Purple Martin Forum

Hi Ray, Thanks for the detailed reply. Yes I always feel bad for the birds to get her early and you don’t know whether they survived or not but I think I’m just due west of you and what not so much north I’m up around Bear Mountain Park, Glynwood farm in Cold spring New York is where the site is but...

Hi Ray, Early this year or is 3/20 a typical arrival date for a scout? I’ve seen a scout as early as April 1st here in the lower Hudson Valley near West Point. Perhaps I should open up the housing . Scout last year showed up with the tree swallows. Horrible weather now, cold and extremely wet. Thank...

There is a report on the Scout Arrival map for 3/20 in Barrington, R.I. By Ray Marr. I contacted PMCA asking if the report was accurate. No response.
Anyone know if the sighting was confirmed ? Seems a bit early .

This time last year I had 20 martins flying around. The one lone adult male that I had that was banded has moved on as I suspected so I’m not sure what’s going on there the latest they’ve ever been the adult male had a white over a yellow band on the left leg I was not sure if that means anything to...

Yeah, it’s very late here. The one adult male banded Bird I had I as I suspected has moved on. This time last year I had a 20 that I spotted on this date

There is a lone Adult Male Martin at the Glynwood site Who arrived arrived yesterday. He has Federal silver band in right leg and a White over Yellow plastic bands on his left. …..Anyone?…can’t read the numbers. I’m not convinced he’s sticking around as I had no banded Martins at the site last year....

Spotted the first adult male Martin last year on the 1st Of April. I thought sure I’d see one by today , All Quiet. According to the Scout map they’re all around the site Just south of I84 in Cold Spring NY. It’s a 12 year old colony so they usually arrive early. I stayed a while today playing diffe...

I’ve got the Ghillie on standby if needed. Thanks!

Do not let this document fall into enemy hands. A Martin breeding season was completed at Glynwood site with 225 fledglings and 5-6 day interval nest checks all against the instructions of Management. A general Covid-19 blanket visitor prohibition was issued in early April just as the Scouts were ab...

While doing a nest check today I discovered a dead adult male with its head poking out of a natural gourd with an excluder tunnel entrance. The body was still warm and limp but no obvious mark on it besides sunken eyes. It looked perfectly healthy. Could there have been some struggle over the gourd....

I have a Colony with about 55 breeding pairs spread between a T-14 with 12 Gourds attached, an eight compartment Aluminum Waters Edge house, a Gourd Rack and an old Redwood House with Gourds. While doing a weekly nest check I expected to find Six eggs in a T-14 compartment that had A pair whose firs...

Thank you for your kind and helpful responses. Although this has been an experiment I would care to repeat it has so far seemed to be successful. The four houses were moved 350 feet away up a hill and the Martins have taken to the new location. It has been nerve wracking and a lot of work but the mo...

My Colony is at the Glynwood Farm in Cold Spring, N.Y. a private foundation dedicated to promoting agriculture in the The Hudson Valley. Yesterday, the day after the first Martins arrived I’ve been told by the farm superintendent that the whole set-up; a Gourd Rack, T-14, Birds Edge Aluminum House a...

As I disassembled my T-14 today after it had crashed to the ground I noticed two dessicated Martins stuck In between the back of the house and the pole. One looked like a 10 day old bird and the other a mature fledgling. Has anyone had a problem with birds getting stuck in the gap back there? As I s...

Lost two houses this afternoon to what must have been a small tornado here in Putnam County NY. A T-14 With 12 gourds on a laminated cedar pole snapped at the base, cracked the concrete footing and crashed to the ground. Another Redwood House that I’ve had for 25 years also come crashing down after ...

Did a nest check yesterday and haven’t encountered This before. I have 22 gourds on a gourd rack. The last check of #22 On 6/13 there were 3 day old young and 1 egg in a foyer entrance natural gourd.On the nest check yesterday it was empty. I have a climbing predator guard on the pole. All other act...

Thanks for the comments. Helpful. What would constitute Kingbird habitat ? Additional Notes: I believe the Martin predator is a Sharp- Shinned Hawk. Interestingly it is leaving the nearby free range chickens alone and focusing on the Martins, a bird feeder with Mourning Dive decoys has been suggeste...

Witnessed a martin fly out of a gourd with a dragonfly in its beak. It proceeded to fly up and down dropping and re catching its prey.Any thoughts? A Coopers Hawk has taken to hunting my gourd rack. The Martins call out an alarm but the raptor has caught two within an hour that I witnessed. I guess ...

While doing a nest check with my daughter on 7/3 We found a dead and dried sub adult male, I think. I was hard to identify. It was in a natural gourd with a Conley 2 entrance and is still an active nest of Four young About 5 days old as if today.A fatal fight with another male? It did seem to have a...

I have a thriving colony with 62 active nests in Cold Spring, NY at Glynwood Farm, a foundation and working farm dedicated to promoting small farmers in the Hudson Valley. A Board Member has a apiary with about 6 hives in an apple orchard about 200 yards away from the Martin Colony. He has lost 3 or...