Female purple martin arrived in Lockridge, Iowa on Feb 26th
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Dave Duit
- Posts: 2145
- Joined: Tue Nov 25, 2003 2:02 pm
- Location: Iowa / Nevada
- Martin Colony History: In 2024, 82 pair with 350 fledged youngsters. 110 total cavities available, 82 Troyer Horizontal gourds and a homemade PVC / metal 28 compartment unit, 1 fallout shelter. Hawk and owl guards included. Martin educator and speaker. President and founder of the Iowa Purple Martin Organization. Please visit Iowa Purple Martin Organization on Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1627283871068161 Emails send to [email protected]. Subject line include Iowa Purple Martin.
Hey everyone, especially landlords in Iowa; a female ASY has arrived in Lockridge, Iowa. This was reported by a long time landlord and member of our Iowa Organization on Feb 26th. This is not a mistaken identity as the landlord has been in the hobby for decades. I just want to put the info out to landlords in southern Iowa that the martins are in our state. This is the earliest they have arrived in Iowa; two and a half weeks earlier than the previous record. So, Iowa landlords you may want to put up your gourds earlier than expected this year. I just saw that it has been entered on the map. Thank you.
Last edited by Dave Duit on Tue Feb 27, 2024 3:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Forum Admin
- Site Admin
- Posts: 339
- Joined: Thu Oct 30, 2003 1:16 pm
- Location: Erie, PA
Thanks Dave! The landlord called in and we have the report in Iowa on our Scout-Arrival Study map. We do accept and want reports if the first arrival is an ASY female as the first scouts returning can be male or female.
It is for the subadults that we only accept reports for the males as they are difficult to identify by body plumage alone but can be confirmed by the croaking vocalizations that only the males make.
It is for the subadults that we only accept reports for the males as they are difficult to identify by body plumage alone but can be confirmed by the croaking vocalizations that only the males make.
Forum Administrator
Purple Martin Conservation Association - Please consider becoming a member of the PMCA.
Purple Martin Conservation Association - Please consider becoming a member of the PMCA.
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Dave Duit
- Posts: 2145
- Joined: Tue Nov 25, 2003 2:02 pm
- Location: Iowa / Nevada
- Martin Colony History: In 2024, 82 pair with 350 fledged youngsters. 110 total cavities available, 82 Troyer Horizontal gourds and a homemade PVC / metal 28 compartment unit, 1 fallout shelter. Hawk and owl guards included. Martin educator and speaker. President and founder of the Iowa Purple Martin Organization. Please visit Iowa Purple Martin Organization on Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1627283871068161 Emails send to [email protected]. Subject line include Iowa Purple Martin.
Thank you forum admin. My mistake on the map info.
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sugarcreek
- Posts: 252
- Joined: Sun Mar 27, 2016 10:43 am
- Location: Sugarcreek, Ohio
- Martin Colony History: 2016 First Yr.
Oh boy, I'm worried they're coming way too fast. Last year in May we still had cold weather in Ohio and I ended up losing some. And we are still only in February or early March. Maybe the birds know more than what we do as humans and the weather will stay nice. I pray so
16 - 14 Cavities 4 Act. Ne 9 fledged, 2.25 Fl. per Act. Ne
17 - 36 Cavities 18 Act. Ne 65 Fledged, 3.61 Fl. per Act. Ne
18 - 54 Cavities 43 Act. Ne 169 Fledged, 3.93 Fl. per Act. Ne
19 - 108 Cavities 67 Act. Ne 209 Fledged, 3.12 Fl. per Act. Ne
20 - 108 Cavities 72 Act. Ne 243 Fledged, 3.38 Fl. per Act. Ne
21 - 112 Cavities 91 Act. Ne 313 Fledged, 3.44 Fl. per Act. Ne
22 - 114 Cavities 101 Act Ne 355 Fledged, 3.51 Fl. per Act. Ne
17 - 36 Cavities 18 Act. Ne 65 Fledged, 3.61 Fl. per Act. Ne
18 - 54 Cavities 43 Act. Ne 169 Fledged, 3.93 Fl. per Act. Ne
19 - 108 Cavities 67 Act. Ne 209 Fledged, 3.12 Fl. per Act. Ne
20 - 108 Cavities 72 Act. Ne 243 Fledged, 3.38 Fl. per Act. Ne
21 - 112 Cavities 91 Act. Ne 313 Fledged, 3.44 Fl. per Act. Ne
22 - 114 Cavities 101 Act Ne 355 Fledged, 3.51 Fl. per Act. Ne
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Dave Reynolds
- Posts: 2441
- Joined: Mon Jan 31, 2011 4:35 pm
- Location: Little Hocking, Oh.
- Martin Colony History: Satellite Site “Oxbow Golf Course”..
2018 - 15 Pair, 36 Fledged
2019 - 26 Pair, 97 Fledged
2020 - 30 Pair, 137 Fledged
2021 - 30 Pair, 144 Fledged
2022 - 27 Pair, 125 Fledged
2023 - 31 Pair, 130 Fledged
2024 - 41 Pair, 198 Fledged
2025 - 44 Pair, 168 Fledged
Home Site "Little Hocking, Ohio".
2019 - 1 Pair, 5 Fledged
2020 - 1 Pair, 4 Fledged
2021 - 8 Pair, 36 Fledged
2022 - 13 Pair, 46 Fledged
2023 - 16 Pair, 84 Fledged
2024 - 22 Pair, 104 Fledged
2025 - 28 Pair, 83 Fledged
…. Congratulations.. To you and your new arrival. Keep them warm and fed as much as you can.. Way to early for me over here in Southeastern Ohio Valley, but I’m starting to get more gourds out of the shed and up on the rack.. 
Dave
Dave
PMCA Member
Little Hocking, Ohio
Little Hocking, Ohio
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Kegger
- Posts: 381
- Joined: Sun Sep 15, 2019 8:58 am
- Location: Awesome Florida
- Martin Colony History: 2020: 2 pair of SY with 4 eggs ,fledge 7
2021: 5 pair 25 eggs fledge 18, 4 egg 2nd brood attempt
2022: 13 pair 61 eggs fledge 56 added 11 cavs. now 22 total
2023 15 pair 75 eggs fledge 51 only 3 of 11 eggs hatched cavity 10
2024 11 pair 50 eggs fledge
26. 1 renest cav1, cav10 8 eggs 8 fledged 2 couples ASY and Sy
Best of Luck to all fellow Martin fans this 2024 season!! 
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mwren
- Posts: 174
- Joined: Tue Mar 17, 2015 2:43 pm
- Location: OH/Athens
- Martin Colony History: I have had my martin colony on the dam of one of my ponds for nine years. The colony has grown each year, but I am now concentrating on helping friends and acquaintances who have shown interests in martins. My colony consists of three T-14's with 8 Troyer gourds attatched to each T-14, a Troyer gourd rack with 12 gourds, and another gourd rack with 18 Troyer gourds for a total of 96 nest cavities. I am having serious predation issues with hawks and owls and am experimenting with various hawk guards and "screens". Established successful supplemental feeding the last few seasons and have had a blast flipping mostly meal worms and some crickets. Faculty from Ohio University are using my colony as a research site to study parasites that target cavity nesting birds. In exchange for access to my bird trail nest boxes and martin housing, they are banding all birds involved in their study.
I have got to hope that we do not get our Ohio birds back this early. We have had terrible weather to deal with the past seasons that caused Martin Landlords to lose birds to hypothermia and starvation. March is a very dangerous month for our returning birds! Hopefully they will "slow down their arrival" in the next few weeks!!
Mike "Bird"Wren
Mike "Bird"Wren
Mike "Bird" Wren
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fotoimages
- Posts: 13
- Joined: Mon Oct 02, 2023 10:41 pm
- Location: Mantua, Ohio
- Martin Colony History: Its my first attempt. I found a Martin house in the trash and since I like to study and read about them I thought I'd give it a try.
I have the same concerns over all as well. I saw and heard a tree swallow fly past while I was getting my Martin house ready. It was checking out the nest boxes the next day. That seems way to soon for them. My barn swallows come back the first week May so I’ll have to be watching so I can leave the door open for them. In general I think there all starting to come back to soon.sugarcreek wrote: ↑Tue Feb 27, 2024 5:27 pmOh boy, I'm worried they're coming way too fast. Last year in May we still had cold weather in Ohio and I ended up losing some. And we are still only in February or early March. Maybe the birds know more than what we do as humans and the weather will stay nice. I pray so
I know your area being NE of Akron and SE of Cleveland myself. And we both know what the weather here can bring.
fotoimages - Dave
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fotoimages
- Posts: 13
- Joined: Mon Oct 02, 2023 10:41 pm
- Location: Mantua, Ohio
- Martin Colony History: Its my first attempt. I found a Martin house in the trash and since I like to study and read about them I thought I'd give it a try.
I agree. We live in a very dangerous state for all returning birds.mwren wrote: ↑Thu Mar 07, 2024 1:08 amI have got to hope that we do not get our Ohio birds back this early. We have had terrible weather to deal with the past seasons that caused Martin Landlords to lose birds to hypothermia and starvation. March is a very dangerous month for our returning birds! Hopefully they will "slow down their arrival" in the next few weeks!!
Mike "Bird"Wren
fotoimages - Dave
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Dave Duit
- Posts: 2145
- Joined: Tue Nov 25, 2003 2:02 pm
- Location: Iowa / Nevada
- Martin Colony History: In 2024, 82 pair with 350 fledged youngsters. 110 total cavities available, 82 Troyer Horizontal gourds and a homemade PVC / metal 28 compartment unit, 1 fallout shelter. Hawk and owl guards included. Martin educator and speaker. President and founder of the Iowa Purple Martin Organization. Please visit Iowa Purple Martin Organization on Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1627283871068161 Emails send to [email protected]. Subject line include Iowa Purple Martin.
As a unique side note here is some interesting background on our Iowa Purple Martin Organization as it relates to weather and arrivals in the spring. I originally created the organization because Iowa and some surrounding more northern states needed a common website which eventually moved to Facebook that addressed the issues of maintaining colonies in colder weather, supplement feeding and heating. Since the early years we expanded to address other issues that the Iowa people and other surrounding states face with their martins. I know this strays from my post, but I want to let everyone know that we are here for Iowans as well as anyone who wants to share and gain info on martins up north. Thanks everyone and do your best to keep those purple friends warm and tummies full of crickets.
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mwren
- Posts: 174
- Joined: Tue Mar 17, 2015 2:43 pm
- Location: OH/Athens
- Martin Colony History: I have had my martin colony on the dam of one of my ponds for nine years. The colony has grown each year, but I am now concentrating on helping friends and acquaintances who have shown interests in martins. My colony consists of three T-14's with 8 Troyer gourds attatched to each T-14, a Troyer gourd rack with 12 gourds, and another gourd rack with 18 Troyer gourds for a total of 96 nest cavities. I am having serious predation issues with hawks and owls and am experimenting with various hawk guards and "screens". Established successful supplemental feeding the last few seasons and have had a blast flipping mostly meal worms and some crickets. Faculty from Ohio University are using my colony as a research site to study parasites that target cavity nesting birds. In exchange for access to my bird trail nest boxes and martin housing, they are banding all birds involved in their study.
Dave, You and your Iowa group have shared lots of very important info that is very important to "northern colony landlords", especially when you have shared the importance of supplemental feeding. Flipping meal worms and crickets to martin arrivals is the most fun you can have with these awesome birds ! Thanks for your invite to colony landlords to visit your yearly program in Iowa. I wish it wasn't so far from my farm in southeastern Ohio !
Mike "Bird" Wren
Mike "Bird" Wren
Mike "Bird" Wren
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Dave Duit
- Posts: 2145
- Joined: Tue Nov 25, 2003 2:02 pm
- Location: Iowa / Nevada
- Martin Colony History: In 2024, 82 pair with 350 fledged youngsters. 110 total cavities available, 82 Troyer Horizontal gourds and a homemade PVC / metal 28 compartment unit, 1 fallout shelter. Hawk and owl guards included. Martin educator and speaker. President and founder of the Iowa Purple Martin Organization. Please visit Iowa Purple Martin Organization on Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1627283871068161 Emails send to [email protected]. Subject line include Iowa Purple Martin.
Hi Mike, Thanks for the kind words about the efforts going on at the Iowa Purple Martin Organization. We really do appreciate the kind words. It makes all of us feel we are doing the right thing for the martins and landlords. As always, we invite everyone to our Facebook page even if they are not from the state of Iowa.