Purple Martin Forum

Craig, the exact same thing happened to me yesterday. I had not seen a house sparrow for days. I came home from running errands and I saw a male hosp. carrying out a Martin egg. It was a Subbie pair and he destroyed their eggs. I trapped him within hours in the spare o door. Another aggressive male ...

Actually your site is perfect for Martins. If that was my place j would put up a gourd rack Asap two feet further away from fence with snake netting and a predator guard. You will have more martins than you'll know what to do with.

I was under the impression that English house sparrow were actually of the finch family. Correct me if I'm wrong. Thanks.

I am in Tulsa Oklahoma I am short 18 pair as of today. I had 1 Asy female grounded and she is at the rehabber and I lost another Asy female to a vehicle hit and run. I have a few unmated Asy males and one single Subbie male. I won't complain because I do have 20 pair nesting and a few on eggs. I wor...

Today March 31st I can report 15 to 20 pair at my colony in Brookside Tulsa. I have several unmated Asy males. The Hawks are relentless hitting decoys daily. I purchased some dove decoys yesterday and plan to place them in around the yard and on the fence line. Last night at roost time I had several...

Okie, hope you get several Martin's on your set up this year.

I had 2 asy males come into roost tonight. Can't wait to get up tomorrow morning.

Okie, I had two Asy Males last week do several fly-bys. Then this cold snap came in. Haven't seen anything since. My bet is by Friday I will have a few. Good luck this year. Last year my first arrived on feb. 29th.

Okie, that Martin did not roost here tonight as I suspected. Starlings are thick here but not showing interest in my housing. The sparrows are relentless. I'm trapping up to 10 per day. They are thinning out though
I hope my Martin's don't show up until March.

Was out back with my dogs and heard a martin. I thought it might be a mocker. I looked up to the west and sure enough I saw an asy male flying fast to the north. I am convinced this is a migrating Martin and not from my colony. I am one block from the Arkansas river. I will not post this as an offic...

Okie, I will try to make it down there.

Dick that cat was walking toward the corner tree at 6th and Frisco. That might explain why the birds have shifted from those trees. Okie, my birds are long gone. My last subbie pair fledged 2 out of 4. One was dead in compartment and one jumped early and didn't make it.

Dick, I was there last night in front of the doubletree. I was bombarded with questions from hotel guests about the martins. I gave basic info and directed them to the website. One of the guests said yesterday he found 3 dead ones in the parking lot. Tens of thousands of them at the roost last night...

I am very sad. Will miss her posts.

I believe they drop the dragonfly to see if it is still alive and if it is they fly around with it until it's dead then feed the young.

All my birds have fledged except 2 subbie pairs have young. There is a small staging area on the giant power lines and pole at e36th and riverside dr. I noticed several martins on the wires and flying around. This morning I went out to check on the 2 pair left and yet ANOTHER rat snake in the nettin...

I would buy a misting sprinkler , just don't get the nests wet. Good luck!

I also have yet another myth buster!. I have an ASY male that lost his mate or she left not sure. This guy never let's a good dragonfly go to waste. If the bug is dropped when feeding he simply drops to the ground picks up the bug and flies to the gourd to feed the brood. This is unusual.

Okie, you are welcome to see my Martin colony, I wish you had let me know earlier. I have to go out of town for a short trip to OKC. They will be all fledged by the time I get back. They are already thinning out now. The season is winding down. But we still have the roost.

I have 2 jumpers, and believe it or not, I'm still scratching my head on this one. These guys are catching small bugs in the grass and the adults are feeding them on the ground as well. My yard is fenced in and I am not worried about stray cats. I will leave them be since I am not sure which hole th...