Earliest Ever For Me !!!
I guess he was thinking snooze you lose or the early bird gets the worm what ever he was thinking he is here and it is cold !!! Yesterday morning around 7:30 I walked out with my dogs before work and saw what I thought was a bluebird on my deluxe rack then he went in a gourd and came back out I thought that did not look like a BB so I went in got my binoculars and was shocked It was a male MARTIN ! So I guess my season is under way a little early .
April McClelland
PMCA Member
PMCA Member
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DebA
- Posts: 1941
- Joined: Tue May 04, 2010 7:43 am
- Location: Pratt County/Kansas
- Martin Colony History: Start 2009 with one pair. Upgraded from S&K houses to two Trendsetter 12's with gourds beneath in 2013. I have experienced job, pet, and parental losses since '13. The Purple Martins lift my spirits and remind me how life continues forward by flying their little selves from Brazil back to my yard. As one forum person once told me, chin up DebA, look at the martins. Danger all around but yet they soar in the sky without a care in the world.
Hi April-
Congrats! When do you usually get your first martins?
Deb
Congrats! When do you usually get your first martins?
Deb
PMCA MEMBER
Pratt County, Kansas
2016 34 PAIR
2015 27 PAIR
2014 23 PAIR
2013 13 PAIR
2012 6 PAIR
2011 4 PAIR
2010 2 PAIR
2009 1 PAIR
Pratt County, Kansas
2016 34 PAIR
2015 27 PAIR
2014 23 PAIR
2013 13 PAIR
2012 6 PAIR
2011 4 PAIR
2010 2 PAIR
2009 1 PAIR
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4th Gen Martin Fan
- Posts: 1498
- Joined: Thu Jul 04, 2013 1:19 pm
- Location: TN/Collierville
- Martin Colony History: I have been exposed to purple martin sounds in utero when my mother went out to get my father away from his martin colony.
I played around the martin colony every summer and watched as my father maintained his colony. In the late 50's until the 70's he did not notice European Starlings in south Texas.
When old enough, I helped maintain his colony. My primary task was eliminating English House Sparrows with a 1956 Benjamin 317 .177 air rifle.
When I settled into my own home, I started my first colony with an original Trio Castle and Trio Grandpa. When I moved again, I did not put up any martin houses. Frustration with European Starlings in the Southeast US was overwhelming.
Found PMCA Forum and learned about modern enlarged compartments and SREHs.
Inherited my father's last martin house, a Trio Grandma, modified it to modern specifications and have had good results since then.
Moultrie Municipal Airport forecast 1/16/2014.
Today High 49 degrees F Sunny
Tonight Low 31 degrees F Clear
April,
I bet you have prepared a bed of pine straw needles in the compartments for him to snuggle into tonight!
Today High 49 degrees F Sunny
Tonight Low 31 degrees F Clear
April,
I bet you have prepared a bed of pine straw needles in the compartments for him to snuggle into tonight!
Mark.
Firm believer in HOSP/EUST Control, Enlarged Compartments, SREHs, Pole Predator Guards, Owl/Hawk Guards, Mite/Parasite Control, Housing Insulation, and Vents for Compartment Cooling.
PMCA Member.
Firm believer in HOSP/EUST Control, Enlarged Compartments, SREHs, Pole Predator Guards, Owl/Hawk Guards, Mite/Parasite Control, Housing Insulation, and Vents for Compartment Cooling.
PMCA Member.
Hi rrmartins , yes very excited ! Hope you have a great 2014 Thanks
Hi Deb , without looking back 2013 I think was Jan. 22 - 2012 was Jan 27 and all the rest of the year's were around the first week of Feb. Thanks
Hi Martin Fan , He has a very warm bed I have made just for him ! Thanks
Hope you all have a great season !
Hi Deb , without looking back 2013 I think was Jan. 22 - 2012 was Jan 27 and all the rest of the year's were around the first week of Feb. Thanks
Hi Martin Fan , He has a very warm bed I have made just for him ! Thanks
Hope you all have a great season !
April McClelland
PMCA Member
PMCA Member
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Steve Kroenke
- Posts: 4342
- Joined: Fri Nov 28, 2003 6:49 pm
- Location: Louisiana/Logansport
Hey April,
Thanks for sharing this exciting and "most early" purple martin news with us! I know this early male martin caught you by surprise!
I hope you have a wonderful purple martins season!
Steve
Thanks for sharing this exciting and "most early" purple martin news with us! I know this early male martin caught you by surprise!
I hope you have a wonderful purple martins season!
Steve
PMCA Member
300+ pairs of martins each season
300+ pairs of martins each season
Good news and glad to hear it.
I'm waiting patiently, well as patiently as I can, just like every other Martin Maniac!
I'm waiting patiently, well as patiently as I can, just like every other Martin Maniac!
Cheers,
Joe
2015 - 40 cavities - 37 pair - fledged 172
2016 - 40 cavities - 38 pair - fledged 192
Hosting Purple Martins since 1976...Managing since 2006.
Joe
2015 - 40 cavities - 37 pair - fledged 172
2016 - 40 cavities - 38 pair - fledged 192
Hosting Purple Martins since 1976...Managing since 2006.
Hey April,
I wanted to check and see how your early arrival is doing? Is he getting plenty of food with the cold weather or are you having to feed crickets? Also curious if he has had any friends join him? Hope he is well.
David
I wanted to check and see how your early arrival is doing? Is he getting plenty of food with the cold weather or are you having to feed crickets? Also curious if he has had any friends join him? Hope he is well.
David
2013 61 pairs
2012 22 pairs
2011 2 pair 7 eggs, 6 hatched, 4 fledged
2010 daily visitors
2004-2009 a few visits each April.
2012 22 pairs
2011 2 pair 7 eggs, 6 hatched, 4 fledged
2010 daily visitors
2004-2009 a few visits each April.
Hey David , He seems in great shape so far he has been coming out of his gourd around 8:00am every morning he will fly out of sight and then around 9:00am he will come back sit on the gourd rack and preen for a while then leave till around 5:00pm return go in his gourd and thats where he will stay till the next morning . I though I saw another male martin a few days ago but it must have just been the same one because I have not seen two at one time so I think he is along for now . Thanks for checking on him ! It is COLD outside !!!!!
April McClelland
PMCA Member
PMCA Member
Great news. Thanks for the report. I'm glad to hear he is well. I'm sure he is about ready for some company. Maybe the polar vortex will let up one day so they can make it to South Ga and join him.
2013 61 pairs
2012 22 pairs
2011 2 pair 7 eggs, 6 hatched, 4 fledged
2010 daily visitors
2004-2009 a few visits each April.
2012 22 pairs
2011 2 pair 7 eggs, 6 hatched, 4 fledged
2010 daily visitors
2004-2009 a few visits each April.
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marshainpuntagorda
- Posts: 177
- Joined: Mon Jan 12, 2004 7:58 pm
- Location: Punta Gorda/Florida
That is great! I've been tempted to use hand warmers for my Martins this year, we've had some very cold nights and days also; for our area...I have hand warmers, do you use them? Just wondering if pine straw is warm enough; been having Martins for years; but seems this year is unpredictable w/cold
Best of Luck with your Martins
Best of Luck with your Martins
Think Purple!
Thanks Vern 1 , Its hard to have patients when were waiting for our martins ! Best of luck to you this season .
Hi Marsha , I have never used hand warmers , but I have read on here where other landlords have , I believe they would be fine with just the straw but with that said I bet they would welcome the warmth ! Best of luck to you this season !
Hi Marsha , I have never used hand warmers , but I have read on here where other landlords have , I believe they would be fine with just the straw but with that said I bet they would welcome the warmth ! Best of luck to you this season !
April McClelland
PMCA Member
PMCA Member
-
Louise Chambers
- Site Admin
- Posts: 6208
- Joined: Tue Nov 04, 2003 1:07 pm
- Location: Corpus Christi, TX
Marsha, we used them here once. We had one male back and temps dropped into the 20s and stayed there about 5 days. There was no food flying, of course, so the martin was going to be burning its fat (how much fat would a bird that just completed migration have?) to keep warm.
We put two 18 hour hand warmers into two gourds each afternoon about 3 pm. That flushed the martin, but no other way to do it. We plugged all gourds but the two he seemed to prefer (otherwise no telling which gourd he would use, but I think it helped to let him show us which ones he preferred).
The hand warmers were buried under layer of pine straw - I don't think they would accept visible hand warmers. And we put dead crickets inside the gourds and especially on porch and into front of tunnel at the same time.
Looking at your weather forecast for the next 10 days, I think your martins will be fine - they will be able to feed daytimes, and nights in 50s or higher.
We put two 18 hour hand warmers into two gourds each afternoon about 3 pm. That flushed the martin, but no other way to do it. We plugged all gourds but the two he seemed to prefer (otherwise no telling which gourd he would use, but I think it helped to let him show us which ones he preferred).
The hand warmers were buried under layer of pine straw - I don't think they would accept visible hand warmers. And we put dead crickets inside the gourds and especially on porch and into front of tunnel at the same time.
Looking at your weather forecast for the next 10 days, I think your martins will be fine - they will be able to feed daytimes, and nights in 50s or higher.