Purple Martin Forum

ASY.

Thanks, Dave. The first one is always a thrill. Hope you have a great season!
Ken

A single ASY male arrived about 5pm. Went right to the same compartment as last year's first arrival. This one was about 4 days earlier than last year. So glad they're here!

Thanks, all, for the encouraging words. All four are still here, and perhaps a fifth came in just before dark last night. Optimistic.

Four ASYs came in just before dark yesterday, but I only had one gourd open and one house cavity open(where my first arrivals usually roost); however, two martins went to a gourd that was still blocked. I didn't want to lower the rack, as two had already gone into the open gourd. I thought the other...

Craig I used to post from time to time, but never a lot. I do enjoy all the useful and entertaining info, and all the dedicated and nice people who are willing to share so much. Glad to hear you also had good results from lowering the housing, other than after dark! Hope you have a successful season...

I don't normally post, but do read them each day. Just for info, on Monday we had 40mph winds, so I lowered my modified Trio with two Naturelines under it and my Watersedge with two Naturelines under it. The Trio was taken down to where the gourds were about 5-6 feet above my dock and about 9 feet a...

Thanks Bill. I had to run some errands this morning, so didn't get a chance to check things out. It was near freezing at daybreak, so if she stayed, she's probably tucked in until it warms up a bit. Still several days early for my returnees. I'm hoping by the 21st or 22nd they'll start arriving. Goo...

I believe the lone female that showed up day before yesterday (wasn't able to observe things yesterday as I had hoped)may be the same one that I saw a few times during the day today circling the lake; then, about 15 minutes before dark, she zipped into my modified Trio and stayed for as long as I co...

John, maybe I missed an earlier post about the "tunnels"; but could you briefly explain how the "tunnels" are constructed? I gave a Trio like yours, with modified compartments, to my brother-in-law two seasons ago, and it filled up immediately, with very successful fledging. I'm ...

Thanks, Matt.
Ken

Anyone know if you can purchase just the safety lanyard lock for the rope and pulley pole for the Trio Grandpa/Grandma houses? Or is there another easy-to-do option to the lanyard lock? I just read on another post where someone uses a bolt through the pole, but it was obviously a larger pole. I'm he...

I have an aluminum Trio, 12 original compartments modified to 6 large. It's two stories, and I had one ASY female return on 7 Feb. I'm not sure if it's one of mine from last year or not, but she's been here faithfully each night. She chose an upper compartment, so I put a 60 watt yellow bug light in...

I've used the yellow bulb the past two nights, and there hasn't been a problem. The bulb is in a front, bottom compartment, and the martin is staying in the compartment above and to the rear of the light. She must get a warm, comfortable feeling when she first enters the front cavity as it is just a...

I put the 60 watt yellow light in the cavity below the entrance to her cavity and tested the floor temperature of her cavity entrance. It was just warm to the touch, so I decided to leave it as installed. At 5:30 p.m. she returned and swooped right into the compartment. I watched for a few minutes t...

Thanks for the replies. I think I'll try a 60 watt bulb. I was concerned about a regular bulb giving off too much light that might filter through to the upper compartments. Think I'll plug in the yellow bulb first and see how warm it gets. The idea of turning it on Saturday during the day sounds lik...

We're forecast to have a low temperature of about 25 degrees Sunday morning and 29 degrees Monday morning. I have only one female ASY at this time, and she is occupying an upper compartment of a modified Trio. I was thinking of putting a 100 watt "bug" light (yellow color) in the compartme...

Thanks, John and Lanell, for the encouraging words. I didn't get to check the house this a.m. until about 8:30, but when I went outside, she was circling and feeding over the lake. A while later, she made a couple of low-level passes at the house, then back to feeding and out of sight. It looks like...

About 20 minutes before dark today, I looked out over the lake and saw that familiar, beautiful sight--a martin circling in the distance headed my way! I immediately turned on the Daytime Chatter CD, which was on my porch about 50 feet away from my martin house (a modified Trio). She( beautiful ASY ...