Purple Martin Forum

I will be starting them indoors. We've grown some basketball sized and larger pumpkins here.

Does anyone have any seeds available for growing Martin sized Gourds? I tried growing some this year but the weather was less than cooperative. Would like to supplement my house with some naturals in the years to come.

I missed this post. Made my first year as a landlord this year. I learned many things this year. Most importantly that climbing a ladder to do nest checks is a PITA. I will be replacing the housing at the Satellite site with a pole and winch. I started with an ASY male who attracted a SY female. 2 S...

I have a pair, ASY Male, and SY Female. They've also had a pair of subs visiting the last few mornings here in Regina.

My chances for getting off the wannabe list just got slimmer. The Pair of Merlins who've been hanging around the neighborhood recently weren't very shy about mating this morning. Right on top of a spruce tree. In any event, not much I can do about that one. Here is hoping some determined SY pair bra...

I just watched the video. I noticed you've got a nest material thief. A female steals some material from a cavity on the left side of the house and brings it to a cavity on the side of the house facing the camera. lol She struggles a bit to get into the cavity with her prize but ultimately succeeds ...

This year is my year. I have another month before the first Scouts show up. I've purchased and set up a new house. Recently ordered 4 Supergourds, 2 decoys as well. I'm looking to trim a few trees back, as well as string up a cable for them to sit on. I've procured some pine straw and will mud the c...

I'm thinking your 5 active pair will do a great job of attracting more birds. Are chimney Swifts common in your area?

Very nice. Interesting that they are nearly the same blue as Robin eggs! Nice photo

I will tell you the Kool-aid is tasty. I utilized the Birdsong Magnet playing the dawnsong last year and i was lucky enough to have a sym hang out for a few days. This year I've got some fresh new housing with a winch set-up. Got rid of my tilt pole fiasco. I'm going to be blasting that dawnsong fro...

Just poking around at previous scout reports back to 2010 or so, it would seem the martins are 7-10 early compared to those years. Thanks El Nino?

Pretty Fantastic he's made it back to you yet again for another season! Beautiful Bird

Houdini has disappeared, and with him my hopes of starting a Colony this year. I haven't seen him, or any other Martin for the last 3 days. Heck I even awoke at 4:30am the last 2 mornings just on the chance I missed him the previous day. No such luck. Thankfully I had some time to observe a Martin t...

That is amazing. Nest checks must take hours with that many compartments. I can't even fathom keeping account of the goings on, or troublesome sy birds. Kudos to you!

I feel for your loss. I hope the other 3 eggs hatch and they fledge all 5. Ideally your 2nd Male find himself a new lady friend.

Congratulations! Keep us all posted!

Near as I can tell Adam the male is a SY. I posted a small video of him in the "After June 1 scout thread" Video is off my cell phone. Its a shakey one! I haven't had a chance to get a good look at the second bird yet. Could even be a different female this morning. Pretty sure it's the sam...

Day 4 of sym attendance. Had yesterday off and watched him hang around the house inspecting it and sitting on the perching rods singing and preening himself. He brought what looked to be a lady friend back mid-afternoon , but she did not stick around. This morning I woke to him calling again. Yet an...

Day 3 and he's been back off and on all morning and twice this afternoon. Best News is he brought what i can only assume was a lady friend on his last visit!! He landed on one of the porches and began calling frantically. I ran outside to watch what all the fuss was about. "she" eventually...

I'm wishing everybody good luck. I'm hopeful but realistic. My site is heavily treed. I wish those who have had birds and no returning this year that a pair or 4 come your way!