Purple Martin Forum

Yes, it's absolutely cold and nasty here in Michigan today! Switching constantly between rain and snow. Winds 15 mph+ with wind chills around 30. I have four ASY guys here and they have been HUNGRY!!!!! They must have been here before and caught crickets. They picked up on it again quick and I have ...

Yes, it's absolutely cold and nasty here in Michigan today! Switching constantly between rain and snow. Winds 15 mph+ with wind chills around 30. I have four ASY guys here and they have been HUNGRY!!!!! They must have been here before and caught crickets. They picked up on it again quick and I have ...

I know that pole guards have been gone over before but I need some help.

What size pipe do I use?

Does the pipe sit on the ground or fastened higher up the pole?

Thanks for the help!
Pictures would be appreciated too!

Allen

Hey V & B! Down here in SE Michigan things are hopping! I expanded my colony this year from 12 BB gourds to 30 BB gourds all with tunnels and SRE's, and an old aluminum house converted to 6 condos with SRE's. I did my first nest check of the year on Thursday to find 16 active nest 30+ eggs in 7 ...

I did a nest check last night here in SE Michigan and low and behold 4 more eggs in a gourd that had previously been without. I figured one of the pairs had built two nest and this one was not occupied. I think that if they are still bringing in green leaves, you still have a shot at eggs & babi...

The weather has cooperated well here in SE Michigan and our first babies of the year appeared yesterday. In my second year of having twelve gourds, the population is up to 10 pairs of PM's (1 pair SY). We are up to a total of 53 eggs in the colony. Here's hoping for a good hatch and fledging! Allen ...

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This relates to a question that came up last night while out watching our flock after nest checks. I have 39 eggs in 10 of 12 gourds and I expect around 50 eggs or so for the season. Now, when those babies fledge, problems are going to arise. Our thought was to put up more housing before they fledge...

What is the incubation period for PM's again? IF I remember correctly, it is suggested to treat the nest with sevin dust a couple of days before they hatch and I want to time it correctly. My birds here in SE Michigan are bringing in green leaves to the nest and I'm expecting eggs any day now. Last ...

Yep we turned them loose. No worse for they wear and had plenty to eat!

I guess I never knew there were so many species of sparrows.



Allen

My Aunt called and said she had two birds in the repeating trap that I made. I went to check expecting house sparrows. They were not. I'm not sure what they are.

Theses birds appear to be sparrows, but have white stripes across the top of their heads.

Any ideas?

Allen

I saw a scary sight for the first time yesterday evening. My PM's were out flying high and making lots of noise, so I went out to enjoy them. When I got out to the gourds, there was a ASY male who was in the SREH door of the tunnel. He was sitting at a funny angle. I knew right away that I had my fi...

I lowered my occupied housing for the first time during the storms last week. I had them at "half-mast" for almost four days. I did what I could at the time to keep the gourd rack from rotating on the pole but it still rotated almost 90 degrees. I have to say that the birds did not seem to...

Actually my mother put her concrete garden statues on the stump and they worked the dead area under the tree into a small garden. They can also see their property behind the house better than they could before. She likes what she has now better than the tree! It was a win-win! (I knew it would be! :...

I'm with you BagLady!

Gonna go flick some more crickets this morning.........cold & rainy & windy for two more days yet......come on global warming!

AB

I flung around a hundred crickets to four PM's today. Not may reached the ground! I did see some feeding from the new tray I installed on top of the gourd rack where I placed some crickets this afternoon after the snow melted. Then of all things another ASY male arrived this evening. I guess they ar...

My parents always had PM's when I was a kid. They lost them about 23 years ago. They never understood why they couldn't get them (and there were several reasons!). When I finally found this forum and then set my housing up properly at my new residence, I got bird the first year. Last year I cut down...

I flung a few crickets this morning and they did take a few. I hope they each got some. To my suprise I had another female show up since Saturday and I now have two pair. I have not tried the eggs yet. I think I might try that this afternoon. The snow was so heavy a while ago, the entrances to the h...

The National Weather Service had issued a winter weather advisory for South East Michigan for tonight. Possible heavy snow. We just can't seem to get rid of winter this year. I hope everyone has plenty of crickets! My son and I trained our PM's last year and we got them to take a few last night. We ...

I switched my BBG gourds from the "stock" porches to the ultimate tunnels. The tunnels hold up a LOT better. The PM's seem to prefer the tunnel too. I switched all my BBG's to tunnels for this year.


Allen