Purple Martin Forum

I'm just a stone throw away from Port Huron (lake Huron and my 18 unit house last week had nothing. this weekend there are between 12-16 birds at it. (tough to count when they fly all over the place) The house I built for the neighbour down the beach has nothing yet. Season is still early, the ice j...

Hi Dale,
I have a couple of visitors per year but the first year a pair stayed for a couple of days, then left. Usually mid June I see them.

David W,
I put 4 natural gourds up last year as well as the T14 but only got starlings. I'm going to put them up again this year hoping to have the same luck as you did. Anything to get a least one pair to stay. keeping my fingers crossed.

Hi Wayne,
I sent the drawings to you this morning. I hope they help.

If anyone else would like a copy of the plans I made, I have no problem giving them out.

Hi Wayne, I don't have a set of plans for this house. It was mainly done in my head but I do have a floor plan, that i kinda went by that I drafted up. I can send you that if you like. It will at least give you some dimensions I used to figure things out. The big thing is to know what diameter your ...

Thanks Donnie,
I move the swallows into a single house about 50 ft away from the martin houses. Should I keep them there or should I just get rid of them all together?

Thanks Donnie for the encouragment. I'll be trying again this year and maybe this is the year. I'm doing the same thing witht eh sparrows & the Starlings. I do get Red wing Blackbirds to the feeder as well. Would that discourage the Maartins from staying? The go to the feeders get food, then lea...

Thanks Dale, I would be interested in meeting. Maybe a fresh set of eyes will be the trick. I don't get a lot of visitors that I can see but not home for most of the day. The closest I came to keeping anything was a pair stayed 2 days, then left but that was before most of this subdivision was built...

The river is right behind my house with wide open space from an old gravel pit to the est of me. The river has been dammed up about 3 miles east that now is called Fanshawe Lake. On the other side of the river there isn't any development. Here is a link on Google Earth showing where I live and the s...

thanks rrMartins, I have had lookers, one stayed for a couple of days but flew off. I back onto the river and have just under 1/2 acre of Land. There is another established colony about 5 miles away (as a bird fly's) at a golf course. I have two 24 units and last year put up 4 gourds trying to get t...

I have a 24 unit at my house with nothing in it for the past 2 years it's been up. It doesn't have the doors staggerd as well. I thought with staggering the doors there would be less fighting amungst the martins until they get settled into the units. To my surprise when I built this one, it looked 1...

Hi Everyone, Here is a new T14 modified house i made for a neighbour up at our cottage in Ipperwash Beach on Lake Huron. I said I would make him one becuse his can't be lowered without tipping it on its side to maintain it and keep sparrows and starlings out. It's pretty big with 22 units with each ...

I know exactly why they do it being Canadian myself. You mistaken them for being a true Purple Martin which is not the case. They are called "Snowbirds" and like every Canadian Snowbird, they head south for the winter to bath in the warmth & sun but have to come back into Canada at lea...

Hi Dave, I threw in the towel at home as well, stopped playing the dawn song & I'm sure my neighbours loved I stopped playing it at 5 in the morning. Over the years, I have put up decoys, added another house with round holes, another unit has starling proof holes, this year I added 4 gourds. And...

Thanks Alan, Thanks for sending me the link! It was appreciated. I didn't know about the sitings site you gave me. It gives me an idea where the Martins are. I'm still trying and will continue to do so being I have another month still for the Subbies to come. I play the dawn song but can't do it too...

I have been trying to get Martins at my house now for 6 years with no luck. I back onto the river with lots of room. I have 48 units in two houses and 4 gourds (put those up this year) I would like to know from fellow Londoners if they have established sites or are there any Martin colonies in Londo...

Hi David I'm glad to see that finally there is some action up north. i get jealous hearing that eggs are laid & there houses are full. We have a cottage on the southern tip of Lake Huron which i put up a house two years ago. First year nothing (went up too late in the season). Last year 4 pair, ...

I'm in the same boat as you, waiting...waiting. The great lakes still have floating ice here & there so things are cooler than normal. Very slow season.

Thanks Dave & Ed, We do have a TSC store and I'll check them out. I'm trying to get Martins at my house with no luck, I had 4 pair at the cottage last year but due to lack of experience and afraid to touch the nests too much, I had a few fatalities from a mite infestation and the chick jumping o...

Hi Guys,
In Ontario, we can't get Sevin or DE anymore. It's banded in Ontario for the last two to three years but I can't find any information on another product that I can use as a substitute. Anyone have any ideas?