Purple Martin Forum

A gourd rack was added to the Seabrook area of NH by the audubon Society They have 3 pairs with young. A pair was found in a wooden box there so they added gourds to help the species. Gourds are finally get popular in northern NE. And the Martins too. NH now has four colony's I managed 100 pairs in ...

Very True many of the ASY were missing in the spring as many as 25 males and hens did not return and left a large void in the colony's state wide.
The SY filled many of the empty units but numbers were way down.

Ray

Have gained many SY this week plus have seen them moving threw
the southern area of New England. Sites continue to build up there numbers
and new sites can still get started, From points north.

Hi Maggie You are still in the running. You can get martins in CT right up till July 3rd Dont give up young birds are moving threw in volume. A new Site was started in Voluntown CT a few weeks ago. There are colony's to your south east about 10 miles away if you have gourds or a modern house thats w...

I can tell you from experience martins prefer gourds I have six aluminum houses that are six by six by twelve in side. All units taken first were gourds then the aluminum houses. When they have nothing else they will use a house but if a neighbor has gourds he will get the lion share of the flock. J...

Hi Maggiemae There are active colony's along rt 169 in cantberry two sites old aluminum houses. There is a colony in Scotland and Preston CT And tons of colony's along the ocean. I just put a rack up in Mystic Ct a few weeks ago. There are no colony's north of Prov. I manage many colony's in Barring...

Emil, This is not wing entrapment. This is fights between two birds. Just in case someone see's this they will know. Since i have a super large volume of units. Crescents do work ok but i just dont favor them now since there are conley holes. And I manage the sites and dont own some of the Crescent ...

Deaths are rare but they do happen. I have caught them and seem them in action. Starlings to fat up here never had a issue with them in any of the units used state wide Mine are all SREH. 60% conley 40% Crescent. Its the Crescent super gourds with the inside porch. I manage over 200 SREH units sprea...

I have followed a pattern with crescent gourds only They are a sad trap to adult birds in a fight. I own a ton of different units this gourd has caused numerous deaths of hormone driven adults. They get trapped and cannot escape and are killed because they cannot get out of the gourd fast enough I a...

Hi Guys
Can you tell me what is the best oil to use on the pulley rack system?
Or spray that can reach the top pulley. I have used WD-40 to spray the top
but not sure its the best stuff too cause cannot reach or take down rack.
Thanks
Ray

Hi Folks I have a Adult female return. Wow what a sight for sore eyes after a long cold winter. At the Barrington Landtrust which can support 54 pairs. Barrington can support up to 138 pairs the largest number of pairs of any town in New England. Best of luck from a northern Landlord in Rhode Island...

Hello my friends! A group of residents is looking at saving a small colony of martins they found last summer nesting in a old wooden box. In Seabrook NH In the South East corner of the state. NH has only about three colony's left they are the weakess of the New England states or north east states. I...

I had two male martins that could not enter the crescent holes.
I had to remove and add round holes on aluminum house I have
put Conley holes on my aluminum house that i was given in the fall.
I have many crescent gourds there have been no issue with them and
they all have porches.

Hi Dave No longer fear the tiny mite. Add teaspoon of Sevin as the martin eggs hatch also use liquid sevin on crossbars and hard to reach area's this will solve all mite is issues. And you will once again have tons of chicks that want to stay put and not jump. I had the problem a few years back and ...

First Pair 1994 1 Pair 2 fledged. First trio house given to me as a gift. Managed over 100 pairs in 2013 First colony seen in the 1970's along a road way. Why so important to place sites in public eye. Had it not been for this historic colony along a road I probably would have never had the passion ...

Hi Larry You too have gone above and beyond the call. I am sure there are many more Martin colony's thanks to your work. I have 238 units to manage and 7 sites total. Fledged 499 in 2013 And many more units planned for the future. The birds are a big hit here and people want to help. They are local ...

HI Pauline Yes its been years drop me a email rmarr2@cox.net Martins are about 17 miles south of Manville and a gourd rack is in place one mile west of you. At the Woonsocket Reservoir. Where they nested for 10 years. The states population has doubled and they will probably be moving inland since ma...

To manage 238 pairs of martins I have the room just need the martins.
They are making progress yearly.

Ray

Just put four of the gourds together they look excellent.
And very simple to apply tunnel to the gourds.
My work for the season almost complete.
I will be adding 16 new homes for the birds
Its going to be a great season in 2014.
--Ray

Thank You!


Ray