Purple Martin Forum

David, CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!! Prayers for your continued success this season. We have been lucky to have one pair nesting all but one year over the last 6 years, , but how disheartening to see a house wren destroy eggs, or the dreaded house sparrow do the same (we've watched both). It's stressful but...

So sorry Kyler! Bad week for Kansas storms. How did you all fare on Tuesday evening? We were in the RV on our annual Colorado trip and had to shelter in place at the Oakley truck stop to ride out 70mph winds, that had just passed through Colby area. Know you just moved your houses too. Good luck wit...

Thank you Matt! We offer a Trio house with modified apartments and 3 floors, and on a separate pole we offer 4 gourds. We've had success in both the house and the gourds, but not in the same season. We're encouraged for next year as we also had a lot of regular visitors, more so than usual.

Just wanted to say thank you for a wonderful video recapping the 2019 season! Sweet, funny, and dramatic! Our two hatchlings were about a day older than the ones in your video, yet fledged on day 31. We offered shade to the one occupied gourd and somehow they survived 112 heat index the four days be...

Oh Kyler, so very sorry for you and your family! Your grandfather must have been so proud of you and your dedication to your thriving colony. You are definitely paying it forward with all the help you have given local enthusiasts. We learn so much from older generations, would also like to hear more...

Possibly a weasel? I found this online when searching for bird predators. Article states: "If birds are dead but not eaten and have parts still intact, a weasel may have attacked the flock. Members of the weasel family, including mink, kill just for the fun of killing. Often, the chickens’ bodies ar...

UPDATE: trapped two male sparrows today. A male and female HOSP were hopping on the gourd rack. I don't have an insert trap for the gourds so set up the trap door box with sparrow call module. Did not have any luck until we lowered the gourds to about 5 feet above the trap, then got the male HOSP wi...

Glad others are using the trap door box with sparrow call module. I found it works best when a male HOSP has claimed a gourd or a cavity and regularly perches outside said cavity making his annoying call, then placing the trap on the ground below the cavity. After reading about sparrow trapping on t...

Will be waiting to hear! Trapped the first male sparrow last week, first one we have seen this year. Got him in a Spare-O-Door.

Good luck!

LisaJ, you might look at this topic on the forum, more ways to trap house sparrows. I also sent you an email. Hope you get that sparrow!

https://www.purplemartin.org/forum/view ... ox#p268209

Good luck Kyler! Your layout looks great!

Toy, I always read your posts, learn so much from your expertise. Brutal seasons the last 2 years, but you're still fighting for next year. Thank you for all you do for your martins, they are lucky to have you! It's a good lesson for those of us still trying to get a colony started - takes determina...

Beautiful!

Enjoyed the video Kyler, well done! I still haven't received my summer Update magazine from PMCA, was supposed to be mailed out today. Will be looking forward to reading about you - as I remember someone mentioning your name in connection to the issue.

Congratulations on your season!

What a great season for you! Enjoy watching your videos. Congratulations on your graduation and wishing you the best as you pursue your career goals!

I also removed a blue bird nest with 5 eggs from the house on the opposite side... that was the same day I discovered the 5 Martin eggs, checked again two days later and there were 6 Martin eggs. Wishing you great success with purple martins but please, please do not tamper with bluebird nests. The...

Okie, so glad you posted your success this year! We have no nesting pair this year but are still hopeful for next year. We have one SY male who has been attracting other PM's to our set up. The last couple of days we've had an ASY male and female visiting. No PM has breached our SREH's as yet, but P...

Billie, there are differing opinions on using the dawn song, as evident in discussions on this forum earlier this spring. We stopped playing the dawn song as soon as we had a martin trying to attract others to our site. From what I understand, the best attractant to your site is your visitor who is ...

Billie, so sorry for the loss of your husband. I know I depend on mine for so many things relating to our PM houses, gourds, poles. I can trap sparrows but he does the dispatching. Hopefully, your neighbor's son can take care of your sparrow invaders as they appear. Very excited for you to have purp...

WOW!!!!! So HAPPY for you Sharon! You've been so patient and worked so hard on your site, all the while encouraging everyone else....What a year!!!!