Purple Martin Forum

I'm vacationing on Fripp Island, South Carolina right now and while I'm missing my martins back home, it's really neat to spot some flying around here. What a beautiful place. Hardly any commercialization, gorgeous white sand coastline, beautiful resort homes, and lots of wildlife. There are so many...

And my particular mocker needs to learn that it is NOT a good idea to imitate a HOSP. No, no, no!!!

Too funny, Kathy!

Bumping from January :) 25 years ago when I was a young teen, I had some elderly retired neighbors, Fred & Doris. Doris was into flower gardening and volunteered at the Missouri Botanical Gardens and Fred was into Purple Martins. They had a Trio Grandpa and I didn't pay much attention at the tim...

I don't think you made a mistake. I know having all crescents is optimal but with it getting late in the season, I would've done the same thing. Just continue to monitor for starlings. Good luck, fingers crossed that he gets a mate! It would be the best decision she ever made

One year I saw starlings evict bluebirds from a hole in a dead tree close by. Luckily I had a well-protected bluebird house in my yard waiting for them and they successfully fledged 2 broods from it that year :) I love woodpeckers! I even have the Pileated showing up daily. I feed them suet all year...

That's great news! He must like your sight. Can you tell if he's spending the night or not? When I had a lone male, I continued to play the Dawnsong CD on and off in hopes that it would attract more visitors and a potential mate. I played it loud pretty much all day and turned it down when he brough...

I saw 2 mockingbirds doing this on my fence last year. Only they were switching perching positions during the stare down...looked like they were doing some kind of dance. My resident mockingbird does a spot on impression of a martin, gets me every time. I love how they don't put up with sh*t from an...

I believe a new colony is a delicate situation. You need to keep sparrows out etc, but you don't want to disturb the housing too much. The martins need to trust that your house is safe. They have no other martins there to reassure them. I wouldn't lower your housing for storms yet until there are at...

I drilled 3" holes in mine, 3/4" up from the floor. No worries of wing entrapment and still maintains the nesting chamber. I was wondering though if I should put traction tape on the "foyer" floor? Sometimes I hear their feet slipping around in there.

I also like that the nesting room is still 6x6. I actually don't want them to have too many eggs (more than they can feed in case of weather extremes)

I have read on here that you rarely reach 100% occupancy with 6x6 compartments anyways because of male domination, etc. Modified housing can get 100% occupancy. I prefer to have a few less well-protected martins than more martins that are less protected.

I had the same situation. My Bluebirds were somewhat timid. A HOSP showed up after they built half a nest and took over the nest box. After I was finally able to trap the HOSP, the BBs were able to finish their nest. After they laid eggs, I put the sparrow spooker on top of the box. The BBs didn't c...

I like that song too...so true!

I quit playing my Dawnsong CD after he secured a female and they were officially a pair. And if moving the decoys around requires raising and lowering the house, I personally wouldn't. I would just leave them be. I feel I lost a pair earlier this season by raising and lowering my house too much in o...

"Let's get it on"

Bring on the eggs!

Thanks for your replies I thought I read a post where Emil said to be careful of what you do before eggs are laid but after eggs are laid, you could pretty much do anything.

At least he's sticking around after that :) I was wondering if you continue to play your Dawnsong CD even with your male there. When my male showed up, I continued to pretty much blast it all day in hopes of helping him attract a female, then I played it on low in the evening until he went in the ho...

Congrats on attracting your 1st pair! Hopefully they stick around. I know how you feel, I have a new pair also. The female is bringing nesting material to a couple different compartments right now and I have my fingers crossed for egg laying. I also have BBs close to the PM house. The male BB chases...

Hi Don! I'm looking forward to talking more at tonight's game...lol My only problem trapping HOSPs now is the timing/frequency. The first one I trapped made it a little easier on me because he was exceptionally fiesty. When the male martin showed up to investigate the house, the HOSP trapped him in ...

Well each time I got a new pair, it started with a lone male at first then they each attracted females a couple days later. And the new males looked as if they were investigating new housing...slowly peaking in and what not. It was fun but very nerve-racking watching the males attract females. Some ...