Purple Martin Forum

According to the arrival map and past experience the middle Feb is when the PMs show up here. I was beginning to believe that I had been bypassed altogether until the last week in April. Right now there are five or six pairs nesting in the house and gourds. Can anyone explain why they are so late? N...

Carlton wrote:They are later this year at least at my site here in Pompano Beach, FL. I had a big influx arrive the other night.

I'm hoping that they are just late. I was looking at the scout reports and they seem to have just passed us up. Used to live in Lighthouse Point.

We have had some success over the years but this year we haven't even seen one yet. There are several other martin houses in the neighborhood and I have yet to see any around them either. Can anyone suggest a reason?

I use 4 ounce dixie cups to plug my super gourds. I push them thru from the inside and then use a small nail pushed thru the upper part of the paper cup on the outside to keep it from being pushed in by the elements or some unwanted bird. Cheap, effective and easy install and remove

My wife and I like to set on the back porch and watch the PMs. These past 3 or 4 mornings we have noticed little heads poking out of some of the occupied nests. :grin: I haven't checked the nest lately because the babies are close to fledging. After we went on about our day I happened to be out ther...

Here in Lake city, Fl the hummers were about a month late as were the PMs. The wife was starting to worry but we now have 5 feeders up and are enjoying the sword fights as the males chase each other away. The wife and I often set on the back porch just before evening and watch the PMs come home from...

Today while watching some of the other birds on our black oil sunflower and niger seed feeders I noticed what I thought were PMs on the feeders. I quickly got the binoculars and sure as shooting there were a female and second year male. They weren't actually eating the seeds but were interested in t...

Don't be too disheartened. I was sure I wasn't going to get any this year as they usually show up early/mid Feb. Three pairs showed up day before yesterday.

Having just returned from a trip we found that our PMs are gone. :cry: Everything was fine when we left with plenty of activity. I did a quick nest check on Saturday and found wet nest in each of the 6 occupied cavities. We had some heavy rain storms while we were gone according to our daughter. I a...

I have tried twice to add pictures to my posts but have yet to be successful. I'm on a dialup so things are pretty slow. Also my pics are really big 1.6 meg so I suspect that may be the problem. Can anyone suggest a better way.

I have modified a C12R Coates house down to 6 apartments using the on-line instructions. I made some additional modifications like removing the porch dividers since I made the same floor apartment, on the same side of the house, the second room. I added some Sears rubber toolbox drawer liner to each...

I try to watch the weather and drop my two telescoping poles down as far as they will go until the wind has lessened. Idon't think the PM mind and I know it's better than having a bent pole or the house on the ground but of course I'm retired so keeping track of the local weather and dropping the ho...

Is there any way to ID sparrow nest other than watching them go in and out. :?: I have two houses up, one which the sparrows seem to like and one the PMs seem to prefer. As far as the PMs are concerned I have had quite a few "lookie Lou's" but so far no "hang around Harrys". I ha...

This is my first year and was lucky enough to have one pair. :eek: I didn't inspect the nest during the nesting period but found out when I cleaned and closed the house that there was only one nest. :grin: They must have had a full house because at one point my wife and I counted at least 8 martins ...