Purple Martin Forum

Mike, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!! PM house back up. 2 returning PMs checked out a couple of other houses, but evidently not interested. Hopefully they will try again. I had my first ones last year, so was very disappointed to see their house down with a broken rope just days before expected ar...

I was ready to give up this year and there are LOTS of PMs in Texas. I tried 4 years trying very hard to attract my first PM. We took a 2 week vacation to Alaska in May and returned to find our first pair!! Four fledged! What's funny is only one nest in the 8 open compartments but I had as many as 8...

Thanks for the replies. The houses are all back up, Dawnsong playing, waiting for the birds!! My Trio 24 Castle now has a strand of the cable broken, so I've got another project. This country living certainly keeps one busy!!

Thanks, folks. Sounds like a plan. When it warms up a bit, I'll get out there and figure out how it's fastened, how long, etc. I helped my FIL replace a rope on an M12K a couple of years ago and that's what we did. I just need to "git 'er done". Thanks again!

Is it difficult? I went out to lower my houses due to high wind and my Trio 24 Castle won't come all the way down. The cable has one strand broken and it's "bunched up" so it won't lower all the way. I'm thinking replacement with a little heavier cable.

Thanks for the replies Dave, I made owl guards for the first two houses my father-in-law gave me a couple of years ago. I purchased conical predator guards and made netting snake guards. I was all ready to protect my PMs, but 2 years later and still none. It's time now and I had to lower the houses ...

I am still trying to attract my first PMs. Last year I had a pole bend a little from gusty winds. Ever since I lower the houses when high winds are predicted. Will lowered houses prevent SYs from stopping at my sight?

I am determined to get some birds this year! I inherited several houses from my FIL. This is my 3rd year to try. First year I was a little late starting. Last year I expected PMs but was disappointed. Should ALL houses be up and open to offer more choices? or just a few doors in each house? When sho...

This is my first year to try. I have 2 Trios with one plastic gourd hanging from each one. The gourds are just hanging from an "S" hook. We have had unseasonably high winds and the gourds are blowing so hard they bump the pole. Would this be a deterrent for SYs? I don't want to miss the &q...

Jim, What are the wooden blocks in the photo for?

Thanks sooo much for this post. It's the kind of information we "newbies" (or at least this one) need to hear from time to time to remind us why we work so hard to try to get that first PM to stay. These are truly magnificent birds and I commend ALL the landlords out there, but especially ...

Liz, does the speaker make your CD play louder? or is the volume the same and it just gets the CD player out of the weather? I think I'll probably do just what you did, anyway.

Thanks! I think I understood most of what you said. I happen to have an old amplifier in my workshop. I don't think I know how to hook up the clock radio/CD player, though. I'm still probably a couple of weeks early for SYs, so I'll take a look at'what' I have. I think I have an owner's manual, too....

Will the Radio Shack power horn (which several of y'all use) make the Dawnsong louder than the CD player with the volume on max? or is it limited to the CD volume? I'm not so much interested in blasting too loud, but maybe a little more. I do want get the CD alarm out of the weather, though.

Will the "subadults" return to the area where they fledged BEFORE they start looking for a new home? What keeps them from stopping at the first suitable stopover on their return? It seems like they would never get up north!

I have 2 houses and they are both up, but only half of the holes are open. There are 2 decoys on each. I'll open all the compartments and start playing the Dawnsong the first week of April. I have a CD/Radio with dual alarms set for 4:30 and 5:45. I may have to make some adjustments because of Dayli...

Thanks for the replies. So should I just keep the houses closed up and lowered until April? I'm certainly not eager to clean out unwelcome birds.

This is my first year trying. I see on the Scout Reports SYs reported in FL but nowhere else. Is it because it's still too early or just no-one reporting? I was given a couple of 12compartment houses. I converted one, installed all the predator guards and have the Dawnsong CD on a timer, so all I ne...