Purple Martin Forum

It's nice to get a flyway for the martins but I know that in Southern Ontario the removal of fencerows has had a detrimental effect on other native species. Fields that were once about 10 acres are now 100's of acres. It's not just the affect on wildlife but also opening up large areas to wind and w...

Spent last Christmas Day in the Panama Canal and the ship was swarmed by thousands of martins on the return trip from the Amazon --truly a great experience for a martin lover.

Is spring ever coming? This morning -2C and an inch of snow and a 30K wind from the NW.. Must have the insect eating birds confused. Supposed to be up to 20C later in the week. Saw a kingbird sitting on the road yesterday and had to slow down until it moved off the road.

The barn swallows have finally arrived this week. Three pairs checking out the barns. No sign of martins yet.

Finally hearing killdeers--that's a full month since they first showed up only to be killed by our cold weather. Still no barn swallows & the tree swallows aren't as plentiful as most years. The tundra swans are gone--heading for the Artic -- they must have a screw loose because I see there's an...

This weekend saw the arrival of the tree swallows--still no killdeers that were here about a month ago. That two weeks of winter weather must have killed off millions of the poor little things

Temps below 0C for the next week and 4"of snow with more to come. Should kill off the tree swallows and killdeers.

KBoothby, I was raised on the lake south of Merlin-Martins were always special to me as they were the birthday present I loved most as they seemed to come on my birthday the 11th of April. That was back in the early 50's Have an interesting nest going up on the edge of a bush down the road--a pair o...

You martin devotees are so lucky in the south to have such a long warm season. I believe it will be the third week of April before we get our first arrivals. We have an elevation of 1200 feet which makes it cooler.

Turkey vultures returned this week and the tree swallows are making an appearance--pitty them as weather is so unpredictable--supposed to be a high of -6C over the weekend and we've been getting temps. in the mid teens lately. I remember about 25 years ago we had miserable weather in June and it kil...

This week the robins and killdeers are back in force--lots of tundra swans moving through--supposed to go really cold again next week 2-3c but if we get sun the insects will be moving . :) We had several cardinals at the feeders all winter but they're becoming territorial now and the pair left are t...

We're running about 10c above normal this week in Midwestern Ontario. The snow's all gone. This week has seen the arrival of the blackbirds( red wings, grackles, cowbirds) Imagine the robins and bluebirds are back as well. Killdeers are usually a few days behind-heard before sighted. Maple syrup is ...

It's not the GMO's It's the neocontinoids the seed is treated with.

Those tree swallows are tough--They are often in Southern Ontario while there's still snow patches on the ground in Spring,

When haying gulls eat any fledging birds they can catch along with mice and snakes. Do gulls go after fledging martins?

Believe I've found out why I'm going to be a wannabe landlord this year--checked my super gourds and found the previous owner had a problem with the aluminium platforms that fit in the gourd entrance being loose--he had secured them with a continuous bead of silicon running it across the base of the...

Ryan, Shouldn't that be as the PM flies :lol: Weather miserable most of the day here but a few visitors about 8PM. That's quite a colony you found--great to see they're still using the old boxes--maybe hope for more as there are many older houses in out of the way places--looks quite rural so maybe ...

Picked up a location of a colony on the site you suggested Ryan. Owned by a Mennonite --2 T14's maxed out. Saw several more in the area' allT14's with birds in them. Got a line on an 81yr old fellow with five posts each with 2 T14's one above the other--the bottom nests were only about 6feet up--eve...

Tim414, I have many Amish and Mennonite neighbours and many are trying in vane to get a colony. These communities seem to be telepathic--no radios telly or phones but they seem to communicate somehow. Some of the old order are allowed a phone but it's on the pole outside. If there's an active colony...

Ryan, It's so frustrating waiting for results when so much effort, time and hope are put into a project not to see the expected outcome. At about seven PM last evening there were eight doing laps but they moved on--was watching towards dark to see if any returned but was only entertained by mosquito...