The time is getting near. In 07 a martin showed up on 12/11, this means that we are just 7 days or one week away from now. Can you feel them getting near. I sure can! Then the rest of them will start showing up everywhere. Many have already starting to leave the south and are making there way to us. They have their new feathers and are ready to show themselves off. Get ready everyone in the south they are almost here.
Well the winds are going to be great for a martin to cross the gulf for the next 48 hours. We may have a posting by this weekend. I can feel the dance near for someone.
Julio, great to see you back on line, are you ready over on your end of the county? Yes I have made some changes this year. I bought a Trendsetter 26 house and I moved the houses around. Not putting as many gourds up this year to see if that will help. I will post some pics later after I get everything the way I like it.
Sorry guys, but our little friends need to stay away from Texas for a while. It is bitter cold and it snowed around Austin last night with SLEET storms everywhere else...
It's great to see you back on the Forum I cannot believe we are so close to having our babies back. I wanted to make some modifications, but do not know if I will be able to. I might just have to go with what worked for the past couple of years....
Wishing you and everyone here on the Forum a wonderful Holiday Season and a Happy New Year with lots of Happy and Healthy Purple Martins
Yes, it is scary to think martins could come back to weather like this. It is probably the coldest I have seen it in December here in Corpus Christi, and tomorrow we are actually supposed to be in the low 30s....brrrrrrrrr. Hopefully, all the cold weather will be out of the way by the time the martins arrive. There are a couple of landlords here that have them back around the 25th of January, we usually have ours back the beginning of February. I am putting my order for crickets in meal worms in next week to be prepared.....
I see you mentioned crickets and meal worms. When the time gets closer for me I am going to order a few as well. But wasn't sure what size to order, or does it make any difference?
we go from Minnesota to Mission, Texas for the winter from just after X-mas till about the middle of april. Do you think if I bring a Martin house from Mn and put it up in Texas in Jan, will the birds be done with it by mid april? that way I can use it it Minnesota for the breeding season here. Jim
James, the martins will be done with it approx July 1st, sorry, but it takes about 5 months, and they come in late January. You will not have enough time to do that
It's great to see you back on the Forum I cannot believe we are so close to having our babies back. I wanted to make some modifications, but do not know if I will be able to. I might just have to go with what worked for the past couple of years....
Wishing you and everyone here on the Forum a wonderful Holiday Season and a Happy New Year with lots of Happy and Healthy Purple Martins
Astrid
Hey Astrid good to see you as well, and happy holidays to you You can count on seeing me here for quite some time.
"We can judge the heart of man by his treatment of animals." - Immanual Kant.
We are now just days before the first martin hits the US Shoreline. I can hardly wait to read the first report. They are flying hard to get here and it will make everyone Holidays the greatest. Keep looking to the skys, because one day soon you will see purple.
Location: Pennsylvania/Espyville/Pymatuning Reservoir Area
Martin Colony History: Taking care of 11 active public colonies and trying to start two more in northwestern PA. Also attempting to restart another one in southwestern PA, in Collier Township's Hilltop Park. In 2017, not sure what happened but the ASY male returned and then a couple of weeks later he was gone. It could have been weather related. No other birds showed up. I had a starling nesting at the Public site that I had trouble getting rid of. In 2018, we fledged 629 martins at all of the sites.
I am happy to hear and actually feel the enthusiasm in your posts this year. With all my heart, I hope those martins come and start a residence at your colony, you deserve it.
bwenger, thanks and I'm glad that you too are starting to get the feeling. We are down to days now before we have our first sighting. I can just feel them near. The weather is great down here and they should have no problem coming across the gulf right now.
Wow...it's hard to think the martins are already headed this way. I'm sitting here on my butt having had a hernia fixed last week...my pair didn't return last season, I sold all my martin stuff except 4 Troyer horizontals, and I still haven't made arrangements to put housing up at my place in SC either. I'm in a pickle and getting short on time I'm hoping now I won't have to sit this one out. We'll see!
I was walking around my purple martin colony site this morning and the weather is cloudy but warm with a south wind. Now if today was the end of January, then I would be looking for that first martin. Martins often "ride those south winds" back to their colonies! But I am glad it is still late December as I am still working on my housing.
Al,
Is your place in South Carolina a good open location for martins? The few times I have visited South Carolina I always saw plenty of martins, but that was years ago. Both Carolinas in the past had many martins in huge natural gourd colonies; I remember seeing gigantic unpainted natural gourd sites.
I hope you recuperate quickly and have a great martin season.
The time is getting near. In 07 a martin showed up on 12/11, this means that we are just 7 days or one week away from now. Can you feel them getting near. I sure can! Then the rest of them will start showing up everywhere. Many have already starting to leave the south and are making there way to us. They have their new feathers and are ready to show themselves off. Get ready everyone in the south they are almost here. 
You can count on seeing me here for quite some time.
I'm hoping now I won't have to sit this one out. We'll see!