Purple Martin Forum

Thank you very much Jody. I have decided after this season that my goal is 20 or so pairs, and I'll stop there. Otherwise I may drive my neighbors insane.

My little colony of eight pairs seems to be doing well this year! As of last check I had 29 hatchlings/nestlings plus eight unhatched eggs. I have an SY pair that is incubating 5 eggs. My oldest nestlings are about 20 days old, so this week will be the last nest check until they fledge. It is really...

Tony, I'm glad to hear you are up to four pairs! That's great. I've been watching my martins recently. All of them are feeding young except for one pair that's still incubating eggs. It is fascinating watching them come and go from the gourds. It is constant activity that is well coordinated too. Th...

Congratulations Jose. I should have some fledging in about two more weeks.

He he. Believe me, Martins are not that "high classed". If a T-14 is in a good location, it will be used, as will most anything else. Martins mainly want to feel safe. My colony has only been in gourds since day 1. I use Bo-9 and Bo-11 plastic gourds with tunnels and porches and some minor personal ...

This photo proves it IMO. This male has two legs, I know because I have proof. But the image shows him on one leg.







His other leg has been pulled up as he rested.

Yes, I have read that they can do what you describe. It aids them at night when they need to sleep, yet be alert, as well. It would be nice to be able to do that as humans.

Awwww, that is so beautiful! Tears of JOY for you and your very fortunate Purple Martins! Blessed are you among birders. (And so are your birds) It shocked me to see her there. I had no clue that she was still sitting on her eggs. When I took the cap off, she flinched a little and one of her eggs r...

Great photos Chuck. She looks like a pretty old girl? That picture in flight is once-in-a-lifetime! Ed. Ed, yes she is an older female I think. One of my ASY females is even older than her I believe. I call her granny. She's the darkest, and she has a very deep raspy voice. She is always the first ...

Thanks you guys! I 've always had the hope of getting to see one of the lady martins on her eggs during a nest check. I'm very happy to have been able to experience it. It was truly unexpected.

I did a nest check today. I am officially up to eight pairs this year as my SY pair has three eggs in the nest! So I have 37 eggs between 7 nests. The eighth nest (in gourd J) has 3 hatchlings at one week old. Only three out six eggs hatched. But the three hatchlings all looked healthy. I was reward...

Nice work Jose! I really like the second shot of SY male.

It is a fact, I have observed it myself. For my area in the southern US, it's not just southerly winds in the states, but throughout the Gulf of Mexico too. Sometimes the gulf can be cut off by a northerly flow over the gulf, which can retard northward migration. But it is also dependent on the prev...

Nice video work there Bulldog1. Watching the female's behavior is very interesting. I think she is aware that the camera is there. She either sees something that is different, or hears it. I wonder if go pros use active autofocusing? I think the camera sends out a signal to stay focused, and she pro...

Thanks for sharing the link Louise. That's unusual that they are saying landlords don't need to do nest checks. I agree with them though if it helps to get landlords to at least put up housing for martins. Nest checks and keeping good records are needed to locate potential problems. I think people ...

Anthony Neira wrote:Chuck ! Congrats ! ( clapping in the background ! ) Bravo !!

Thanks Anthony. I'm glad things seem to be progressing well. I hope they continue to do so.

Lady Bluebird!

Today's nest check revealed three newly born Purple Martins, plus 36 eggs between 7 nests! There is also a nearly completed nest built by an SY pair! I am very pleased that things seem to be going well for my birds this year. I also have a new Bluebird pair that has taken a keen interest in my unocc...

Tony, it could have been a fight, old age or an accident that killed that ASY male. It amazes me that they don't end up dead more frequently! I have seen them come down so fast and fly into their gourd. If they hit wrong, it could cause some injuries or death easily I'd think. Yes, there's only so m...