Purple Martin Forum

I was in the yard earlier in the afternoon and hear that distinctive chirp and started looking up but could not spot anything. So later I sat outside, in the cold, like a lot of "martin people" do watching and hoping and just before dark a male and female came in, made a chirp or two and b...

Got home yesterday afternoon and as usual just checking the gourds and notice several sets of tailfeathers sticking out of one gourd. While I was watching another martin squeezed hisself in. Then just before dark, they started exiting the gourd and going back to their (I guess) usual gourds.My best ...

Steve, always enjoy your posts and updates. I currently have 17 pair with 19 gourds total available. The noise wakes me up in the morning (not complaning) and I have several times thought what it must be like around your place!!! I am sure all the predators must be able to hear it from way off. Than...

Well I guess it was bound to happen. I have 15 gourds that are occupied and only 4 with no martins in them. I happened to be here today drinking coffee and watching them all making lots of noise and checking out the spare gourds, males sparing with each other etc,just a typical morning. I walked to ...

Hey David, yes I have seen my bb hauling what appears to be droppings out of their houses. I noticed the same thing years ago and watched closely with binocs and that is what they doing. And yes my bbs will not even light on the martin racks. They will early on but soon as the martins get here they ...

Jeff, I am glad you like them. All the canadian we cook taste like fishy rubber! We do a lot of hunting and deer, turkey, quail etc and never met a wild game animal I could not enjoy- except c.geese, snows and speck are better but I just have never had anyway to soak, maranate or anything that helpe...

Sitting here earlier watching the martins that have arrived (4 females and 2 males so far) enjoying my first cup of coffee and I see a starling fly up and sit on one of the racks like he is family or something. He went over to the trio house and after a quick look over started checking out the rooms...

Hi David, came to Madisonville on the 17th to visit family and catch a few parades.(friday nite in Mandeville and sat in NO) Just wanted to say I did notice ya'lls handywork along the north shoreline as we crossed the causeway sat morning. I had read your posting and photos and made it a point to no...

Hi Glynn, you are in a great place to learn about martins. Plenty of info available here. Your location as far as being in Louisiana is great also. I am from Winnsboro originally but live in Ga. now. Still have a brother in Baskin. As far as your own location goes, lots of factors are involved but i...

I had the same problem with squrrills and feeders. They would eat the feeders up to get to the seeds. I read in a birding magazine about using red pepper and it does work great. Apparently the birds do not mind it a bit but the squrrills sure do I just sprinkle a spoonful or so in when I fill up the...

I agree with Brad. I used to have mercy on snakes but not anymore. I found a rat snake in my neighbors yard a few years ago and "released" it into the woods several hundred yards away from the gourds. The next afternoon I found it in a gourd on the rack with 3 little martins in its belly. ...

Really bad here in middle Ga. I found 3 just today that had jumped and unfortunantly by the time I got home from work they were gone. It has been hitting the 100 mark the last few days and the forecast is for more of the same for the next several days. I have been spraying the gourds with water to t...

Glad to hear you are getting your martins back. You sent me some seeds years ago of which I shared with a couple of friends and we all have nice big gourds most every year. All the gourds (17) that I have up are from the original stock seeds from you.Thanks again. Good luck, Paul

Yes thanks Bill, I have done this the last 2 years. They usually select a gourd on a rack I have up that the martins apparently don't like. When they nest I can move it to a pole further away from the martins so everyone lives in peace.They usually don't fight as much as they seem to be this year ho...

OK here is a new one on me. I have 9 nesting pair. Have had a pair of Greater Crested Flycatchers fighting with the martins for a few days now. Of course the martins run them off because of the numbers ( a lot against 2) My wife just told me there is some kind of bird on the gourd rack with somethin...

Same story here in Ga. I have also been watching for the past couple of hours and have confirmed 8 pair actively going in and out of the gourds with pine straw and a few various leaves. Kind of funny to watch every once and a while one will have to try several times before making it in--occasionally...

I hate to ask a dumb question but I was just wondering if anybody had proof-maybe (by banding?)-that the same bird arrived back at their site? I had a big male come in saturday Feb 26th and made about 2 circles and went straight to a gourd that successfully fledged martins the last 2 years. 09 was t...

Hi Lewis, congrats-- I'm in LaGrange and 1st bird got here March 10 in o9 and March 1 last year. Hoping to see some any day now. If too many show up send them a few miles south!!!!!!!!!!

Hi Tim, I too think I had a gourd hit my a sy bird. I have (had) 5 gourds with babies and just watching parents feeding them. The constant in and out with bugs.Last saturday one of my gourds with little ones was just empty. Just like they vanished! I checked and the nest looked fine and the male and...

Just had to post that Monday evening (March 1)I was out in the yard and heard that distinct chirp and a male pm cirlced down and flew directly into a gourd like he owned it. I had put up the gourds exactly like they were last year and he flew into the same gourd that fledged 4 last season. I can't h...