Purple Martin Forum

Today I noticed something that looked like a lizard on my gordrakk. When I inspected I found that it was a very small rat snake, probably about two and a half feet long and pencil-thin. Along part of its length was a sausage wide circumference with probably four or five baby Martin's. I removed the ...

Today I noticed something that looked like a lizard on my gordrakk. When I inspected I found that it was a very small rat snake, probably about two and a half feet long and pencil-thin. Along part of its length was a sausage wide circumference with probably four or five baby Martin's. I removed the ...

My wife feeds three cats in the neighborhood. Two have not caused any problems. But a third, younger male cat, has been sitting under the Martin poles and waiting for the birds to fall on the ground while fighting. Yesterday he got his third adult male Martin. I've had her keep him in in the morning...

One thing I will try this year after trying for several years in a vacation home I have in Northern Arkansas is offer round holes with small 6x6 cavities. I've only been offering Starling Resistant entrances in my gourds and houses and everyone in the area is using only round holes. I would be afrai...

I've had a Treo Castle for 15 years. And several times I was prepared to convert it. But I am glad I didn't. This house has been a Martin magnet, luring birds that are used to round holes. I found after I moved to another location and moved the Treo, that this was where all of the birds gravitated t...

I have a summer house that I want to attract Purple Martins to. I bought an inexpensive house, probably made by S&K, and made several required modifications that probably cost around $7. First, the Starling-resistant crescent entrances are 3/4" above the floor; Starlings can easily get in a...

I have a male sparrow who will not enter a cavity whenever there is any change to it. I've waited for him to build a nest, but when I put a trap at the entrance, he will simply switch. I've caught several of his mates. I have Martins, so do not want to keep the entrance unmodified for fear of catchi...

In our monthly Audubon bird count at Armond Bayou Nature Center in Clear Lake (just outside of Houston, Tx) I spotted three purple martins. The first I've seen this year!

It looks like I have a pair of purple martins that are splitting their time between two gourds. I placed a starling-resistant crescent entrance on one gourd after they laid their first egg, and it looks like they laid a second there and then moved on to a gourd that has a round hole. The second gour...

I've always been able to keep the sparrows down by trapping them only in my yard. I do not believe that it would be worth while to do it elsewhere on the chance that the birds are coming from that populated place. If they are being fed, then they will probably stay there and nest there. If they nest...

I agree with the last person. Just simplify things and remove the housing and move it to your new home. I moved from a house three years ago and rented it instead of selling. I left the houses there as the people who rented it were interested in the birds. They did not maintain it at all and over ti...

I just had a Martin fledge from a pair (second year female and after second year male) that came a little late. They had four eggs. I did nest checks every five days and changed the nest on the third check (day 16 after hatching). All four chicks were fine. On the fourth check I found that one chick...

I like to decorate the yard by string about a 40-foot length of Tibetan prayer flags (each about 6 x 8"; so about 50 small flags) from the television antenna to the fence about 15' from my first martin house. I've usually taken them down when the Martins are due back, but was thinking of leavin...

It looks like the pair that I had last year has returned. They perched for an extended period on some powerlines overlooking my housing. Last year I moved and relocated some of my housing. I had one pair that fledged three young. My first question is: does a mated pair return together; can I assume ...

The simplest way to go is to get a clock radio with a CD player and two alarms. You can set it to 4AM and 5:10AM. All the alarms I've had will play only for one hour and then cut off. Place it on a chair outside covered with a plastic garbage bag to keep the rain off. Be sure to stop playing when yo...

I moved last year and am starting a new colony. I've been playing the Dawnsong all day beginning at 4 AM and ending at 6:30 PM (5-7:30 after the time change). I finally started getting an ASY Male spending the night four days ago. He had an ASY female for at least one night, but it looks like she ma...

Has anyone placed a PVC elbow vent in the lid of a gourd? It seems as if that would be an easy solution.

I've installed tunnels on all of my gourds and was wondering if this might cause them to overheat in the summer. It looks as if the cooler outside air will have to travel much further through a narrow opening. Specifically I've got S&K clinger tunnels on Big Bo gourds.

I would make the entrance hole too small for a martin, then you won't have to monitor as carefully. A single electric outlet plate is the perfect size for a sparrow, but too small for a martin.

I would make the entrance hole too small for a martin, then you won't have to monitor as carefully. A single electric outlet plate is the perfect size for a sparrow, but too small for a martin.