Purple Martin Forum

Good for you Sharon! I have followed your posts on the forum for awhile and agree you have done all the right things to attract what used to be called "America's most wanted bird".....Enjoy them!!

Our first ASY birds showed up on April 13 this year in spite of the terrible weather. We have not seen sub-adults yet. Last year we saw the first SY birds the end of May...Good luck!

We are in northern IL McHenry county, howdy neighbor! In our experience direction of opening doesn't much matter, but too close to trees does...Some uninformed people insist because it's a bird, housing needs to be near a tree!

Fragile return of purple martins to date...weather little above freezing during the day...below freezing at night...If that wasn't bad enough, right before my eyes, I witnessed a hawk take a ASY as it was skimming along the farm field most likely after an insect...I need to put down the binoculars! ...

We saw our first two ASY on Friday 4/13...same weather pattern you describe at our place (IL/WI border)...extremely disappointing!

....A quick "hard boil" of the eggs worked for us!....Gently place eggs in hot water for a 20 to30 seconds, then quickly return eggs to the nest. Adult sparrows eventually either abandon the nest or get trapped.

We keep traps going all season long thereby assuring a "sparrow free" environment!...Certainly not a pleasant task, but a necessary one.

So glad to see your post from Twin Lakes....the only "local" connection we have to purple martin landlords! (Spring Grove IL is only a couple of miles away from Twin Lakes). Yesterday was same as usual for us....but we are grateful for the birds we have so far this season!...Only 8 AYS to ...

Devastated here so far in extreme northern Illinois with migration this year! So far only 8 ASY birds at our colony!...Weather has certainly been a factor, but I am afraid something more serious has happened!

Sara, glad to see you on the forum!....Fond memories of you and fam in Antioch....You came out to our house in Spring Grove (IL/ WI border) to check out our possibilities of attracting pm's....Sure enough, you were right! Eventually we hosted our first pair in 02, then not again till 06...after that...

My solution in the past was to "gently" hard boil them and return them to the nest!

We are in extreme northern IL (right on IL/WI border)...observed the first tree swallows at our site this am. Then before my very eyes was a beautiful ASY male purple martin!.....So excited!...Let the fun begin!

I would like to see two letter state ID as part of all members identification.
Anyone agree?

Thank you Larry for your suggestion. However, I am searching for decorative clings in the shape of purple martins to keep other song birds from hitting our windows. I am currently using Easter and St. Patrick's Day gels on the windows, but still searching for the purple martin image.

We have windows that reflect and seems to be targets for bird hits! We have several gel clings which help; however, I have been unable to find any purple martin clings....I have exhausted websites without luck.....any suggestions?