The 2013 martin season started today!

[Louise Chambers]

Landlords in Viera, FL (Melbourne/Cocoa Beach area on east coast) heard a martin early this AM, then saw it flying overhead. They rushed to put up a couple of gourds on temporary pole, and the bird, an adult female, checked them out.

Thanks to the Mausts for sharing the happy news and some photos.

Don't panic and assume other martins will quickly follow, or that your birds will be here sooner than normal. But, it's time to get ready in the deep south, at least for those with established sites.

[John A Green Jr]

Yaaaayyyy!!!

[Dave Reynolds]

I can't believe it .... so soon ,,, someone is having a early Christmas
Dave

[Emil Pampell-Tx]

Seems a bit early, but congrats to them. I started hanging gourds 2 days ago, so its time to start to hang some on all the warm days at our house.

[Dale D]

Never expected one showing up this early. I believe 2010 the first one showed Dec. 22nd. Oh well, Let the fun begin. All of my housing is ready I just have to mount them and send them up the pole's.

[phldave]

You frieinds down in dixieland take good care of um, cause have you heard about the storm cutting the country in half right now east to west? Sorry to say, but it may be a long winter up here. We're expecting 6 to 12 inches of snow here in Des Moines. Ouch!

[Bulldog1]

That's what I am talking about! (That is Southern for " I am excited!" ). The countdown in on.

[Carlton]

WOW!!! AMAZING!!!!!! That is totally unexpected and exciting.

[marshainpuntagorda]

Our gourds go up 12/21 and the first I've had is on Christmas; hope to see our Scouts soon...good season to all: we love the Purple Martins, I just think we might be hoping for the birds to come too soon...we shall see

[James Strickland FL]

This is what I have been waiting for. This bird is just up the road from me. Now my neck will have a pain in it for 5 months. Aleve will be my friend. My house are up already, but my martin will not be here for a few more weeks. I have them for starling hurting.

[Louise Chambers]

A second martin was reported from FL yesterday, this report came in by phone as the landlord knew it was unusually early, and wanted to share details with Bob Aeppli, PMCA's bio-tech. The two landlords have both had two scouts in a year before this, that is, years where they had a January scout and then a December scout - now that's unusual!

[Dale D]

Not only is that unusal Louise but, also the fact that the first reports are coming from the central east coast and northern part of the state. Seems like in the past they have shown up much further south like Marsha's in Punta Gorda.

[Phil Spitler]

looks like a subby almost with the plumage on its breast dark plumage

[marshainpuntagorda]

Gourds are up, pine strawed and ready in case our Scout comes in before the cold front; we are having warm then cold weather; then recycles in that pattern for a few days...good luck, and keep listening and looking up!

[Jeff Robinson]

Congrats on the early arrivals.

James - wishing you success in colony expansion this year!

Jeff

[James Strickland FL]

Thanks Jeff and Have a great season also. Happy Holidays also.

[MartiStupka]

We live in SW Florida and usually don't see a Martin until mid-January. I'd better get my house up. Hoped to add another floor to my Goliad house. Last year was a good year, but we did have some challenges with several Yellow Rat Snakes for the first time. The first one killed the parents in two apartments, and the newborns in one apartment, and half of the newborns in the second apartment when we spotted the snake. I walk my dogs late and always check the Martin house for the last time late at night. Got concerned when I didn't see the usual 1-2 Martins that seem to guard the colony outside on the porches every night, and then I saw the snake, but couldn't believe that I was seeing a snake, so I made my husband confirm what I thought I was seeing before we brought down the house and addressed the snake problem. The remaining babies in the second apartment were gone the next morning, but the other apartments and Martins were all there and fine. We made a fast trip to Home Depot, and followed recommendations from this Forum, and added some deer netting that tangled up future rat snake visitors until we could address the problem, and relocate the snakes. It seems like each year as a landlord brings us some new challenge. We started out our first year with nest mites, the next couple years it was house sparrows, and last year it was snakes. I recently heard a couple of owls "hooting," and just pray that it was a one time thing since we hadn't heard them for several years. We have owl guards that we rigged up for our Goliad house that we made from parts from our old Trio house, and we now will continue to rig up something more than the usual pole guard to keep out the snakes. I hope that we won't have any other learning experiences this year. I hope that you all have a great year with the Martins. Can't wait for them to arrive here.

Marti Stupka and Bob Miller
Fort Myers, FL

[Louise Chambers]

Mid-January is average arrival period for much of FL, but some landlords will have birds arriving a few weeks earlier OR later than that - and it's average date for just the first birds. Martins will be arriving and nesting through May.

We now have five Florida arrivals - in the next month, LA and TX will see their first birds too, as will GA and AL.

[steve r]

I was very surprised when I heard and saw my male scout on 12-26, My earliest was in 2009 1st January

[AnnieM]

It's awesome. It's amazing. It's truly a wonderful miracle of nature. All those tiny winged creatures, all those miles, all the way from South America. If I wasn't all grown up and didn't know any better, think I'd get a lump in my throat. Love those beautiful birds.