Purple Martin Forum

Hello all, Here in Michigan it was the coldest and longest winter in 131 years. I was excited to see my first Bluebirds show up and build a nest. It was soon abandoned because the neighbors sparrows were pestering them and the Bluebirds departed. First year in 6 I haven't had a Bluebird pair in one ...

Still waiting here in Michigan -
Praying to the good Lord that this year is my year to be a good landlord.
Why not? I started Chickens and Honey Bess this year - why not PM's too?

On my 5th year here, no birds yet.
Playing the cd's on a megaphone played on low. My neighbors think I'm nuts, I'm cutting down trees to make more flying room just in case. Do not fret, the trees are Cottonwoods. I should have cut them messy things down years ago.

Here is my update after my original post, I am sparrow free - the word must be out because after shooting a plethora of males and female sparrows, I have not seen another sparrow. Now, yesterday when I got home from work, I saw the gourd trap was down. I covered the hole with a plastic bag and out c...

Look online on how to build a sparrow trap. I built 2 in 20 minutes with a drill, coat hanger, wire snips a piece of thin wood, like sub floor material and a glue gun. It's really easy to make, look it up.

Hello everyone. I'm seeing birds this spring although it's been cold I have seen them on the warmer days. Last one was a sub adult, male. The last few years going to the dog park here in Lake Orion, Mi. I have seen Martins flying around the park. I have seen them flying the open fields of the park a...

I live East of you and a little south in Oakland. I have had a house up for four years, nothing. However, I have seen birds come by, I saw a Sub Adult Male last Wednesday, (nice weather) but he flew North. I'm hoping warmer weather brings them near to me. Wish me luck too.

What's wonderful is my new Troyer gourd system came with a trap and pre drilled holes built into the trap system and I got a male who was going in and out. I shot the female earlier and he came back to the gourd and triggered the trap. I haven't had sparrows since. Woo Hoo!

You all brought up some very valid reasons I should continue to dispatch S&S's. I have Bluebirds in my boxes and today I'm going to mud smear some entrances of the Troyer's. I'm not giving up and I will continue to shoot those sparrows. Starlings haven't been an issue with the reduced openings o...

A couple years back I bought a Benjamin PCP air gun (You pre charge it with a Scuba tank and it will get 20-25 accurate shots.) It's remarkable how accurate this gun is. It's got a 10 pellet wheel and a bolt action. Poor little Sparrows do not stand a chance. It's a must though and those sparrows wi...

Hello all, Well I have been at it for the last 4 years with no luck. I had a 8 cavity North star my uncle built me but it just fell apart so this spring I erected the Troyer 10 gourd pole in the yard. Over the years I have dispatched a large number of Sparrows. This year has to be the busiest. I dis...

Hello Grey Fox. I have a Benjamin PCP air gun and it's putting a hurtin on the sparrows this spring. I do not like shooting the sparrows but it's the most humane way for me because the pellet gun is just deadly. No suffering, no dispatching. Still no Martins. I have the speaker playing the dawn song...

I'm praying I get my first martins this year. I tore down my old North Star house and put up a 10 Troyer gourd with 16 foot pole. I put it up to 18 by using the 4x4's I already had cemented in. I'm ready now. 4th year, only thing I had was a fly by last year. I hope he took notes! Good luck.

Hello all, Neal from Oakland, Michigan. Was working cleaning out the cobb webs out of my North Star house that's been up with ZERO Martins for the last 4 years. The house is crumbling before my eyes. It's a good thing I ordered a 10 gourd Troyer system with 16 Ft pole. I made it an 18 footer and got...

Hello Everyone, I haven't posted in a long, long time. It's been 4 years since I put the house up on the property and I have only had 1 confirmed fly by. I had many Tree Swallows using the gourds but no martins so this year I am taking down the house and using only gourds. I ordered a real nice pole...

Merry Christmas all from Neal in Michigan. It's really warm here on Christmas day here and I was looking at my PM house I have had up for the last 3 summers with no PM at all. I have read all the rules for houses and feel pretty well for location. I have my 5Star about 12 feet up. (Not now, it's win...

Hi all, happy to hear your all busy with birds. Well, I got Bluebirds nesting in a box I made last winter. As for the Purple Martins, I haven't even seen a single bird yet.

I'm being patient. Some on here have been trying for three times longer than me. Still, some bourbon, a good cigar and allot of luck would be nice. I have the first two covered. Hope the good Lord can help me out with the ladder.

Well I have the North star house up, 4 troy ghords up and ready. I have the MP3 player playing Morning, noon and night with Morning chatter, daytime chatter and evening sones. I also got every male Spatrrow in the county but there have been no sighting as of yet. I have Bluebirds, ZTree Sparrows and...

Good morning, I have read allot about the southern Martin landlords but not much at all about what the north landlords in Michigan are experiencing. How has your season ended up? Did your birds return from the previous year? Is your colony growing? My uncle has a colony going in the thumb of michiga...