How far North are they?

[Beth H]

Here in Southern Ontario Canada I have not seen one single Martin yet this year. We have had a very cold spring so perhaps that has slowed down the migration. Just wondering what the farthest Northern point you have the Martins at the present time. I am anxiously awaiting them to see how our second season goes.

[Trishy]

The scout report says a few in Minnesota and a couple in Wisconsin. Things are slow.

[Wetterdale]

Hi Beth:

According to the scout report, martins have been reported in Niagara Falls and Grimsby which are not far from you.

http://purplemartin.org/scoutreport/sco ... =2013&S=ON

According to the Ontario Purple Martin Association website there were martins sited in Essex County as well

http://essexpurplemartins.ca/?page_id=38

Give it a little more time. It won't be long.

[DakotaLady]

There is one sighting in North Dakota. It won't be long now, perhaps 1 to 2 weeks and there will be martins in your area. It seems as the cold weather has slowed the migration quite a bit.

[Robbo]

North Dakota report already? Early no? It is still too cold here and snowing! I usually see my first Martin 3rd. week of April, around the 23rd for a few years now. Spring is a long time comming this year.

[DakotaLady]

Robbo,

I agree that it is rather early, especially this year as it is still fairly cold. I don't see martins until the 3rd week in April here either. I'm ready with martin vitals if necessary. Although I love seeing the martins arrive ASAP...I think it is in their best interest to take their time and show up when the weather is much warmer and the insects are abundant.

[pmcharter1]

go to the scout report, on this site, you can choose your state, it will give you local sightings if people have posted. they are coming witha fury, iowa, getting it big now with the warm spell, there coming fast, a week or two.

[Beth H]

Still no sign of Martins here. However the Tree Swallows, Killdeer, Robins have returned so perhaps the Martins will arrive in the next few days. It has warmed here, slightly, but we are supposed to get rain for the next 5 days. Spending a lot of time at my window with the binoculars glued to my face.

[pmcharter1]

Beth.
their coming, whether has messed things up as we are getting rain here, seems to slow things down, keep things open, there on the way, wating is the worst part! , keep us posted when they show.
pm charter1

[Caroline94535-ND]

Purple Martins in North Dakota? I'm in Larimore; they better not be here; there's still 4 feet of snow piled up all around my gourd pole, the gourds are still in the garage, and the rack is in bits and pieces!

Granted, some of the snow tried to melt the past few days, but it has a long way to go. I tried to walk to my potting bench to get the neighbor's bird house, and sunk down to past my knees. It will just have to wait.

I expect my birds between the 16th and 23rd of April each year. I won't go out and shovel any more snow, but as soon as I can get to the pole I will put at least 8 or the gourds up.

It was 17 degrees when I got up this morning. It's too cold for even the rugged northern martins. My guys always get snowed on after they get here, but it's normally just a friendly spring snow and melted the next day.

I better spiff up gourds and patch the grout around tunnels and attachments tomorrow.

Maybe Hubby will crank up the snow blower one more time and make me a path to the pole?

[DakotaLady]

Caroline,

I do hope our southern friends will entertain our martins for awhile longer. It is cold and I still have snow around the yard too. We did not get as much as you guys did. I did put all my gourds up and I am ready for them if they do happen to make an early appearance. I don't expect mine until the end of April though.

Good luck getting your martin houses up and ready.

[pmcharter1]

caroline, they were coming in central iowa, had some nice days 75, - 60 , now cold again lows in the 40s, rain- mist, yuck, i had scouts a week ago, i went back out on my trios, covered my vents with duct tape, and all rooms but two on each trio, , they are 12 room houses, i blocked all off but two, had scouts show up, they looked worn out! i made scrambeled eggs in my feeder, as we have no insects yet, also used meal worms to feed them, when i took the caps off all 12 rooms, on each house, sparrows!, not going there yet unless i have to, i capped all but 2 on each house, as my rooms are ready with white pine needles and shreaded corn shucks, so i have have waged war on the sparrow, its funny, my martins cant live here, but that sparrow can!, i just keep trapping, and blasting away. the rest of my colony is coming, m guessing, 2 weeks behind. as bad as i hate to say, as long as you have snow, you have bought yourself a week or so.make sure your rooms are ready with new straw ect, so you are ready when they are.

[Archer]

I agree with Caroline and DakotaLady, its too early. I'm just north of them in southern Manitoba. Lots of snow on the ground and only had a few days of melting so far. But just in case one makes a mistake and shows up too early I opened up the south side of the house and loaded it with fresh straw. Crickets are on order. I would be happy if the martins showed up a month from now.

[pmcharter1]

archer, i think you bought some time, wheather here in the midwest turned to crap, had scouts showing up, they looked rough, it turned cold and has been raining for 3 days, and is to continue thru friday, been feeding them eggs, meal worms, but it doesnt sound like the Dakotas are having it any better, , i hope the front we had doent go north, as its holding alot of moisture, they are even talking snow showers for us thursday. highs i the 30s, if it s colder in the Dakotas, they could be in for a mess.their GPS systems got to be all messed with this wheather, not been a good migration thus far!, good luck.
pm charter 1

[DakotaLady]

PM...it is definitely cold here in the Dakotas, we are supposed to have snow off and on until the end of next week. I am so ready for spring. It seems the martin migration coming north has been halted by all this cold weather. That is fine by me. I don't want to be worrying about them and possibly having them not find enough food. Even though I have mealworms ready, I am not 100% sure I will get them to eat.

Good luck to all of you still waiting for your birds.

[John Barrow]

Yesterday evening in Corpus Christi, Texas, as the frontal boundary stalled migration, we observed 300-400 martins fighting the wind high above our systems. Several nearby landlords reported equally large numbers. A large percentage are SY females; the bulk of SY males should be along soon. They are on their way. It will take them about 7-10 days to reach northern latitudes of the nesting range, weather permitting.

[pmcharter1]

Dakota lady, i remain positive, are wheather in the midwest , is cold and rainy, its suppose to be somone nice sturday, then the same jet stream coming down again with rain all thru next week,with cold temps, our martins Gps system has to be messed up, ithought i was doing my birds a favor, i uncapped all my rooms on my trios, thinking they needed a room, i got one ragged looking pair, that i have been feeding, my other rooms sparrows taking over, so friday, im , i cant trapthem quick enough redoing all nesting materal, capping off the all rooms but two, , , and ill fight the HOSP, , on the other two, but until this wheather pattern changes, this isnt a motel for sparrows! i have two trios, vented, 24 rooms, plus a small house that rooms 6, and finishing a gourd rack, that will give me 8 gourds, (rooms) 38 houses, but 8 yrs ago we had this crap, just about took out half my colony, . i finally got it built back up, i do not want to go thru it again! good luck
sincerely. pm

[Leandortree]

Arctic conditions here in Southern Saskatchewan, I can't remember it ever being this cold, this time of year!
We still have two feet of snow on the ground, and all the puddles, pond, and lakes, are still frozen over! The long range weather forecast is calling for more of the same! The only sign I have seen of spring, is yesterday I did see three Robins. Today as I type this , it is cold, and snowing, looks like mid winter outside. Last year I had scouts show up on April 14, two days away from now. When I got home here two weeks ago, I dug out my pole ground stakes, put my poles , and my martin housing up. I think some of the martins John Barrow, observed yesterday in Corpus Christi, Texas , may be coming my way. This arctic weather can't last forever. Anyways I got eyes on the sky, I keep running to the window to have a "Look See". smile

[pmcharter1]

Leandortree,
Well, it happened, our wheather stinks, , i had had several pairs last yr at this time, and pushing, 75 degrees., i had one pair show up two weeks, ago, they came in ragged!, i feed them eggs, didnt help, our rain, and cold for the last two weeks, killed off my first pair, the houses were stocked with nesting matreial, i capped off the vents to hold in the heat, i fed them, eggs they just didnt make it, makes me sick.these birds GPS SYSTEMS, ARE MESSEDUP! they dont know where to go with this wheather system we have going.
im lowereing the houses tomorrow, redoing all nesting, capping off all but a room or two in my trios and starting from scratch, i cant keep up with the spparrows, tired of that fight, !
keep me posted on your arrivals, i know, you are having a bad migration as the rest of us,
pm charter1