Purple Martin Forum

Hello! It is possible that they are your birds, another possibility is that they are birds moving through the area to join pre-migratory roosts. Maybe just nosy and checking out the real estate :lol:.Even before I had a colony, I would sometimes count 40+ birds on the utility lines overlooking my ye...

Well folks- not to keep this thread lingering, but... we had ANOTHER snake. Unfortunately, this one got in :cry: . On this week's nest check I was absolutely shocked to find the largest rat snake I've ever seen inside our T-14 with (unfortunately) a very full belly. How it got past our baffle and ne...

Beautiful, Scott! Hope your season has been wonderful despite Kentucky’s weird weather.

Well Jones, me too. Apparently, we live in snakey places. This morning we had the second rat snake capture in a week. Walked out for morning coffee on the porch only to hear the unmistakable alarm cries and see a 'ball of birds' swirling around but not landing on the housing. Sure enough, caught in ...

For anyone following this thread, I can share this link I found on the forum. I do well with photos, and this has three versions for consideration. I would still love to hear from any of you happily using 'zapper' systems.

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This morning makes the second time that the snake netting on our T-14s caught a would-be predator. I was late to work :oops:, but the martins are safe and the rat snake was released unharmed. While I appreciate the efficacy of the snake netting- it is a hassle when doing nest checks and is pretty ha...

For anyone following this thread- I'm happy to report that all but one dampish nest had completely dried out by our follow up nest checks (5 days later). The remaining gourd nest with 6 eggs would probably have been okay, but those parents had used some mulch pieces (odd!) that still seemed slightly...

Thanks very much for the insights, Stan and BB. Definitely don't want to do more harm than good! I'll be curious to see how things look on our next check. Appreciate your replies, best wishes for a productive season!

We've been experiencing a bit of a spring monsoon season in central KY. Everyone says 'we're in a drought!"... but it sure hasn't seemed like it the past two weeks or so. We were able to do our third nest check on Friday- finally a time we were at home, it wasn't raining, and it was the proper ...

Congratulations on your gourd nesters. :) I too use garden stakes as perches. They are widely available, lightweight, and easy to cut to length. When I had S&K barns, I installed them in the groove on the edge of the roof (above the top porch) if that makes sense. If not.. I will try to find a p...

Congrats! I also use garden stakes for perches- they are widely available, lightweight, and easy to cut to length. When I had the S&K barns, I found they were a perfect fit in the groove along the front of the roofline (above the upper porch). Hope that makes sense- if not I can try to find a ph...

Hi flyin-lowe, I don't have quite the longevity of your colony, but I experienced a similar trend this year. My returnees have usually appeared slowly, maybe one or two at a time. This year, our first ASY-M arrived but was alone for about two weeks. Then.... this weekend happened. The martin bus arr...

So happy to read your update! You are well on your way- congratulations! Enjoy every minute.

Oh gosh- isn't it interesting how martins come from everywhere to encourage newbies on fledging day? An entertaining group effort, for sure. Hang in there. It sounds like you are trying the right things- the Dawn Song/chatter recordings are proven helps! Have you considered using martin decoys on th...

Hi Martinmelody, I truly don't think you did anything wrong- the season is still pretty early. Apologies if I missed it, but do you already have an established colony, or are you looking to start a new one? If you already have a colony and are awaiting return, I completely understand how the 'watch ...

Happy Spring, Jones! Glad to hear of your returnees- looks like you're about a week ahead of me. Just got my first bird (ASY-M) on Saturday. Wishing you a wonderful season

Thank you so much for the replies- I appreciate the insight and reassurance! It helps to know others have successfully forged through similar changes. Now I try to wait patiently...

Two T14s spring 2026 small.jpg Hi Everyone, For the past four years, we've been fortunate to watch our small colony grow to 34 pairs. Initially we offered a variety of housing in hopes of catching the eyes of interested and unattached martins- barns and gourds at first, and then we added a T14 to t...

I ordered the cooling caps and will give them a try this season. I'm curious how you added the vents to the clean out caps? The caps I have are the snap-on type, and I have to make absolutely sure they are on tight after nest checks... if not, they can blow off. I'm concerned that adding the elbow c...

Hey there- thanks so much for the reply and suggestion! I saw the cooling caps on the S&K website, but haven't actually chatted with anyone that's used them. From the design they looked watertight, but I wasn't sure how effective they would be in releasing heat- so I'm pleased to know you've had...