Purple Martin Forum

I checked the public site at Lake Beaverfork that Kent and I maintain yesterday. Only 5 of 32 nests were lost so they fared much better out there. Martins here at my house appear to be renesting so I think all is good for now.

Thanks all. I did not supplemental feed due to lack of time and in my mind I mistakenly thought since it got above 50 each day they would be ok. It did not reach 50 until later in the morning a few days and there was a lot of rain off and on so it kept them from being able to keep up the demand of f...

Did a nest check today. Every chick (30+) except for ones born today are dead. I am assuming this weather has kept the parents from finding enough food. Very sad to see. I am hoping that the pairs with lost nests will renest. I have approximately 20 pair. More than half are still sitting on eggs. Th...

Greg,

Welcome. Nice to see another Arkansan on the forum and another Greg. Sounds like you have a great setup. I plan on getting everything ready here this weekend. Cutting it down to the wire.They will be here soon!

Greg in Conway

Great job on the interview and great job on the project!

I know how you feel. My colony started the same year yours did, and I only had 2 pair last year. A SY Female did this last year at my house. Luckily she laid the rest of the eggs in her actual nest. I watched it each day, then placed the lone egg in the real nest. All the eggs hatched and fledged. I...

Congrats on the arrival. Hope you have a good season.

Greg in Conway

Is the house turning or is the whole pole moving? If the whole pole is moving and it is inserted into a ground socket, you can buy some rubber base board material-buy it a a big box store-enough to go more than half way around the base of your pole. If you buy 1 foot of the material that will be way...

Kathy, We added the Gemini rack to the public site. Kent Justus and I put up a homemade gourd rack for the first rack in 2009. It is a beautiful gourd rack, but it was very time consuming to construct, along with preparing the natural gourds. We actually purchased the Gemini in 2010 and planned on p...

Thanks Tim and Landonn.

Tim-I hope you don't have to wait 3-4 years either, especially after having such a successful colony at your old house. Did you leave any housing at all at the old house? I assume you took it down unless the new owners were into hosting martins.


Greg

I have been driving out to the public site we manage at Beaverfork Lake off and on all week this past week to see if the birds have arrived yet. I went out there this evening and there were 5 birds feeding over the rack we put up there 2 years ago. 3 males and 2 females. I was so excited to have the...

Larry,
I would be willing to do presentations here in Arkansas if anything ever develops. We have a public colony site here that would be easy to use for that purpose and I would love to help out.

Greg

I finally have a colony started in my back yard! I had 3 pair this year and 13 fledged this week. It has been absolutely great having them here. This is my 4th year trying as an adult. I tried for 7 years as a child, but never even had a visitor. In 2007 I had 2 pair, but a hawk got on the house and...

Glad you got your birds today, and glad to see another person from Arkansas posting on here. I have noticed a lot of new birds this week at a public site I manage. I also had 2 visitors at my house today for the first time this year. Hope you have a good season.

Greg

Tom,
I have a Trendsetter 12 and absolutely love it. Very well built and you don't have to do any assembly for the house. There are a few steps to secure the winch, pulley, etc., but it is very easy to do.

Greg

Beggin4Birds, I know exactly where you are coming from with your question on too much housing. This is going to be my 4th year trying at home. I currently have multiple houses/gourds in my yard and I even added a new house in my neighbor's yard this year. I know when a lone bird comes for a visit an...

Mike, Congratulations on you guys accomplishments! Once you get your purple martin housing up on campus, keep us posted with what is going on with that. I hope you guys can attract some to successfully nest there. It will be fun for the kids to experience starting a new purple martin colony. Take ca...

Mike,
That is absolutely awesome! You are doing a great job with those kids. They will always remember the impact you have had on their lives, and the purple martins are going to benefit too. Keep up the good work.

Greg Pillow in Conway

Tim, If your martins don't show up soon, why don't you come up to Conway. Kent and I brought home 102 natural gourds from Mississippi last weekend. They need cleaning, holes cut out, entrances put on, lids put on, painted, caulked, wires put in, drain holes drilled, etc. etc. By the time you get don...

Thanks for the report. I put our gourds at Beaverfork Lake (just north of Conway), back up on the rack last weekend. I expect to see the martins soon, even though it would probably be best for them to wait a few more days. Good luck to you this year.

Greg