Polar vortex coming to south

Welcome to the internet's gathering place for Purple Martin enthusiasts
Post Reply
Martintown33
Posts: 1366
Joined: Tue Jun 01, 2021 6:21 pm
Location: Laplace,La
Martin Colony History: Colony started in 1998. 2 s&k modified houses and gourd rack

A 5 to 7 day long, polar vortex is coming to the Deep South , next week.. I hope the martins hold off for another 2 weeks! This vortex is almost exactly like the one that wiped out 90% of my colony a few years ago… man, I hope they don’t show up anytime soon!
Rob
PMCA member
Laplace, La
Top
brent
Posts: 1280
Joined: Sat Feb 10, 2018 2:43 pm
Location: Raceland, Louisiana

Me too, Rob. It was so tragic then. Hope our birds hold off for a while longer. Brent
Brent
Top
Mstan
Posts: 159
Joined: Tue Apr 16, 2024 7:52 pm
Location: Missouri
Martin Colony History: 2023- 2 racks. 24 gourds
2024- 2 racks.28 gourds. 100 fledged
2025- 3 racks. 24 gourds,6 chirpy nest.105 fledged.

I have been thinking of the same thing. I believe it’s a cause worthy of prayer and will ask God to delay the martins until the cold goes away.
Top
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

Please no.
A good house sparrow is a dead house sparrow.
HOSP: 17. Starlings: 23
Top
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

... They can stay away for another 2 or 3 weeks would be just fine.. If they do come, try to keep them warm and fed..

Dave
PMCA Member
Little Hocking, Ohio
Top
Thomabear
Posts: 484
Joined: Tue Jun 02, 2020 10:10 am
Location: Cut Off, Louisiana

Would definitely be good if they waited. My arrival date last year was 1/28 so hopefully the cold weather will be gone by then.
2019- 6 Pair, 30 Fledged
2020- 8 Pair, 32 Fledged
2021- 10 Pair, 39 Fledged
HOSP count 130, Starlings 2
2022- 31 Pair, 146 Fledged
HOSP count to date 17, Starlings 1
2023- 28 Pair, 124 Fledged
HOSP count 47, Starlings 1
2024- 40 Pair, 192 Fledged
HOSP count 37
2025-42 Pair, 202 Fledged
HOSP count 46
Top
brent
Posts: 1280
Joined: Sat Feb 10, 2018 2:43 pm
Location: Raceland, Louisiana

Oh oh. I just saw where there are 2 postings of sightings in Louisiana. Prepping their nest trays today. Here we go. Brent
Brent
Top
Thomas Maddox
Posts: 580
Joined: Fri Jun 25, 2021 5:23 pm
Location: Sulphur, Louisiana

I just made a similar post before seeing this one. It's Artic Blast by the way! Lol
Top
Conrad Baker
Posts: 754
Joined: Fri Jan 12, 2007 7:43 pm
Location: Paulina, Louisiana

Just read a post on Facebook by Meteorologist Zach Fradella. My area (St. James) can see as much as 10 inches of snow, which will basically shut down the River Parishes and West toward Baton Rouge until Thursday at the earliest.
Top
Martintown33
Posts: 1366
Joined: Tue Jun 01, 2021 6:21 pm
Location: Laplace,La
Martin Colony History: Colony started in 1998. 2 s&k modified houses and gourd rack

Praying they hold off for at least 5 more days!
Rob
PMCA member
Laplace, La
Top
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

Martintown33 wrote: ↑
Sun Jan 19, 2025 5:55 pm
 Praying they hold off for at least 5 more days!
Rob
Yep. Strong winds will keep em wherever they are at...hopefully the Yucatan.
Went to a nearby bay to look for arrowheads, rediculously cold. And its not really cold just yet. Didnt find any arrowheads of course.
A good house sparrow is a dead house sparrow.
HOSP: 17. Starlings: 23
Top
brent
Posts: 1280
Joined: Sat Feb 10, 2018 2:43 pm
Location: Raceland, Louisiana

Agreed. Extremely cold with snow Tuesday. Not a common occurrence here way down in bayou country. Brent
Brent
Top
Thomas Maddox
Posts: 580
Joined: Fri Jun 25, 2021 5:23 pm
Location: Sulphur, Louisiana

And the mosquitoes won't be fazed. Hopefully this is the last major freezing event.
Top
Martintown33
Posts: 1366
Joined: Tue Jun 01, 2021 6:21 pm
Location: Laplace,La
Martin Colony History: Colony started in 1998. 2 s&k modified houses and gourd rack

A landlord 10 miles from me had his first arrival 3 days ago. None at my site or my friends site, 3 miles from me, yet… but agree, don’t think they’ll be showing up now that this freezing weather and wind is blowing from the north. 10 inches of snow expected tomorrow. Crazy for SE
Louisiana!
Good luck
Rob
PMCA member
Laplace, La
Top
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

Glad, so glad they aren't here. Feel for those that are.
Attachments
20250121_111409.jpg
(945.5 KiB) Not downloaded yet
A good house sparrow is a dead house sparrow.
HOSP: 17. Starlings: 23
Top
Martintown33
Posts: 1366
Joined: Tue Jun 01, 2021 6:21 pm
Location: Laplace,La
Martin Colony History: Colony started in 1998. 2 s&k modified houses and gourd rack

Yep Tom. Definitely no bueno when you have icicles hanging from the housing. Snow piling up here, like a blizzard at times. Not normal for here. Definitely glad they aren’t here.
PMCA member
Laplace, La
Top
Thomas Maddox
Posts: 580
Joined: Fri Jun 25, 2021 5:23 pm
Location: Sulphur, Louisiana

Agreed. I'm guessing 6-7" of snow here, but will get into the 50s in a few days.
Top
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

Glued to the weather channel, that is the first time ever, recorded history, a blizzard in LA!!!!!! That is some crazy $hit.
Think big Jim Cantori was in the wrong spot, he should have gone a bit east...
A good house sparrow is a dead house sparrow.
HOSP: 17. Starlings: 23
Top
brent
Posts: 1280
Joined: Sat Feb 10, 2018 2:43 pm
Location: Raceland, Louisiana

Yes, a blizzard! Can hardly see my martin houses. Brent
Attachments
IMG_1139.jpeg
(2.09 MiB) Not downloaded yet
Brent
Top
Thomabear
Posts: 484
Joined: Tue Jun 02, 2020 10:10 am
Location: Cut Off, Louisiana

It came on nonstop for about 11-12 hours. Much of it like a curtain you couldn’t see through. The wind piled it up everywhere, even under porches. Amazing!
1352400196471266012.jpeg
(451.78 KiB) Not downloaded yet
2019- 6 Pair, 30 Fledged
2020- 8 Pair, 32 Fledged
2021- 10 Pair, 39 Fledged
HOSP count 130, Starlings 2
2022- 31 Pair, 146 Fledged
HOSP count to date 17, Starlings 1
2023- 28 Pair, 124 Fledged
HOSP count 47, Starlings 1
2024- 40 Pair, 192 Fledged
HOSP count 37
2025-42 Pair, 202 Fledged
HOSP count 46
Top
Post Reply

Return to “Purple Martin Forum”