Purple Martin Forum

First have to say I love raptors and other birds just not around my martin colony. My old property I sold I had major cooper hawk problems, they lived in the area. My new property and home now, the landscaping was designed around my martin colony. So I hope I never have to experance the hawk problem...

My close friend use wood chips. I think he has more problems with wet nest and mites then I do, but can't tell him anything. And I know of his mite problem because I band all his chicks each year. I just think the pine straw is thinner so it doesn't hold the moisture as well as a thicker piece of wo...

Its nice if you can teach your marting to accept supplement food when needed. But one thing you might have down there that we don't always have up here is open water, sometime things are still frozen up here when the birds return. Not knowing if have the same bugs down there as us but you can get ha...

As far as getting the martins to start accepting crickets can be tricky the first time. The good thing about getting your martin colony started to accept flicked up cricket. Once they learn what you are doing there will always be some in the colony that will remember it in following years. Now this ...

[quote=Spiderman post_id=294891 time=1612274745 user_id=4020] If you live on the lake, pond, or a creek, you might think about putting up a Wood Duck house. You can order one online or build one out of a 2X12. It needs to be on 1&1/2 or 2" pole about 10' off of the ground, about 5' from wat...

One suggestion I can think of is when you do start doing nest checks, best to do mid day or so. Most martins lay there egg early morning, and a lot of feeding after that. So just try to do most nest check when you feel you will not be disturbing them the least. And the more you interact with them th...

Very interesting article, but like most studies depends on if your 100 percent non-bias one way or another before you start a study. Even if someone else did the same study and came up with the same results I will still contunied to do nest changes. It seen to make me feel better about MYmartin colo...

I did back in 2015 when I sold my home and moved 60 miles away. Had and established martin colony with two houses a T14, a T18 and gourd pole. I took the gourd pole with me because every thing was home made and heavy duty. And that was the easest thing for me to get set up quick at my new place to s...

My Problems were with cooper hawks, and was only in the begining of the season and the end of season. I had a steady colony of 47-50 birds untill the coppers found my colony, after that it was 38-40 pairs. It was hard for the coopers to attacks when the colony was at full force. But then there was a...

[quote=Whippy post_id=294742 time=1611856022 user_id=19544] Mike, This is a stupid question to ask a Martening veteran but have you put up decoys around the area? I feel like Flounder in Animal House "Are you guys playing cards?" I did this last year and did not lose a single Martin to the...

It will not hurt to play the dawn song or Day time chatter one more year. The reason saying you have a pair that is loyal to come back to your place as long as they don't die on the way back. But they will return as adults birds and especially if the dark male makes it back he will sing his heart ou...

You are installing new so I am forced to put in my two cents for you to think what might work best for you. I am in MN so my birds might act a little different and humidity and a lot of things might be different. I also don't like cutting people products down so with out saying any names, any gourd ...

Alfie it sounds like your getting your place where it need to be and then only time will help. But for all the other newbe's just a few other things to consider. Sounds like you have the tree modified not to be a problem. The rule of thump of trees being close is, If the tree can tip over and touch ...

[quote=ChickenMan post_id=294697 time=1611669308 user_id=24219] [b]Barrier 4: Community. [/b] There are some great people on here- but it seems most are here to just talk to others like them, and not try to bring people to the hobby or help them. Absolutely there are people helping others, that's no...

There is a very strong possibility your right about them not being able to get back out. Not sure what the Nature Line gourds are like or how true the enterances are from factory. I once wow some gourds at a Martin event and the entrences did vary on a couple of enterances not alowing some martins t...

[quote=DBH post_id=294664 time=1611521025 user_id=24288] I have never pre nested before and I’m torn wether to do it or not. Yes I understand it helps the martins out and they can go straight to laying eggs. But at the same time I feel like we are taking even more wild away from the birds, one day t...

[quote=SSMartin post_id=294663 time=1611520947 user_id=22835] Someone posted a photo of a white one last year. Really cool bird. I have never seen one but as you stated their appearance puts them at much of a disadvantage for survival. [/quote] Was hoping that the people that have had them at there ...

My question is how many people have ever had a Albino or Leuctic or duc color martin at there martin colony? And more inportant was it in the spring of year or during the fall migration? The reason for my asking I have been looking at some of my old Purple Martin Update magazine. In spring of 2019 U...

Just remember what works for one colony may not work on the next colony. And a lot has to do where you live, My colony is in Central MN and my colony dose not get the Blow flys problems like some get in souther parts of our state. As far as Sevin dust I have used it some times if things get real bad...

As long as the ponds keep warming up there should be some bug hatches. If not and still worried buy some crickets to try training to feed and eat after the haven't eaten for three days. I have had crickets in freezer from last year, some nutrition may be gone but if there hungary they may feed on th...