Purple Martin Forum

(Guess I will put tape on the side vents, to keep the draft out some.)

Absolutely, plug up any open vents.

rrmartins, We’ve already used them once this year when the temps dropped to freezing. It’s looking like starting tomorrow night it will be in the 20’s for three nights in a row. Our crazy TX weather :roll: We have gourds and use two “up to 24 hours” hand warmers inside, one on each side. We’ll put s...

We live in Georgetown and don’t have any pine trees. We have always started out with fresh aspen shavings with a little Seven mixed in. We have oak trees nearby. When the birds begin nest building, some kick out all the shavings and bring in oak leaves and sticks. Others leave some of the shavings a...

Mike, Over the years we’ve found our martins are nowhere to be seen in the late afternoon, usually between 3:00-5:00 P.M. They are usually off somewhere finding food. I’ll bet yours will be back. They slip in so fast in the evening and if you aren’t staring at their entrance at just the right time, ...

They didn’t disappoint. Came in at 5:50 this evening and did go into the gourd they told hubby they wanted. Too cute.

We have two poles set up with Troyer gourds. Yesterday morning our first martin of the season arrived and wanted in one of the gourds on Pole 2. We had yet to open the entrances so hubby rushed out and opened three entrances including the one the martin seemed to want. She, yes a female, flew off an...

BioJoe,
Thanks for the update. Google maps can be frustrating at times and I know y’all are doing the best you can to keep this website working at its best. We appreciate your hard work.
Sharon

For the past two days when I enter my state to check the scout arrival the following pops up: “Geocode was not successful for the following reason: REQUEST_DENIED” Is anyone else experiencing this? And what would cause it? Thanks for any help. This has never happened before and it has me baffled (hm...

Our first martins returned on February 5th last year, the earliest in our fifteen years. Usually they return on Valentine’s Day. We are ready and waiting although I always hope they hold off until the worst of winter is over.

Tom, Thank you for the compliments. Yes the heat was brutal. We lost about three birds a few weeks prio to this. It appeared something happened to the parents. We did a nest check just two days before and all appeared OK. Two days later I noticed I hadn’t seen the parents but it was too late. They w...

Lisa, Our last nest just fledged yesterday. We’ve had several visiting martins every day. You can read about our efforts to keep our three babies alive during the hot weather in “Late Nest in TX”. We have a large pond behind our property that would be “spitting distance” for a martin :grin:. We saw ...

They fledged yesterday at 27 days. Hallelujah! We watched into the evening as mom and dad tried to coax the last one out. This morning they were all gone. Fortunately the roost is only about twelve miles away as the martin flies. Thanks to my wonderful hubby who put his heart into first making a lar...

Got up to 111 deg. today. Our three little babies are hanging in there even in this heat. Besides the shade cloth and fan, we are supplementing with crickets and meal worms. Someone is eating them. Hubby, the great guy that he is, has been changing out dual ice packs four times a day. If we can get ...

PMS in Virginia,
I’m sorry I haven’t gotten back to you on the fence charger. I will take a picture of it for you then have my husband explain exactly what and how. That is his baby. I just try to not get electrocuted .
Sharon

We’re putting ice packs in a sock in there now. It’s just too hot. They are pushing up against where the sock is. It’s 104 deg. right now, feels like 110 . Plan to change them out at least twice daily.

It’s really encouraging to hear you had birds fledge so late last year. I’m hoping we can get them through to about July 29 which should be their earliest fledge date. I’m thinking the parents will want to get them out of here as soon as possible. Monday’s temperature is forecast to be 107! We’re st...

Travis Audubon posted today they have received permission to hold the martin parties at the new roost location. The roost is by the Applebee’s at La Frontera in Round Rock. Participants have been asked to park behind the bank, to go early to shop and enjoy the restaurants at the center. For years th...

Today it has hit 105 deg. and “feels like” 109 deg. according to our acurite temperature reading. Hubby has been changing the battery daily on the fan (picture above) he inserted into the cap ventilator and checking to make sure babies are alive. So far the battery has still been working from the da...

I agree there is a definite need for netting in addition to a baffle. Years ago when we got our very first pair of martins, we thought because we had a baffle that all would be OK. Sadly a rat snake got past it and devoured all five of the twelve day old babies plus the adult female. It was a very s...

Here is the other picture. It didn’t post originally.