Purple Martin Forum

Well done! Very well done. You saved those martins. Will you keep offering the feeding platform? Sounds like you have saved the martins and sounds like you and your birds are well prepared for the weather now. Must have been very rewarding watching them come around. Last year we had those June beetl...

Ok very cool, well thought out, be great to see them up. Lots of room for them in there. Yep a camera is coming!
Thanks sir

Boy thats great. Watch what happens, they have the whole place to themselves don't be surprised if they jump around. Congrats!

Unk,
Looks good, will the red flags stay so you can raise them when occupied? Be kinda fun.

Do those boxes allow light to pass through, not too thin? And t hose brackets won't tear the plastic say after season of wind will it?

They look great and a good job.
Yom

Thats great and I'm sure they have been busy at it, once one starts they all do. I miss that part, so much fun to watch. First year I was glued to nest building, a female liked her twigs and longer sticks but would hold them horizontally and try to enter, she would fight and fight and then pout. It ...

Shooting sparrows: iv tried the blind, works great if they become familiar with it and its not viewed as a threat. Open windows work well too. Yep they are smart, neighbor directly across from me has a single story heath up, right in front. 3 pairs of martins in there, same as last year but sparrows...

Your birds are in good hands Duke. Tough to tear away from watching birds especially in the evening. They will be in more soon as the eggs are laying. If you go, can't miss them, probably 5 feet from the walkway next to the kiddie park. 12 Gourds and a trio mini. They are well adjusted to people.

Haha, its what my wife says. She calls them bad tenants, top of the line everything, shoot id put in wifi for them, then they leave the place a mess.
Congrats!!

Man thats great!!!! It takes a bit, harder on us than them i think. I'm very glad they took to the crescents, it really is peace of mind. I dream of round holes, wish we could offer them but cannot. I'm sure the martins would be happy. You are well on the way. That was a good group of martins, with ...

Haha, well best laid plans gone to the dogs! Or birds.
Congrats and enjoy the fun. Id have given up too, wow talk about determined birds.

Eventually he will lose out and just nose his way in. Its so much fun to watch! Had a pair defend two gourds, for a long time I thought both occupied. Then kept seeing female and male defend one gourd from intruders, then after it calms down either he or she would jump to the gourd they wanted to be...

Duke,
Rough start lost 4 martins. Hate losing the oldest birds. But 26 cavities are full, guy down the street has 8 super gourds on a lonestar rack full up. Nest building well on the way. Our satellite site at the oso preserve has 5 or 6 pair up from last year.
Season is going fast.

Morning Duke,
Was a bit worried, hadn't heard anything after the freeze. Thats a great set up, and lots and lots of martins. Congrats man.
Im glad the martins at west guth are coming back; the two sites we talked about aren't quite what they were.
Tom

shell get her pick! congrats!!!

what type of housing do you have? does your site have trees? honestly 2 years isn't long but perhaps some description could help us help you out.
Tom

Just my opinion but its not a tough call at all. To keep them safe from starlings, there needs to be some type of SREH. I know its a personal decision. Martins will adjust. Last night I watched a SY male try and try to get into an excluder entrance at our satellite site, one of the most restrictive ...

Sounds like you need an immediate fix, go for the flex seal. May be a bugger getting off but I'd do it. Hope the surgery goes ok!

Welcome to the world of being a landlord, and yep happy wife happy life!

Randy, suppose you have little choice otherwise? is space too tight? Guess it depends on the height of the building vs your rack; you had some martin visitors last year, but they didn't stay...not a bad sign actually...do you believe it was the position/trees? ours are close to the house (15 feet) b...

He could fit, lots of people are using those entrances, what he didnt like was the pressure on his back. Give him a bit of time before you make any adjustments. Its hard to watch and you are sure you did something wrong, he just needs to push through it. He will. Trust me been there, agonizing about...

Hey whippy,
Very glad to hear that hawk problem is behind you, feared the worst.