Search found 4553 matches
- Fri Oct 30, 2020 4:19 pm
- Forum: Purple Martin Forum
- Topic: converting Trio houses
- Replies: 2
- Views: 656
Re: converting Trio houses
If you use round holes and have deep or double units, starlings usually overrun the house quickly.
- Mon Oct 26, 2020 1:38 pm
- Forum: Purple Martin Forum
- Topic: News feature in Columbia MO paper about gourds
- Replies: 1
- Views: 705
News feature in Columbia MO paper about gourds
Young man featured in Columbia MO newspaper about growing purple martin gourds. Aaron Templemire. Aaron's father, Ronnie Templemire, for many years has managed a large colony in Boonville MO and often is among the first in Missouri to report a scout each year. https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news...
- Mon Oct 19, 2020 6:25 am
- Forum: Purple Martin Forum
- Topic: Closing our site
- Replies: 14
- Views: 2721
Re: Closing our site
Larry and Judy I'm sorry you are closing your colony. It's a decision we must all face eventually...I worry about it. Closed out my step father's small colony in Kentucky this last year. Actually gave the housing to a neighbor, but I'm doubtful will be managed. That's the challenge always. Still rem...
- Tue Aug 04, 2020 3:49 pm
- Forum: Purple Martin Forum
- Topic: House Perimeter
- Replies: 4
- Views: 798
Re: House Perimeter
You need a TV antenna! That's where martins perched high when I was a kid. You can add something to the top of your house (your own house or your martin house) but if the site is open martins may need anything. They will use tall tree tops, especially dead limbs high, in the absence of power lines.
- Mon Aug 03, 2020 10:40 am
- Forum: Purple Martin Forum
- Topic: Black Ops Season
- Replies: 3
- Views: 753
Re: Black Ops Season
Thank you for your service. Sometimes us purple martin folks just gotta do what we have to do.
- Mon May 18, 2020 6:30 am
- Forum: Purple Martin Forum
- Topic: Mites
- Replies: 12
- Views: 1443
Re: Mites
Someone here suggested a teaspoon of sevin under nest material. That's probably enough for 10 gourds. Be careful with pesticides.
whew.
John Miller
whew.
John Miller
- Mon May 18, 2020 6:25 am
- Forum: Purple Martin Forum
- Topic: Mites ruined my season
- Replies: 8
- Views: 1222
Re: Mites ruined my season
Permethrin is a long lasting, lab created pesticide that can probably kills birds...will fish. I fear you have overreacted. Mites sometimes explode in numbers after the babies fledge and you will see them moving over gourd surfaces. Mites in great numbers will weaken birds, but they also will tolera...
- Fri Apr 24, 2020 8:54 am
- Forum: Purple Martin Forum
- Topic: Trio Castle Occupancy Issues
- Replies: 7
- Views: 1029
Re: Trio Castle Occupancy Issues
An old castle was donated to Forest Park, St Louis, three years ago and martins love it. It has expanded units. Now it's white because the owner had painted the green beige and I repainted all white and think it looks nice, but attributing high occupancy to all white...I dunno...I think it's the lar...
- Thu Apr 23, 2020 10:22 am
- Forum: Purple Martin Forum
- Topic: Help with Gourd Rack Placement (Aspiring Landlord)
- Replies: 20
- Views: 1775
Re: Help with Gourd Rack Placement (Aspiring Landlord)
Yes...agree closer to your house. Or, looks like a school a block away. This spring the virus concerns here would make meeting with them tough, but consider contacting them in the future. They have a few potential open spaces. Some people don't want to get into public sites, but some folks do (I thi...
- Thu Apr 23, 2020 8:10 am
- Forum: Purple Martin Forum
- Topic: Help with Gourd Rack Placement (Aspiring Landlord)
- Replies: 20
- Views: 1775
Re: Help with Gourd Rack Placement (Aspiring Landlord)
St. Louis needs more housing. We're already near full occupancy at the housing in Forest Park and the Missouri Botanical Garden in the city, and a colony at Creve Coeur Park. Contact me this summer is you want to visit some of these sites and see nesting martins. I am concerned whether your site is ...
- Wed Apr 22, 2020 12:47 pm
- Forum: Purple Martin Forum
- Topic: Outstanding photo from St. Louis
- Replies: 6
- Views: 916
Re: Outstanding photo from St. Louis
No, not time lapse. I have another shot a moment later and another female is in the air with the three males all moved just slightly forward. I don't have permission to post that one, but it's on Facebook, posted by the photographer. John Miller P.S. spoke with the photographer. She replied, pretty ...
- Wed Apr 22, 2020 6:48 am
- Forum: Purple Martin Forum
- Topic: Outstanding photo from St. Louis
- Replies: 6
- Views: 916
Outstanding photo from St. Louis
Want to share a fantastic photo taken last week in Forest Park, St. Louis, by a long-time nature photographer, Marian Brickner. Marian has been spending considerable time getting "flight" shots at one particular house in the park. Shown are four males, three in flight.
- Wed Apr 15, 2020 6:34 pm
- Forum: Purple Martin Forum
- Topic: New colony (maybe) near St. Louis
- Replies: 3
- Views: 544
New colony (maybe) near St. Louis
Very happy that we may have a good start of a new colony near St. Louis, Mo at Riverlands Audubon Center, West Alton, Mo., adjacent to the Mississippi. This should be a good location for martin education. We've had a rack of horizontal gourds there now for four years, but always trying to deal with ...
- Sat Mar 28, 2020 6:16 pm
- Forum: Purple Martin Forum
- Topic: St. Louis Mo arrival pics
- Replies: 4
- Views: 587
Re: St. Louis Mo arrival pics
Hi Brad
Those are sort of aluminum chalets. A landlord in Virginia named Tom Brake is manufacturing them and I wanted to try a few. He calls them "Chirpy nests." They hang much like gourds. They are said to have a lot of nice features including excellent drainage.
John
Those are sort of aluminum chalets. A landlord in Virginia named Tom Brake is manufacturing them and I wanted to try a few. He calls them "Chirpy nests." They hang much like gourds. They are said to have a lot of nice features including excellent drainage.
John
- Sat Mar 28, 2020 1:32 pm
- Forum: Purple Martin Forum
- Topic: St. Louis Mo arrival pics
- Replies: 4
- Views: 587
St. Louis Mo arrival pics
Couple of pics from St. Louis. First is from Forest Park, golf course site. Spotted two males and a female yesterday. Other martin vocalizing is on a house at Creve Coeur Park, St. Louis County, photo by volunteer Karen Meyer who manages the colony there. We have about 70 pairs that nest each season...
- Sun Mar 01, 2020 4:20 pm
- Forum: Purple Martin Forum
- Topic: PMCA Wing Entrapment Protectors heads up....
- Replies: 27
- Views: 3250
Re: PMCA Wing Entrapment Protectors heads up....
Brent Probably would reduce risk a great deal. I'd personally also recommend getting some kind of PVC trim to fill in the bottom a little as well, so that a wing doesn't overhang there. This is because Trendsetter crescents are 1/2 inch off the floor. I'd not go flush, but approx. 1/8 inch below the...
- Sat Feb 29, 2020 9:40 am
- Forum: Purple Martin Forum
- Topic: PMCA Wing Entrapment Protectors heads up....
- Replies: 27
- Views: 3250
Re: PMCA Wing Entrapment Protectors heads up....
well I'm contrary on this issue because I've pushed for a decade for a more effective PMCA wing entrapment protector. Not sure new design is perfect, but should help.
Surely the issue with Troyer Tunnels is one for Troyer to address, not the PMCA.
John Miller
Surely the issue with Troyer Tunnels is one for Troyer to address, not the PMCA.
John Miller
- Sat Feb 29, 2020 6:17 am
- Forum: Purple Martin Forum
- Topic: PMCA Wing Entrapment Protectors heads up....
- Replies: 27
- Views: 3250
Re: PMCA Wing Entrapment Protectors heads up....
Ya'll probably could take a hack saw and trim the height of the new guards to fit. Mark a line how much you want to remove from each leg then lay the guard flat and secure it some way to saw. It's soft plastic so cuts fairly easily. Over the last decade I have purchased many PMCA guards to double th...
- Tue Feb 25, 2020 1:29 pm
- Forum: Purple Martin Forum
- Topic: PMCA Wing Entrapment Protectors heads up....
- Replies: 27
- Views: 3250
Re: PMCA Wing Entrapment Protectors heads up....
Brad I have used the WEPs this way, but gets expensive. I have as an alternative cut a ring 3/4 inch wide off thin wall, 3 inch diameter PVC drain pipe. Then use tin snips to cut out an arch that I added to fronts, using white Quad Caulk as a glue and to fill in gaps. I don't see that the photo of t...
- Mon Feb 10, 2020 8:35 am
- Forum: Purple Martin Forum
- Topic: Emil, Your Sideboards
- Replies: 42
- Views: 11518
Re: Emil, Your Sideboards
Arch guard looks great. One can make the guards out of thin wall PVC, 3 inch diameter. With thin, I first cut a 3/4 inch ring (as shown) but can use tin snips to next trim out an arch to fit...cutting a little at a time to get right fit (not a tool guy). Comes in 8 foot lengths from home centers.