Purple Martin Forum

This has been an unusual season for me. My first scouts were seen Feb 6th, the earliest I have ever seen scouts. The sub adult birds started to arrive in the last two weeks. I even got some new birds this weekend so there is plenty of time left for arrivals in this season.

Dennis

Early in the season I had a Cooper's Hawk that would come around 2-3 times a week trying to pick up birds when they were coming in to roost. On most every occasion me and my Jack Russell Terrier caused the hawk to take flight. I am a strong believer that being in the yard when the birds are coming i...

Sure sounds like a wing entrapment David. I have had 2 over the last three years and was able to free both birds. Good job on watching them as they came in to roost. I would say wing entrapment is more likely to occur early in the season and when they begin fledging. The younger birds (fledglings) t...

Hope he has a partner Bulldog. Hopefully he want have to fight off the cold solo.

Never seen a coon in the 30+ years I have lived in this house. We used to have squirrels but after 2004 (Hurricane Ivan) we cut all the pine trees in our yard and the Jack Russell Terrier keeps strays out of the yard.

Siberman, do you think a squirrel could get in the SREH entrance?

Dennis

Thanks for the information Ted. I have never seen a mink around this area, at least that would get by my Jack Russell Terrier, but their ability to get into a 1" opening would account for the fact the head could be removed and torso of the bird remain inside the gourd. Would the mink only remov...

How could the mink or owl access the gourd (SREH) and provide such a clean kill and leave the bird inside the gourd with the access port secure?

Dennis

Greetings PMS, I would highly recommend the SREH entrances. I started using them in 2010 and it has made a significant difference in the growth of my colony. THEY KEEP THE STARLINGS OUT.... guaranteed. The only breach that I experienced was remedied by adding 1/8" of plexiglass to the existing ...

Ray, you are spot on with the headless sparrow. That is exactly how I found the martin. Headless and inside the gourd. The only thing is that a sparrow (hard to believe) or another martin, but I cannot understand another martin doing this type of damage. What would he have done with the head. I sear...

Louise, I watch all the birds come in to roost every since the scouts have arrived. I have scared off, on three occasions a Coopers hawk. He sits on my property line waiting for the birds to come in to roost. I can guarantee that he is not the culprit. There was no blood in the gourd Brad. No other ...

Thanks Craig and Laverne for replying. I am perplexed as to what happened, but raccoons I am pretty sure are not the culprit. I live in town and in my 30+ years have never seen a raccoon. My gourds are retrofitted with SREH entrances. Hawks are my colony's major threat... Never had a problem with ow...

I was doing a gourd check today and found an ASY male dead in one of my gourds without a head. It appears it was pulled completely from the torso. The head was not in the gourd either. No other damage to the bird's body.

Ted, I had a similar story. 1981 my father-in-law built me a 16 cavity umbrella rack loaded with natural gourds. My first year I had bird, but don't remember how many. Too young and had two sons playing little league ball and coupled with work, all I did was keep the gourds cleaned and replaced. 200...

jr2 I leave in Alabama, 45 mile inland from the Gulf Coast. Hurricane Katrina hit NOLA in 2005 and along with the storm came a spider called a brown widow. The orange hour glass on it's belly is just like the black widow. They are just as poisonous as it's counter part. What makes this spider such a...

Me and my wife were watching the birds come in tonight. Colony size increased from 13 birds on Saturday and 23 tonight. Two birds were trying to get in the same gourd and I noticed the second bird just sat waiting to get in while the first bird was struggling. Got my ladder and gently pushed him in....

Bulldog has given excellent advice.... Lexcel is the trick!

Dennis

Emil, I have studied the thoughts on this forum concerning 10"+ natural gourds plus 3" tunnels. I am a firm believer the larger the gourd + tunnel provides the best protection.

Your merlin attempt is just confirmation! Thanks for sharing.

Dennis

Thanks RC. Your design is an asset to the purple martin community.

Dennis

Very nice design RC. I would like to see clearer measurements. Can you send me a private message? I hope your final retirement home is a blessing but affords you an opportunity to continue using your mind. It is obvious that the design of the 'Rc Moser Stealth' is something that you enjoyed. Hope yo...

That is a sweet video flyin-lowe. He really is flying low and focused on his target. Thanks for posting!

Dennis