Purple Martin Forum

What % of the Tulsa roost would you say is local? My birds have been consistent here. I have a gourd rack with 24 and a T 14 with 8 gourds. Everything stays full for the most part every year. I am in a rural area. 2011 & 2012 was rough. They've done well every year except for those two years. I ...

I was reading this on the Tulsa audobon website. It says that 2016 has been a very bad year for martins in NE Oklahoma. Am I missing something? I'm just north of Tulsa and it has seemed like a very normal year for me here. Full houses with healthy clutches. Weather hasn't been too far from normal......

I'm south of you guys here in Oklahoma. My numbers are definitely lower than last year. I would say about half of what I had last year so far.

I would be tempted to let them hatch and then try to get them. I have a difficult time getting close enough to kill them, although I am persistent and usually get the job done. Maybe if they have hatchlings, you can get closer if you need to shoot them. They are very sneaky around here. I have had l...

It is an amazing sight. Seems a bit early. My birds are pretty much done here (about 20 miles north of Tulsa). I have about 20 birds or so hanging around still. I expect them to leave soon. I'll be going back downtown to see the birds again.

Thank you! I swear I looked up and down a million times. I'm losing it.

I thought I posted this the other evening, but I can't find it. I have 24 BO 11 gourds that need to be painted this winter. Does anyone have a spray paint recommendation for this type of gourd. They are becoming quite weathered on the tops.

Funny, my birds have nested earlier every year. This is about the fifth year I've had birds. I lost about half of the hatch in 2011 when it was so hot and dry. They have nested earlier every year since. Mine will be done soon also. Seems like it was mid to late July when mine were finished last year...

Speaking of windows. One of the male bluebirds would wake us up EVERY morning fighting his reflection at the window on the front porch. I tried a rubber snake, but it didn't help. He would make quite a mess.

I put grease on the pole (3/4" conduit). The houses are the sparrow resistant houses with a slot at the top. House sparrows don't bother them at all here.

I have a bunch of S & K plastic Bo 11 gourds that will need a coat of paint after this season. Does anyone have a spray paint recommendation? The tops of the gourds are loooking pretty weathered.

I don't keep track Purple Martin fledglings anymore. My two houses stay pretty full and I try to look out for problems. They're going to raise similar numbers at my location as long as the weather permits. Anyway, my bluebirds have also had a very successful year. I have two bluebird houses. They've...

We joke about this every year. I have about 40 pairs and we shoot ours off about 50 yards from the houses. They keep coming back, so they're not too upset with me.

Their diet is primarily other reptiles. Cool snakes.

It got in the 30s for two nights and it hasn't even crossed my mind removing eggs. Like she said, I would not be quick to remove them. The birds would have been in the houses during the night. It probably would not have been as cold in the compartments/gourds anyway with all of the nest material. Ho...

Just got back. It was quite a sight! If you go, you will not be disappointed. How are the numbers estimated? If I were to guess, I would have to say well over 100,000 birds. Maybe closer to 300,000??? It was incredible. That poor tree right up next to the parking garage at the Doubletree looked like...

Looking forward to it. I took my little boy to a Drillers game last night and noticed several birds enjoying the bugs around the lights.

Heading down there this evening...Anyone know what the Doubletree charges to enter the parking garage?

I am north of Tulsa on the Wash/Tulsa Co. line. We had more martins here than ever before. I had a very good year. I really need to get down there and see this.

Where would you recommend that I park downtown? Is it a hassle to try to get into the Doubletree parking garage?

I have two of those slot type houses also. Besides the slot, the houses are much shallower than a typical bluebird house. Mine have a nest tray that make it even more shallow. I have read that the sparrows don't like the shallower house. The slot allows the bluebird to escape the sparrow if necessar...