What are your Martins saying?

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Martinfarmer
Posts: 153
Joined: Sun May 07, 2017 6:33 pm
Location: Guthrie KY 42234
Martin Colony History: 2015 put up a S-k house, visitors but no takers
2016 homemade Martin condo (40 nesting boxes) several visitors no takers
2017 changed crescent openings to Troyer Conley 2 openings and installed 4 super gourds with Conley2 adapters and 12 vertical Troyers.
Several nests and eggs. Hopefully will exceed one hundred eggs this year.
6-21-17 nest inspection 68 chicks and 26 eggs
6-30-17 inspection 90 chicks and a new nest with 4 eggs.
8-30-17 successfully fledged over 85 martins.

I went out this morning with my cup of coffee. The martins were already at it. They get all worked up when the least thing comes in, especially nest building materials. Lol. I will try to put in words one of my favorite sounds they make. When the male calls his lady back if she is far off. "beeprrr beeprrr" I know that's a pitiful imitation of a purple Martin! I tried one other but it was so ridiculous, I had to erase it . It was the gurgling sound they make when they all get in a conversation.
Does anyone else care to try and put into words what your Martins are saying? :grin: :lol:
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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.

No you are just crazy and have the Martin Fever. No doctor needed. Ha1 I just love love love their vocalizations. Most relaxing noise ever. So beautiful. I hope if I end up demented in a facility that someone brings in a Dawn Song CD and staff plays it for me. I guarantee it will relax me.
Coffee and PM's what a great start to the day.
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
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ToyinPA
Posts: 2227
Joined: Mon Apr 10, 2006 6:07 pm
Location: PA/Avis
Martin Colony History: The 1972 St. Agnes flood wiped out all the Martins in my area. One day, in 1997-98, 5 or 6 Martins landed on the power wires crossing my back yard. I had no house for them. They kept coming back day after day. We got a martin house a few weeks later & they have been coming back every year since. I average 12-15 pair per year.

On a cold day, as they peep in my back window they say....hey lady with the crickets....come on we're hungry. Don't you see us all lined up & waiting? Hurry up I'm starving. Dang it's cold, wish it'd warm up soon.

Hey pretty lady bird come to room & see how nice it is. It'll make a great nesting site. I'll sing my heart out for you.

During rain....hey guys it's butt tail wiggle time...let's dance. One to another peeking out of a cavity...come on the rain feels good....oh you're just too chicken to get wet.

Hey she has a nice piece of straw & I want it....go get it. Shhhh I'm gonna sneak down to their nest & steal that twig. Hey did you see the huge clump of wet moss he had? Where did he get it? I got a leaf of the pepper plant they just put in. Rose bush leaves are fun to rip off.

They just can't stop cranking that thing that makes our house go down. Now they're peeking in our nest. They better not take my eggs. Hey she picked up "henry". She'd better put him back.

Did you see them rip that HS nest out. Sure hope they don't do that to mine. Naw they're nice to us.

In flight...everyone here?....sound off. I'm gong this way....where did that new guy go?

and the list goes on.....

Toy in PA
PMCA Member
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Martinfarmer
Posts: 153
Joined: Sun May 07, 2017 6:33 pm
Location: Guthrie KY 42234
Martin Colony History: 2015 put up a S-k house, visitors but no takers
2016 homemade Martin condo (40 nesting boxes) several visitors no takers
2017 changed crescent openings to Troyer Conley 2 openings and installed 4 super gourds with Conley2 adapters and 12 vertical Troyers.
Several nests and eggs. Hopefully will exceed one hundred eggs this year.
6-21-17 nest inspection 68 chicks and 26 eggs
6-30-17 inspection 90 chicks and a new nest with 4 eggs.
8-30-17 successfully fledged over 85 martins.

Being a newbie, they are pretty amazing to watch in action. This morning they were flying in a tight circle around the houses. maybe they know babies are about to be born and they are celebrating.
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C.C.Martins
Posts: 3368
Joined: Fri Apr 14, 2017 11:15 am
Location: Corpus Christi Tx
Martin Colony History: 2016- Visitors.
2017- 5 pair. 15 fledged
2018- 18 pair. 85 fledged
2019- 17 pair. 81 fledged
2020- 25 pair. 111 fledged
2021- 28 pair. 118 fledged
2022- 33 pair. 151 fledged
2023- 33 pair. 165 fledged
2024- 40 pair. 185 fledged
2025- 40 pair. 181 fledged
HOSP:
Home colony: mix natural, super, Troyer and excluder gourds, enlarged compartment house. All SREH.

Satellite colony: Oso Bay Preserve: 49 PMCA excluder gourds; 16 room Lonestar Goliad with Modified Excluder entrances.
2019: Visitors
2020: 3 pair, 11 fledged
2021: 10 pair, 30 fledged
2022: 11 pair, 35 fledged
2023: 18 pair, 101 fledged
2024: 39 pair, 181 fledged
2025: 51 pair, 216 fledged
PMCA member

I like the one that they make when they both tuck away in the home for the night or when they are both in there at the same time, sounds real content. I'm sure naughtiness is going on but they sound great! Sounds like they are saying: Yes dear, I did everything you asked today, I love you more, no, I love YOU more, no dear I didn't steal that leaf from them they are just laying around, did you see those DRAGONFLIES, yes dear, tomorrow ok I swear Ill do the porch.
A good house sparrow is a dead house sparrow.
HOSP: 17. Starlings: 23
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handyman315
Posts: 300
Joined: Thu May 12, 2016 11:03 am
Location: SW Ohio
Martin Colony History: Colony established May 20, 2017 after three unsuccessful years. Persistent and aggressive Tree Swallows plagued the site, but beyond learning - and practicing - to control them, was the return in 2017 of a 2016-SY-M previously unable to find a mate. As a handsome ASY-M, he brought along two females and a swagger that soon put the Tree Swallow issue to rest. As the anchor pair, he and his mate hatched all six of their eggs into fat and healthy babies into what settled in to be a three-pair, flourishing new colony with up to 11 birds total, including 3 SY-M trouble makers.

Martinfarmer wrote:. . . They get all worked up when the least thing comes in, especially nest building materials. Lol. :grin: :lol:
Hilarious . . . and true.

The simplest thing is cause for much vocalization and glorious chatter, even just returning to the gourd rack, "Oh HI!, great! . . . you're back!, nice corn stubble, love the mud on it, and that stick, aw man way cool, yeah, Salma is out getting some now . . . oh, look! there goes that neighbor human, don't think she can fly either, silly humans". :lol:

Maybe newbies notice more . . . we've been waiting for so long for these sounds . . . and the flying, those long, slow approaches, nothing better. :mrgreen:
2023-42 Nests, 197 Eggs/Babies
2022-48 Nests Fledged 203
2021-43 Nests Fledged 185
2020-31 Nests Fledged 133, three early deaths due to cold & rain
2019-19 Nests Fledged 84
2018-11 Nests Fledged 48, ASY-M Arrived April 6, Despite Snow & Cold, Joined Soon by Mate & Two Adult Pairs
2017-3 Nests Fledged 13, FIRST-YEAR LANDLORD! Resident SY-M from 2016 Returned (as ASY-M) on May 20. At Least 11 Adult Residents
2016 Late-Arriving SYs, Resident Lone SY-M
2015-14 Many Visits
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Curtis Reil
Posts: 119
Joined: Mon Apr 29, 2013 7:51 pm
Location: Alberta/Tofield
Martin Colony History: I inherited this colony when I purchased the property from my Great Uncle. To the best of my knowledge, he had hosted Martins since 1977. Housing consisted of three twelve compartment units that he had built. Small compartments, round holes and no way to lower for managing. There were maybe 6-8 pairs here when we moved in. Through reading up on information provided by the PMCA and that provided to me by Bob Buskas, the decision was made to upgrade the housing. We are now fully switched over to North Star houses and hosted 58 pairs this season(2017). 60 compartments open for business and being so close to 100% occupancy, I believe we may expand housing offered next season. Expansion will continue contingent to high occupancy, being able to keep up on management and or until it starts to feel like work.

I'm probably all alone in thinking this way but I sometimes end up thinking that they talk like pilots from the movie "Top Gun".

Example being yesterday afternoon. There's a couple SY males here that haven't paired up with gals yet. They seem to feed off of one another's bad behaviour and just stir the pot whenever they can. Both of them took off at the same time and climbed way up and out then made a big sweeping turn. I've seen them do this a few times and it is a prelude to them blazing through the colony close to the houses and the martins on the houses erupt in chatter when they do this. When they make the big turn the wings tuck in close for the dive and I imagine them saying this to one another.

Goose: "No. No, Mav, this is not a good idea."
Maverick: "Sorry, Goose, but it's time to buzz the tower."
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handyman315
Posts: 300
Joined: Thu May 12, 2016 11:03 am
Location: SW Ohio
Martin Colony History: Colony established May 20, 2017 after three unsuccessful years. Persistent and aggressive Tree Swallows plagued the site, but beyond learning - and practicing - to control them, was the return in 2017 of a 2016-SY-M previously unable to find a mate. As a handsome ASY-M, he brought along two females and a swagger that soon put the Tree Swallow issue to rest. As the anchor pair, he and his mate hatched all six of their eggs into fat and healthy babies into what settled in to be a three-pair, flourishing new colony with up to 11 birds total, including 3 SY-M trouble makers.

Curtis Reil wrote:I'm probably all alone in thinking this way but I sometimes end up thinking that they talk like pilots from the movie "Top Gun".

Example being yesterday afternoon. There's a couple SY males here that haven't paired up with gals yet. They seem to feed off of one another's bad behaviour and just stir the pot whenever they can. Both of them took off at the same time and climbed way up and out then made a big sweeping turn. I've seen them do this a few times and it is a prelude to them blazing through the colony close to the houses and the martins on the houses erupt in chatter when they do this. When they make the big turn the wings tuck in close for the dive and I imagine them saying this to one another.

Goose: "No. No, Mav, this is not a good idea."
Maverick: "Sorry, Goose, but it's time to buzz the tower."
Probably love the flying most of all, ". . . negative Ghost Rider, the pattern is full". 8) Also constantly jabber the military pilot talk from many war movies . . . older, I "see" B-17s as they approach . . . long, slow, no wing flapping, lumbering approaches.

Martins may not fly just for the fun of it, but they should, they look so cool doing it. Lately have been watching the afternoon climbs out, big, sweeping climbs periodically losing a little altitude to gain speed . . . and up and away and gone! Last quarterly issue of PMCA "Update" has a feeding article about flight heights . . . up to 925 meters. That's over half a mile up! Whoa baby!

Edited this post to add something just witnessed, why they may sometimes fly nose-to-tail, airplane style, other than just looking way sharp: Today I saw the lead PM swerve to catch a (big) bug - all very visible in front of my tan barn - MISSED! Not to worry, second PM in line easily nailed the bug! :shock: This was also my first time to observe them bug chasing so low, Barn Swallow like.
Last edited by handyman315 on Mon Jun 05, 2017 11:46 am, edited 2 times in total.
2023-42 Nests, 197 Eggs/Babies
2022-48 Nests Fledged 203
2021-43 Nests Fledged 185
2020-31 Nests Fledged 133, three early deaths due to cold & rain
2019-19 Nests Fledged 84
2018-11 Nests Fledged 48, ASY-M Arrived April 6, Despite Snow & Cold, Joined Soon by Mate & Two Adult Pairs
2017-3 Nests Fledged 13, FIRST-YEAR LANDLORD! Resident SY-M from 2016 Returned (as ASY-M) on May 20. At Least 11 Adult Residents
2016 Late-Arriving SYs, Resident Lone SY-M
2015-14 Many Visits
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John Miller
Posts: 4867
Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2004 9:11 pm
Location: St. Louis, MO

They are speaking Portugese.
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Martinfarmer
Posts: 153
Joined: Sun May 07, 2017 6:33 pm
Location: Guthrie KY 42234
Martin Colony History: 2015 put up a S-k house, visitors but no takers
2016 homemade Martin condo (40 nesting boxes) several visitors no takers
2017 changed crescent openings to Troyer Conley 2 openings and installed 4 super gourds with Conley2 adapters and 12 vertical Troyers.
Several nests and eggs. Hopefully will exceed one hundred eggs this year.
6-21-17 nest inspection 68 chicks and 26 eggs
6-30-17 inspection 90 chicks and a new nest with 4 eggs.
8-30-17 successfully fledged over 85 martins.

John Miller wrote:They are speaking Portugese.
John Miller, They do spend quite a bit of time in Brazil. Lol. They say that Portugese is a love language. Perfect fit for the martins.
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taxidermy lady
Posts: 2988
Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2014 10:21 am
Location: IL/Ellis Grove
Martin Colony History: Started trying to attract purple martins in 2012! It's finally happened in 2017! 5 years!!! ASY male and SY female came May 1st, fledged 5 babies!

It's very educational when you only have a few to watch! No one knows what's going on unless you nest check at a colony with more than a dozen! Lol :lol:
Sharon from southern Illinois
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handyman315
Posts: 300
Joined: Thu May 12, 2016 11:03 am
Location: SW Ohio
Martin Colony History: Colony established May 20, 2017 after three unsuccessful years. Persistent and aggressive Tree Swallows plagued the site, but beyond learning - and practicing - to control them, was the return in 2017 of a 2016-SY-M previously unable to find a mate. As a handsome ASY-M, he brought along two females and a swagger that soon put the Tree Swallow issue to rest. As the anchor pair, he and his mate hatched all six of their eggs into fat and healthy babies into what settled in to be a three-pair, flourishing new colony with up to 11 birds total, including 3 SY-M trouble makers.

It seems we're not the only PM landlords imagining the "pilot jabber". :lol:

https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/ ... ney-world/
2023-42 Nests, 197 Eggs/Babies
2022-48 Nests Fledged 203
2021-43 Nests Fledged 185
2020-31 Nests Fledged 133, three early deaths due to cold & rain
2019-19 Nests Fledged 84
2018-11 Nests Fledged 48, ASY-M Arrived April 6, Despite Snow & Cold, Joined Soon by Mate & Two Adult Pairs
2017-3 Nests Fledged 13, FIRST-YEAR LANDLORD! Resident SY-M from 2016 Returned (as ASY-M) on May 20. At Least 11 Adult Residents
2016 Late-Arriving SYs, Resident Lone SY-M
2015-14 Many Visits
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Martinfarmer
Posts: 153
Joined: Sun May 07, 2017 6:33 pm
Location: Guthrie KY 42234
Martin Colony History: 2015 put up a S-k house, visitors but no takers
2016 homemade Martin condo (40 nesting boxes) several visitors no takers
2017 changed crescent openings to Troyer Conley 2 openings and installed 4 super gourds with Conley2 adapters and 12 vertical Troyers.
Several nests and eggs. Hopefully will exceed one hundred eggs this year.
6-21-17 nest inspection 68 chicks and 26 eggs
6-30-17 inspection 90 chicks and a new nest with 4 eggs.
8-30-17 successfully fledged over 85 martins.

Curtis Reil wrote:I'm probably all alone in thinking this way but I sometimes end up thinking that they talk like pilots from the movie "Top Gun".

Example being yesterday afternoon. There's a couple SY males here that haven't paired up with gals yet. They seem to feed off of one another's bad behaviour and just stir the pot whenever they can. Both of them took off at the same time and climbed way up and out then made a big sweeping turn. I've seen them do this a few times and it is a prelude to them blazing through the colony close to the houses and the martins on the houses erupt in chatter when they do this. When they make the big turn the wings tuck in close for the dive and I imagine them saying this to one another.

Goose: "No. No, Mav, this is not a good idea."
Maverick: "Sorry, Goose, but it's time to buzz the tower."
Curtis, Today there is a breeze from the south at twenty mph. The martins are attacking the house bringing in dragon flies. A couple of the ASY males come in high fold up and plumit like bullet past the house roll back into the wind, drop their gear and shoot into a hole half as big as they are. I see them do it and still can't believe they can pull it off every time.
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punk
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Apr 05, 2017 2:07 pm
Location: Shobonier, IL

My Martins are a bunch of Happy Campers. This is the first year I have gotten 10 pairs. They have raised happy, healthy babies. I dread the time when they leave. Will be putting up another set of 10 gourds for next year :grin:
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Martinfarmer
Posts: 153
Joined: Sun May 07, 2017 6:33 pm
Location: Guthrie KY 42234
Martin Colony History: 2015 put up a S-k house, visitors but no takers
2016 homemade Martin condo (40 nesting boxes) several visitors no takers
2017 changed crescent openings to Troyer Conley 2 openings and installed 4 super gourds with Conley2 adapters and 12 vertical Troyers.
Several nests and eggs. Hopefully will exceed one hundred eggs this year.
6-21-17 nest inspection 68 chicks and 26 eggs
6-30-17 inspection 90 chicks and a new nest with 4 eggs.
8-30-17 successfully fledged over 85 martins.

punk wrote:My Martins are a bunch of Happy Campers. This is the first year I have gotten 10 pairs. They have raised happy, healthy babies. I dread the time when they leave. Will be putting up another set of 10 gourds for next year :grin:
Punk it sounds like you are headed for a good PM year in Il.
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Martinfarmer
Posts: 153
Joined: Sun May 07, 2017 6:33 pm
Location: Guthrie KY 42234
Martin Colony History: 2015 put up a S-k house, visitors but no takers
2016 homemade Martin condo (40 nesting boxes) several visitors no takers
2017 changed crescent openings to Troyer Conley 2 openings and installed 4 super gourds with Conley2 adapters and 12 vertical Troyers.
Several nests and eggs. Hopefully will exceed one hundred eggs this year.
6-21-17 nest inspection 68 chicks and 26 eggs
6-30-17 inspection 90 chicks and a new nest with 4 eggs.
8-30-17 successfully fledged over 85 martins.

Daddy Martin who thinks he is the boss; Honey, I'm sure the kids are ready for flight. Come on let's let them try.
Moma Martin; Look here buster, I gave birth to these kids and what I say goes and I say they aren't going anywhere!
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taxidermy lady
Posts: 2988
Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2014 10:21 am
Location: IL/Ellis Grove
Martin Colony History: Started trying to attract purple martins in 2012! It's finally happened in 2017! 5 years!!! ASY male and SY female came May 1st, fledged 5 babies!

They all came to the power line right under me today and told me they love me! So I told them I love you too! :)

I'm so happy to be a landlord! 23 days old tomorrow! :)
Sharon from southern Illinois
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Martinfarmer
Posts: 153
Joined: Sun May 07, 2017 6:33 pm
Location: Guthrie KY 42234
Martin Colony History: 2015 put up a S-k house, visitors but no takers
2016 homemade Martin condo (40 nesting boxes) several visitors no takers
2017 changed crescent openings to Troyer Conley 2 openings and installed 4 super gourds with Conley2 adapters and 12 vertical Troyers.
Several nests and eggs. Hopefully will exceed one hundred eggs this year.
6-21-17 nest inspection 68 chicks and 26 eggs
6-30-17 inspection 90 chicks and a new nest with 4 eggs.
8-30-17 successfully fledged over 85 martins.

taxidermy lady wrote:They all came to the power line right under me today and told me they love me! So I told them I love you too! :)

I'm so happy to be a landlord! 23 days old tomorrow! :)
They do get to know you. It took some time, but I can now work my honey bees that are beside the pole for my martin house. The martins leave at first and then resume their normal activities. Some will fly down for a close look, but they always fly in front of me as if they are saying hi!
I went to a friends house yesterday.( they have PM too). As soon as I got out of my truck, I got strafed by an angry ASY male. He didn't know who I was and viewed me as an intruder. He came down on me from behind and I could hear the wind off his wings.
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pmlover
Posts: 805
Joined: Thu Apr 04, 2013 3:30 pm
Location: OH/New Concord

as my wife and I sit on our porch and 200 birds hovers over us singing after we have feed they daily dozen of eggs, egg shells and oyster shell they say they are on entitilements like 53 % of americans we don't care because we love them
Dick
2015 69 pairs 418 eggs 396 fledged
2019 I have 148 openings now
2016 100 pairs 600 babies fledged added another t-14 and have 126 openings now
2015 Jun 24 360 babies and 58 eggs also found one that had died
2017 632 babies 11died and 20 were killed by hawks
2015 74 pairs and 9 eggs 5/14
2010 3pairss
]JOINED PMCA JUNE 6,2018
2018 651 babies 5 hawk kills 11 floater kills 25 died in houses and 610 fledged

2014 80 pairs 283 babies 282 fledged one died
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Martinfarmer
Posts: 153
Joined: Sun May 07, 2017 6:33 pm
Location: Guthrie KY 42234
Martin Colony History: 2015 put up a S-k house, visitors but no takers
2016 homemade Martin condo (40 nesting boxes) several visitors no takers
2017 changed crescent openings to Troyer Conley 2 openings and installed 4 super gourds with Conley2 adapters and 12 vertical Troyers.
Several nests and eggs. Hopefully will exceed one hundred eggs this year.
6-21-17 nest inspection 68 chicks and 26 eggs
6-30-17 inspection 90 chicks and a new nest with 4 eggs.
8-30-17 successfully fledged over 85 martins.

pmlover wrote:as my wife and I sit on our porch and 200 birds hovers over us singing after we have feed they daily dozen of eggs, egg shells and oyster shell they say they are on entitilements like 53 % of americans we don't care because we love them
Dick

That's a lot of spoiled martins! They are a true joy, but I'm not looking forward to them leaving.
I heard my neighbors martins screaming" beeper beeper" and all of my martins immediately flew up. It was a Cooper hawk. They were in him like flies on rice. He tried two different trees, but The circling martins would not let up. The Cooper hawk gave up and moved in within a minute of coming into my yard.
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