Purple Martin Forum

I had to help one the purple martins worst enemies today. I went outside and heard a lot of bluejays and crows making more noise than usual. I followed them down my fence line and more crows flew up from a ditch. They were all over an injured coopers hawk. We think it was injured during a hail sorm ...

You can park at the Bass Pro Shops or the parking lot just south toward the river. Then walk along the path toward the land-run statues on the river walk. You can see them from there. They roost in a large tree by the big blue grain elevator.

I finally got out and went to the Oklahoma City roost this year. I brought the kids along, and it was awesome. The roost is located on the east side of Rock Town rock climbing complex, southwest of the Bass pro shops. It is a pretty good place. It is near the park with the boat rides, but far enough...

You wont have to drill any holes on the MK-12. All you have to do is pull out the back wall and replace it with a round hole door. Then paint the plain silver wall and use it for the outside door. The MSS-12s will require holes to be drilled as they don't uses the same dividers.

Congrats on selling your house. I really appreciate all the advice you gave me on starting my colony. This year was a pretty good year. I still use the Stealth entrance holes on all my houses. I hope to try to put them on my gourds for next season. I am glad the new owners want to keep the martins a...

I think the birds like choices. I too started off with a plastic barn. No luck for 2 years. I added a Trio with some gourds underneath. The first pair nested in one of the gourds. I then found 2 more Trios and gave the barn to my dad. I have 3 Trios with gourds under 2 of them. The birds now seem to...

I stood outside last night till the martins came in to roost, I was ready with a large pan lid and a wooden spoon to make a lot of noise if the hawk showed up. Luckily he didn't.

I haven't seen the martins this morning. I sure hope that hawk hasn't scared them away. It has been cool and wet, so maybe they are off feeding somewhere else, I hope.

I was out on the patio talking to my mom, watching the martins flying all together. They usually do this prior to going in their houses at dusk. A coopers hawk flew by and landed on one of the houses. I yelled and chased him away. But a little bit later as some of the martins started flying in to th...

I also remember something else. As soon as I put up a second house, I got my first pair. I don't know if the two are related, but it seemed to work. I have 3 Trios and 12 gourds now with 30 compartments total. I might have to expand after this season. I think the birds like multiple choices.

I also started with ASY birds my first year. I have not seen any SY birds yet. I have over 20 now but more will come. I used the dawn song cd hooked up from a cd player clock radio and wired to a power horn. It worked great starting out this colony. The birds just come back without it now.

I was wondering if all these earthquakes in Oklahoma will be a problem for my colony this year. We had another one today.

I believe the castle already has a house pipe that extends beyond the bottom of the house.

I added a pipe through the center of the house that extended out the bottom. 3 small aluminum rods were attached to the pipe. The hole house and pipe slides over the pole.

Got to see the roost last night. Truly awesome.

I have been busy lately. I will try to go down tonight and check it out.

The OKC roost is alive and well. It is on the north side of the Journal Record news paper building and memorial museum. The building is on the north side of the OKC memorial site at Robinson and NW 6th. The roost is quite large already and they are roosting in 6 large trees. Hopefully no one will bo...

I will be checking soon.

15 pair and 51 babies. I still have a few yet to fledge. I did have alot more eggs this year that never hatched. I think the bad storms in May messed them up.

Found a large martin roost in Stillwater OK. It is on Main St. In the Pyramid grocery store parking lot in a couple of trees. I also noticed some other trees that had starlings and grackles . Very noisy but awesome sight. I was up here visiting my wife's family, I guess I need to go find the big OKC...