Martins are on their way

[James Strickland FL]

Boy the martins are showing daily here in FL. I think that we will have a large number by Sunday. They may even show up in my area a lot sooner. I sure hope so. I can not wait to hear them flying around again.

[James Strickland FL]

Well the first martins have shown up around me today. They are just 15 miles away. I can feel them get close to my site. Julio, start looking they are near your house.

[Julio]

Hey James i was out today doing my usual 20 mile cycling routine looking at the sky like an imbecile, i almost nailed a car and fell on my butt . Yeah martins will do that to you, i didn't see any.I went as far as Weston, i guess they will be here soon and im ready.

[James Strickland FL]

I told you Tx to be looking. You had a scount show-up today. Ya'll season has started.

[Guest]

A male slipped into the top story of my martin condo situated behind my house at 5:30 this afternoon - 12 January - to set a new early arrival date by 13 days!

Wrangler in St. Pete

[marshainpuntagorda]

good for you; how exciting; watch out for the cold weather in the next couple of days; I'm putting extra pine straw in my housing hoping that the pairs will have some extra insulation for the 30 degree weather....brr....

[James Strickland FL]

Well the traffic has slowed down coming to FL, but other states are seeing some pick-up. I sure hope that they stay warm and can get some food.

[Guest]

Do you believe all the scout reports? I mean, don't you wonder sometimes if some folks, who really aren't that familiar with PMs, make an honest mistake caught up in eagerness?

[wyatt]

Carol,

I believe most of them. I'm sure there are a few mistakes, but for the most part I think they are from experienced landlords. If in doubt I look for their history of past years scout reports and if they are established landlords I would believe them.

[Guest]

Yeah, but there is also that human nature of wanting to be first. I guess I should give people the benefit of the doubt!

[Linda Reynolds]

Carol2, sometimes questionable reports are made. I have been involved with this community for many years, and I know and trust that the PMCA's staff does their very best to keep the Annual Scout Arrival Report as accurate as they can. They check *out of the norm* arrival reports and remove them when questionable.

Unfortunately, but understandably, there are some folks that make honest mistakes identifying birds (swallows). That is very understandable, and their reports are verified.

MOST unfortunately, there are folks that knowingly make inaccurate reports using alias names. I believe the PMCA also removes those reports, but probably not all. For whatever reason, if trying to discredit the PMCA or simply to test them, this sometimes happens. Please know, that I, and many other landlords around the nation have come to trust and rely upon the PMCA's Annual Scout Arrival Reports. It is a great system, services our community greatly, and if it is abused, I know the PMCA tries their very best to verify reports.

This is one of the times, the martins can speak for themselves (via their landlord interpreter). When RESPONSIBLE landlords across the country report arrivals, the rest of us know and hope they are soon coming to our yards as well. Once the reports begin, the entire community changes and an electricity of excitement spreads as the purple dots appear on the arrival map. It is a wonderful time of the year for many, many landlords across this country.

I for one, and believe I speak for many, when I say, THANK YOU, to the PMCA and their staff for providing us with such a wonderful tool. The PMCA and staff does the very best that they can, and their efforts are appreciated by so very many landlords and ladies. Even if an erroneous (honest or not) report slips through now and again, it does not detract from the wonderful work done by the PMCA, nor does it diminish the hopes, and dreams of landlords and ladies across this nation that host or hope to host purple martins.

[Guest]

Wyatt and Linda,

Well-said. I appreciate your experienced input and opinions.

Carol

[The Olsons]

Linda and Wyatt....

Amen

Astrid

[Fredmyyster]

Aint seen hide nor feather of um yet. Caint wait !

[marshainpuntagorda]

I also would like to send a gongrats to the PMCA: I would not have learned how to be a responsible landlord without the forum and sharing experiences
When I first began the PM experience, there was the magazines to help me; the website has been a really effective tool; some people abuse the site as they do for other purposes in their lives; they truly don't care about Martins; they are the spoilers...keep going Martin landlords and read only the positive, realistic posts on this blog; remember there are people who don't share our love of Martins, they just go around ruining everyone's fun...10 pairs and counting....Marsha

[Vern1]

Greetings from Central Texas...
Still looking skyward every spare moment....nothing yet.
There are some huge colonies around the Bastrop area that I plan to check out over the next week and see if they have any arrivals as they are usually the first in this area to have residents.

Should have an additional 8 gourds show up via FexEx today to put up a quick rack for my Dad to take care of.
Also picked up some porches for my existing rack to add to the cresent SREH to help them out a little.

The weather has been really nice the last couple of days here so our feathered friends may see this as a welcome mat.

Hey Astrid when you get tired of dancing, let me know and I'll take the point for a few minutes - since I live in the country, the padded van drivers usually don't see me....but my wife sometimes wonders (actually, she wonders about me a lot but that's another story) LOL!

Best of seasons to everyone!

[James Strickland FL]

Well it seem to me that the migration has came to a comeplete stop. It maybe due to the cold weather that has taken over the hold country. If I was a martin I would stay were it is warm. But it looks as if warm weather will start coming back this weekend and we should start seeing more arrivals. It was very cold here in South Florida going by Florida standards. Wed night here is going to be in the mid to high 30ths. That is cold here.

[James Strickland FL]

Marsha, You already have 10 pair! How great is that. We are south of you and we have not had the first sighting as of yet. They are now late for us not to have a sighting. They started off with bang, but have slowed to nothing. I keep looking to the skies and reading to see if we down here will get one. I know that they are near us when I read that one has landed in MIAMI. Our bird take a different route than the central part of the state. We are still waiting.

[Stingray]

Marsha, You already have 10 pair! How great is that. We are south of you and we have not had the first sighting as of yet. They are now late for us not to have a sighting. They started off with bang, but have slowed to nothing. I keep looking to the skies and reading to see if we down here will get one. I know that they are near us when I read that one has landed in MIAMI. Our bird take a different route than the central part of the state. We are still waiting.

Hey neighbor,
I too am looking forward to our little friends.
Our first arrival last year was on February 8th.

I don't believe they like this cool weather though!

Regards,
Pedro

[James Strickland FL]

Hey Stingray, how are things going on your side if the street? I have not talked to you in awhile. I hope that you are ready and I hope you get yours coming in soon. That will mean that they will be near my house.