Purple Martin Forum

Had a hawk incident last night. We were out on the porch At dusk watching the martins blues and tree swallows and a hawk came out of nowhere the martins sounded the alarm but he grabbed one mid flight. I’ve seen the martins drive away a hawk during the day. Is there something about dusk that prevent...

Forth year landlord here. I’ve had tree swallows and bluebirds nesting within 30 ft of my martins. Usually the TS and blues are already nesting when the martins arrive. This year the blues started but the martins showed up only a few days after the TS. I opened the Martin housing we are up to about ...

I have an 18 x25 for ornamental koi pond with a waterfall about 60 feet from the martins I have seen them flying down scooping in for a drink. I also have many natural ponds 1/2 to 2 miles in any direction

Hope you feel better!
Here in Townsend DE both my poles snapped at the base
Luckily no martins were injured I temporarily raised both before the martins returned
Both are 1 pole section shorter and I only raise them 3/4 of the way
Need to get new pole sections

Well Real bad weather came through here high winds rain etc Both my Martin rigs blew down bent poles at the base. Luckily no martins were in at the time no nesting started here yet but a few of the gourds were damaged I was able to put up the tri telescope pole minus the bottom pole and my other rou...

Having same problem of stagings getting into supposed excluder entrances I raised the floors to totally level and it seems to have helped but still have at least one getting in and building a nest. My in nest trap seems too small for a starling I will lower house and block entrance after dark to dis...

This is my third year and never had a problem with starlings and starling resistant entrances until now A pair penetrated a gourd and built a nest I then made all the entrances flush with the floor with no gap and the martins initially struggled but get in and the relentless starling is now getting ...

Hi all Third year here never had a starling problem but they seem to be getting into the crescent openings and the crescents with the cut off ends(not sure what they are called ) I added porches to the normal crescent to make them flush and put a slab of corrugated pvc to lift up the porch on the go...

Same problem here. This will be my third season after 2 successful years. We are leaving on Friday for 6 days don’t have Martins yet but I expect any day since they have been reported fairly close by. Right now I have a few opened until I hopefully see something before Friday. If not I’ll open all b...

Had a first
While cutting the grass I usually have TS barn swallows following me picking off the bugs I kicked up. Well tonight I had a few martins doing the same. Never have then done it. This year or last.
They were flying pretty low not their usual higher up.

Well it seems a small hawk, either a coopers or broad wing can’t tell made a visit to the 2 set ups while I was out watching. We have 2 Riggs both apartment style with gourds under all but 2 compartments occupied with eggs all the way up to 2 nests already fledge. I heard the alarm call and the litt...

We have a red tailed hawk hanging around looking for the abundant baby rabbits and checking out the chickens ( who are locked up). The martins sound the alarm every time and chase him away

Newly hatched chicks in one of the houses one looks very pale. What’s up with that?

Just did my nest check and I have 3 nests that had eggs gone. I also had a best 3weeks ago with displaced eggs spread about that I replaced in nest and were displaced again a week later I removed them and there is a new batch off eggs. Seems the SY’s are being a problem this year. Didn’t have this i...

Wonderful!

First nest hatched other day many more due in next week or so!

17 nests with eggs two of which have 6 eggs each.
Still some complete nests without eggs.
I did have one nest where the eggs were scattered I replaced in nest. Will wait and see. I suspect SY interference

Very excited to say we have 23 nests so far 3 with eggs. all but one cavity in the new rig occupied(7 of 8 gourds all 8 oversized compartments) The original set up about 30feet away has 5 of 6 gourds occupied three have eggs and 2 of 6 compartments occupied. I’m very happy with the number of pairs H...

Nest building here as well left a few piles of pine needles close by saw a few martins on the ground pulling dead grass carrying up to houses.

Lots of tree swallows here now
I’m lucky they stay away from the Martin housing but annoy the blue birds who just starting laying.