....well, I went out tonight with some dried crickets in some water to moisten them up and the male that was sitting on the porch swooped and swore at me a few time but wasn't interested in the crickets.....he flew off and never looked back....a female came out of a different compartment and just fl...

Hey Mike ....thanks for responding wow......70 degrees....we are really looking forward to that.....but the snow just keeps coming.........

...thank you for the advice....will try the feeding after work tomorrow...have a tray that they come to for eggshells and pine needles....have not trained them to catch food....but will give it a go....have some mealworms, crickets, and grasshoppers all dried....will soak in water first.....my wife ...

...My Martins started arriving home this week....Last night I counted at least 8 landing and scooting in their compartments just before dark....now tonight it's snowing a lot...ALOT!!!...thru tonight they are predicting 2 1/2 inches with temps in the 30's......40's-50's tomorrow and 60's on Friday.....

....Congrats Mitch.....guess I can get off the wannabe list also, with 9 pair, and 36 fledge this year...I think that I worry more now that I have them, than I did just trying to get them (took 20+ years)..I'm surrounded by woods and I am always hearing owls hooting all the time....maybe the nitelig...

...Hey Donnie......lights don't seem to bother pm's .....otherwise they wouldn't set up colonies in town, i would guess ....I bet your yard looks pretty snazzy with all the lights....haha! Las Vegas....I like that!!...sorry to hear bout your getting broken into.....we haven't had that problem around...

.....hi...and thanks for responding Donnie.....what kind of solar lights do you have ? Do they change color? any pics/info would be helpful......a lot of great horned owls around here....so i worry....If you're in/near north prairie.....you should be able to get all kinds of pm's near the mississipp...

....that's right jh.....never give up! I tried for 20+ yrs and only got my first pair 2 years ago.....2 pair last year with a loss of 5 babies (and with 5 surviving)......this year I've got 4 pairs w/18 babies, and 2 sy males and 1 sub female that can't seem to get it right.......never!.....ever giv...

......pic if my site.....

....I've put up 3 moon ray solar operated lights on 3 out of 4 of my martinhouse poles. ( at eye level opposite my winches) I put them up after the first eggs (two weeks ago) appeared, so the martins would get used to seeing them.......has anyone mounted them on top of the pm houses to more effectiv...

...thank you....that's good to know......Ive also been reading on here that, to keep housing up thru aug/ sept to entice south bound birds for next year......thanks for responding.....mrk

question.....is it too late for pairing up, nesting and eggs in central mn.....?.......thanks for any response......Mark

...

..hello Ed ....thanks for responding......couldn't see the numbers on the red band ....saw a 3 and a 5 on the silver band.....tried the spotting scope also.....not much luck......had a storm on the 11th....11inches of rain...worked all night on outages....came home 28 hrs later to find 30ft of my dr...

....Thanks for replying, Okie................ my favorite comedian was "George"...who was "talker" too......a pure genius......"Stay Safe"......mrk

thanks all....Ed....wow!....makes one wonder about these beautiful birds, and, how complex their world really can be........fwiw....he is nesting in a homebuilt t14....not a gourd.....!....so what determines their choice of housing? Does the female make that choice?.....I have an sy male who has bee...

....Thanks for the responses.....Ed, it does have the red band on the right leg.....can't make out the numbers on the band.....will try a spotting scope...........we are 10 miles nw of Milaca mn........mrk

Hello All........I have two pair of adult martins this year with 10 eggs as of last friday........notice one of the males has a red band on it's leg...anyone local in this area doing any banding...? (near Milaca Mn) ...Also have another question, is it too late for another nesting pair this year? Th...

congrats Daryl....I've been trying myself for 25 yrs ....first pair last year fledged 3....this year have 2 pair and started with 4 babies and 6 eggs....nest check today....2 babies (1 dead, one missing) in one nest, and four babies in the other.....no blowfly larvae, no mites or fleas.....lot of sp...