if its done discreet its not a problem. Can always say that...

Hello everyone I know not everyone is for sparrow control was just wondering if anyone has a colony at a university and if they were ever given a problem because they trap sparrows. This will be my first season at a new colony and they have been told that i do manage my sites. The site is not the ma...

Very sorry to hear about your colony, at least there is still time for SY birds
and you live in a martin rich area too. Have experience the same loss in this
area all is not lost i'm sure. Ray

Hi Norton I maybe the same latatude as you. With northern Martins its all about location they seem to prefer wide open park like area's bay's ocean front or major river valley's there are many martin homes in New England all in the wrong location and people are pig headed and will not relocate them ...

Hi Mike
I hope this helps: The genus name of the Purple Martin Progne is from the
Greek word Prokne, daughter of Pandion. The legend goes that she was changed into a swallow the species name subis was used by a roman naturalist Pliny- it is latin for a bird that breaks eagles eggs! Ray

Hi Greg Metal houses are common here most sit empty. Once you place gourds if you have a pime location you will get martins Crescent super gourds are rare in this area i had so many martins last year there was a overflow because i only had 12 think even some birds moved on. You cannot go wrong with ...

Hi bren
Charlestown has a active colony i'm sure she would get them that area
has a long history with martins if you like i would be more than happy
to meet with them and talk about a location i mentor RI and CT and MA
and more than happy to help anyone Ray

Hi Lislou There is no nest box to date that will allow for bluebirds only those nest box have been tested I am a 18 year trail manager here in RI along with my Martin colony's best thing to do is trap. A sparrow will enter a box at any time and kill..... not wise to have any house sparrows around se...

Hi Has been impossible for me to post in this forum..... Ray