Purple Martin Forum

Leave it up to Martin in Nazareth, PA to build a PM D-42 guitar. $10K in shops though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=os6XH7yf-NI

Thanks, so much everyone.

With regret due to a medical condition, I have to quit the martineering hobby after 14 years. I have a T-14 setup with aluminum pole, winch and hardware, a bed and breakfast with pole and S & S Controller available to anyone who wants it in the Houston, TX area. New ground sockets will need to b...

2 years ago I lost several adults in the ice storm that was rare, but last year was good despite the drought from the year before. I'm hoping they were not shooting off the air cannon's in Brazil at the martins and causing injury. I read an article a few weeks ago and that report stated town officia...

At my colony. Very unusual for this time of the season. I'm at less than 1/2 capacity. I've been doing this martin thing for 13 years and this is the first time I noticed this. Anybody else experiencing low numbers for this time of year? Very strange.

Thanks guy's. Saw a few more this morning. I'll keep my eye's peeled at dusk. You'll have yours coming your way sooner than you think. I just pray no ice storms this year.
Connie - Valentines Day is the magic day around these parts. Most of them are usually back on that day.

This is one of 2, that I rehabbed. Undernourished due to drought and they kept dropping out of their compartments. Here is just before I released: Gabby. I named them Gabby and Haze. Gabby couldn't stop talking and Haze was just out of it until the martin was stronger. Pretty tame as a youngster and...

Thanks Emil! You may be on to something on the predators. I noticed a few hawks last week and I have a GHO near by. I can hear him hooting out on the power lines over near the fields. Of course I've heard one every season. The martins have been making big circles around the area, so that might be wh...

The scouts have been circling for about 2 weeks now, but I didn't observe them landing. Tonight at 6PM, a lone adult female picked a particular Troyer Horizontal with a plug in it. (Most of my housing is plugged with plugs I made from foam pipe insulation). She chose this one that was plugged and ma...

Bump, Roslyn (Center Director) emailed me yesterday. She needs to place these orphans quickly. She knows Martins (I taught her years back ). They belong in a colony. Multiple colonies as needed. She said they are just popping feathers. I would guess about 2 weeks old, not seeing them.

Thanks Louise for getting the news out. Foster care really works, just place the same age nestlings in a nest with low numbers and the parents adapt. I've watched this on my nestcams. It's like, Oh, I didn't know I have an extra. Time to go grocery shopping.

I received a call and email this afternoon from the Director at TWRC. The TWRC in Houston has 37 orphaned babies. (I don't know the ages) But if you can help place them contact Rosalyn (Director) at the TWRC 713-468-8972 http://twrc-houston.org/ . I have helped them in the past with orphan placement...

Wow Laverne! Early for sure. I've got lots of eggs as well. I've been too busy trapping S & S to check until today. It's been a frenzy of S & S here lately. Many of my adults just came in last week. I guess they were cruising around this season. Just the early ASY's have eggs.

Emil, send them over to Katy. I'm low in occupancy thi season. Very strange indeed!

I had a subadult male today, so they are still coming. With the lack of cold weather this winter, there are a lot of HOSP's. I've been wasting them left and right. Trapped 5 starlings today. 1 in a Troyer gourd with WDC, the others in my Controller. Those HOSP's are really smart. After years of obse...

I hope so too. But,the adults I have were really early this year (January). I'm only at 50% occupancy right now. Very strange!

I'm usually at 95% full in my colony by this time. Usually it's 90% Adults with the rest Subbies. Must have lost some of the returning martins due to the drought. They maybe got weak, and never made it to Brazil to return to the States. Some subbies came through, but have not stayed. Looks like to b...

Thanks Dave! Yeah, I checked those out last year. Seemed complicated with the charging. What's the best way to charge them? Get a used SCUBA tank and the proper fittings?

I've got several air rifles and I'm now looking for something with a silencer. Seems, within 2 shots, the neighbors are out looking for where the shots are coming from!

No problem shooting, as the martins accept this. Most use a pellet rifle, as a majority of landlords live in populated neihborhoods. If you are fortunate to live in a rural area where a shot gun can be used, go for it. Just make sure no martins are around when you pull the trigger. The pellet rifle ...