).Truth be known - I still do that to this day - look at everyday objects, and ponder what kind of Martin housing could be made from it (except for now I'm not paying attention to my boss
).You know you're a PM Nut when.....
When I was in grade school, I would look at the old style fluorescent light diffusers (the kind that were made up of square/rectangular segments), and envision those as nesting compartments in a Martin house (while also not paying attention to the teacher ).
Truth be known - I still do that to this day - look at everyday objects, and ponder what kind of Martin housing could be made from it (except for now I'm not paying attention to my boss ).
).Truth be known - I still do that to this day - look at everyday objects, and ponder what kind of Martin housing could be made from it (except for now I'm not paying attention to my boss
).
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Kuemic
- Posts: 176
- Joined: Fri Jan 15, 2016 7:17 pm
- Location: Topeka, KS
- Martin Colony History: 2015 1 pair, 2 eggs destroyed by HOSP
2016 1 pair, 2 fledged, HOSP 46
2017 1 pair, 5 fledged, HOSP 14
2018 daily visitors, HOSP 12
2019 1 pair, 2 fledged, HOSP 14
2020 1pair, 5 fledged, HOSP 17
2021 2 pair, 7 fledged, HOSP 21
2022 3 pair, 12 fledged, HOSP 18
2023 8 pair, 35 fledged, HOSP 16
2024 13 pair, 55 fledged, HOSP 11
Good one Judy! Thawed some yesterday to put in the cavity while the lovely couple was gone yesterday afternoon, had been holed up since Friday afternoon. Does make me want to disinfect my sink every time 
Should be better weather this afternoon, will pull down the house when they leave, see if the crickets are gone. Will be glad to see some sunshine!!!
Michelle
Should be better weather this afternoon, will pull down the house when they leave, see if the crickets are gone. Will be glad to see some sunshine!!!
Michelle
Michelle in Topeka
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belpre gary
- Posts: 43
- Joined: Mon Mar 24, 2014 6:11 pm
- Location: OH/Belpre
You spend 30 min explaining to someone that their purple martins are realy tree swallows !
Second year !
Ist year , S&K house and 6 BO9 gourds . 2 pair fledged 7
2014 1- T-10 w/4 B11's under all w/tunnels
6 BO9's w/tunnels
1 S&K house w/6 LG Compartments
Ist year , S&K house and 6 BO9 gourds . 2 pair fledged 7
2014 1- T-10 w/4 B11's under all w/tunnels
6 BO9's w/tunnels
1 S&K house w/6 LG Compartments
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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.
. . . when you occasionally get excited by a new angle glimpse of one of your . . . decoys! (Aw c'mon, those rascals do look real.) 
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
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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Larry A Kronemeyer
- Posts: 500
- Joined: Mon May 22, 2006 5:27 pm
- Location: Illinois/Millstadt
Hahahaha.....Good one.
"Is that a.....oh, right"
Judy
"Is that a.....oh, right"
Judy
Larry and Judy Kronemeyer
est. 1999
1-12 compartment Trendsetter and 8 gourds(crescents)
12 gourd rack (crescents)
Member PMCA
est. 1999
1-12 compartment Trendsetter and 8 gourds(crescents)
12 gourd rack (crescents)
Member PMCA
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Dave Duit
- Posts: 2146
- Joined: Tue Nov 25, 2003 2:02 pm
- Location: Iowa / Nevada
- Martin Colony History: In 2026, 88 pair with 333 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.
You scramble so many eggs that your neighborhood starts to think you are opening a Denny's for a grand slam breakfast.
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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!
When it takes me all day to do my work and I should be done in 2 hours! Many days this has happened recently!
Sharon from southern Illinois
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KaraInTexas
- Posts: 60
- Joined: Tue Jun 14, 2016 7:29 am
- Location: North Texas
- Martin Colony History: 2020 - 10 nest sites.
2019 - 8 nest sites and 28 fledged.
2018 - Three mating pair. 12 babies, all fledged. Found one adult female dead in house. Cause of death - unable to ascertain. Very sad day.
2017 - First mating pair in Heath house. May 3-5: 5 eggs laid. June 1-3: all hatched. July 3: all 5 fledged.
Approximately 20 adult martins here for the fledge party.
July 1: Installed 4 gourds as well as the 3 houses. The Martins love them!
2016 - Many martins, no nests or eggs. Too many HOSP.
I have a 12 compartment Heath house I converted to a 4 compartment house to allow the Martins more room and hopefully evade owls. I have put in a second house, the S&K 12 compartment one which I converted to 6 compartments. My neighbor also has the same S&K house I converted to a 6 compartment house.
I have eight or more Martins that visit daily.
You rush outside playing the dawn song as loud as possible on your IPhone when you hear one male martin call...
May the Martins be with you. 
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KaraInTexas
- Posts: 60
- Joined: Tue Jun 14, 2016 7:29 am
- Location: North Texas
- Martin Colony History: 2020 - 10 nest sites.
2019 - 8 nest sites and 28 fledged.
2018 - Three mating pair. 12 babies, all fledged. Found one adult female dead in house. Cause of death - unable to ascertain. Very sad day.
2017 - First mating pair in Heath house. May 3-5: 5 eggs laid. June 1-3: all hatched. July 3: all 5 fledged.
Approximately 20 adult martins here for the fledge party.
July 1: Installed 4 gourds as well as the 3 houses. The Martins love them!
2016 - Many martins, no nests or eggs. Too many HOSP.
I have a 12 compartment Heath house I converted to a 4 compartment house to allow the Martins more room and hopefully evade owls. I have put in a second house, the S&K 12 compartment one which I converted to 6 compartments. My neighbor also has the same S&K house I converted to a 6 compartment house.
I have eight or more Martins that visit daily.
You notice that glazed over look in your friends/neighbors/coworkers eyes as you realize you have been droning on about the mating habits and preferred lodging of the martins in your neighborhood...
May the Martins be with you.
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Larry A Kronemeyer
- Posts: 500
- Joined: Mon May 22, 2006 5:27 pm
- Location: Illinois/Millstadt
Dave......I really like that one....then add to that the fact that you've become an eggshell hoarder !
Kara....Hahaha ....been there on both counts...now try explaining obligate aerial insectivore to someone...I did yesterday.....got that same glazed look, a pause then a response of.." so they eat mosquitoes, right?" Arrrrrgh
Judy
Kara....Hahaha ....been there on both counts...now try explaining obligate aerial insectivore to someone...I did yesterday.....got that same glazed look, a pause then a response of.." so they eat mosquitoes, right?" Arrrrrgh
Judy
Larry and Judy Kronemeyer
est. 1999
1-12 compartment Trendsetter and 8 gourds(crescents)
12 gourd rack (crescents)
Member PMCA
est. 1999
1-12 compartment Trendsetter and 8 gourds(crescents)
12 gourd rack (crescents)
Member PMCA
-
Larry A Kronemeyer
- Posts: 500
- Joined: Mon May 22, 2006 5:27 pm
- Location: Illinois/Millstadt
Oh.... and Sharon....isn't that why you put a porch on the back of your shop?!!
Judy
Judy
Larry and Judy Kronemeyer
est. 1999
1-12 compartment Trendsetter and 8 gourds(crescents)
12 gourd rack (crescents)
Member PMCA
est. 1999
1-12 compartment Trendsetter and 8 gourds(crescents)
12 gourd rack (crescents)
Member PMCA
-
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.
When you go out at 5:30 am with your coffee every morning to make sure they are still there.
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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!
Yes it is Judy! Now I'm working on screening it in so I can sit out until dark without getting bug bites! LolLarry Kronemeyer wrote:Oh.... and Sharon....isn't that why you put a porch on the back of your shop?!!
Judy
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.
These are funny because they are sooo . . . TRUE!KaraInTexas wrote:You notice that glazed over look in your friends/neighbors/coworkers eyes as you realize you have been droning on about the mating habits and preferred lodging of the martins in your neighborhood...
Do you notice that even friends who show "some" polite interest wanna keep their distance, just in case we landlords really are weird? Maybe it's the look of the housing, especially the gourds . . . stepdaughter (who lives next door) calls my setup "a spaceship" . . . yet her husband shows real enthusiasm for our beloved PMs. At 72, I've already tapped him to continue this site after my big migration.
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
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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Larry A Kronemeyer
- Posts: 500
- Joined: Mon May 22, 2006 5:27 pm
- Location: Illinois/Millstadt
Awwww....that's wonderful!!!
Larry and Judy Kronemeyer
est. 1999
1-12 compartment Trendsetter and 8 gourds(crescents)
12 gourd rack (crescents)
Member PMCA
est. 1999
1-12 compartment Trendsetter and 8 gourds(crescents)
12 gourd rack (crescents)
Member PMCA
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Okie
- Posts: 541
- Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2016 3:26 pm
- Location: Claremore, OK
- Martin Colony History: 2016 Informed landlord now Have 2 pair returning from 2015 That is a miracle. Hoping for a very successful year, sparrow population on decline.
First house was plastic with crescent holes Had martins within a few days. Ignorant landlord gradually lost them
Then got Trio House and still lost most of them. Lots of sparrows
Love this one. Yep your'e a PM nut alright. Funny how we get to the point [us wannabees that is] that we want to see a martin so bad that it's easy to envision a live one in a decoy..... Now where did I put that decoy.....Oh yeah it's not a live one.....Drat it allhandyman315 wrote:. . . when you occasionally get excited by a new angle glimpse of one of your . . . decoys! (Aw c'mon, those rascals do look real.)
Okie
PMCA member
2016 Started with 2 pair, 1 pair abandoned after HOSP destroyed eggs
1 pair= 6 eggs, 6 fledged
2017 1 pair so far, But they abandoned before nest complete for ?reason? Now Bridless and joined the Wannabes
2018 One pair ASY male SY female 5 eggs, 5 fledged
PMCA member
2016 Started with 2 pair, 1 pair abandoned after HOSP destroyed eggs
1 pair= 6 eggs, 6 fledged
2017 1 pair so far, But they abandoned before nest complete for ?reason? Now Bridless and joined the Wannabes
2018 One pair ASY male SY female 5 eggs, 5 fledged
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Whippy
- Posts: 1023
- Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2017 11:15 pm
- Location: Plano, Texas
- Martin Colony History: See Signature
Yesterday when driving to my sons baseball game he noticed the field lights just barely over the tree and blurted out, "look! Purple Martin Gourds!" He knew they were lights but the resemblance of gourd racks caused him to try to get a rise out of me. I immediately started laughing remembering how this thread got started.Okie wrote:When you see a bank of lights at an athletic field and have to take a second look to make sure it's not a gourd rack.
Don't laugh
Coolwhips
2016 - many visitors
2017 - 1 pair, 3 fledged
2018- 2 pair, 12 fledged
2019 - 4 pair, 21 fledged
2020 - 15 pair, 67 fledged
2021 - 29 pair, 117 fledged
2022 - 35 pair, 130 fledged
2023 - 43 pair, 196 fledged
2017 - 1 pair, 3 fledged
2018- 2 pair, 12 fledged
2019 - 4 pair, 21 fledged
2020 - 15 pair, 67 fledged
2021 - 29 pair, 117 fledged
2022 - 35 pair, 130 fledged
2023 - 43 pair, 196 fledged
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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
When you bang the 8 foot ladder against the fence you share with the neighbors (for the 50th time) for that all important nest check and hope you dont get called into the cops or wont observe anything untoward in their yard!
A good house sparrow is a dead house sparrow.
HOSP: 17. Starlings: 23
HOSP: 17. Starlings: 23
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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.
My wife and I went out to steak and shake. I asked her for an ink pen. I then turned over the paper place mat and started sketching. She didn't say anything until we were almost home. She said, were you sketching our new house or was that a new Martin house . I put my head down and said honey it was only a Martin house. Busted!