Martins in Melbourne, FL

[Mike Dingman]

Hi Everybody! Currently 69 degrees F. in Melbourne, FL. My lovely wife of 45 years, Miss Diane, heard and saw our first martin yesterday morning, 8:00am. I was on the golf course, she didn't know if it was a boy or a girl, I told her no problem she will most likely be back either at noon or just before dusk, and she was, a beautiful ASY female. Flying in lazy circles around 5:00pm. I am pretty sure she didn't stay the night as the females are more timid than the males. However, this morning, we have at least 2 pairs and they are in and out, and all around the gourds and immediate area getting reacquainted with their summer home. I have only 6 gourds up at this time in case I need hand warmers. Mostly to keep them comfortable through the night if we have a severe cold front come through. Eventually we will have the full 48 gourds up all totaled, on 4 different poles. We have had 3 frost warning so far this winter, but it is always in the 50's and 60's the next day, so the food source is available. This will be our 20th year hosting martins, we still get excited to hear and see them when they first arrive. We will as usual, do all we can to keep them safe from ground and aerial predators. We hope you get your martins soon! Good luck from central Florida.

[sugarcreek]

Always exciting reading about these early arrivals in the South, especially when you sit up here in the north and know we are 2 months away from them arriving.

[Louise Chambers]

Yippee! I always look forward to seeing your reports each year I am glad the martins are not due here in Texas just yet, too much to do! But by the time they get here, I will be whining 'where are they?' Happy martin season to you and Diane.

[Mike Dingman]

Sugarcreek, thanks for the well wishes, and your colony is growing very well which means you took care of them the first and second year. this year will be good for you too! Good luck.

Thanks Louise, congrats on your retirement. I read all about it in the Update, so happy for you. Now that I have you on the line, I do have one question...I too am retired from full time work, but do work part time at a shop on appliances. I was telling the gentleman I work for about my martins and he is in his early 80's, from Mississippi. He described a martin type house they had on a pole with several cavities, the 6" deep type. He told me of how they would use a stick to clean out sparrow nests, and the birds that nested in that house were called B martins. This goes back 70 years or so. He wasn't familiar with purple martin, but the B martin. Have you ever heard of them called that? Just curious. (Maybe he was told that martins ate bees).

[pmartinlover2]

Thanks for your report, Mike, and for being a great landlord! Once again, “You reap what you sow”! Keep your reports coming to us northerners as freezing rain, sleet are falling up here!!!
_____
Jody

[Louise Chambers]

Bee Martins is an old name, but it's not our Purple Martins, it's Eastern Kingbirds - they are flycatchers that will eat bees, but they do not nest in bird houses. I think folks got different birds mixed up, based on colloquial names and similar appearances.

[Mike Dingman]

Thanks for the info. Louise. I will pass that on to my friend and bring him some pictures for comparison purposes.

Thanks for the kind words, Jody. Sounds like your going to be busy with not only your home site, but with the satellite sites, whew! That's ambitious.