Nest building Short Cuts

Welcome to the internet's gathering place for Purple Martin enthusiasts
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terrapincove
Posts: 366
Joined: Fri Jan 22, 2010 4:06 pm
Location: Maurice River, Southern NJ
Martin Colony History: Well established 90 cavity colony. Mostly plastic gourds with some custom cedar houses atop pilings out over the river. We live stream the activity on our website https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXKqSW ... Ph2tywu4eg

We are on the Maurice River. The Maurice is brackish and tidal. It meets the Delaware bay about three miles down at East Point, NJ. The area is remote and consists of dense marshland and swamp. Dragonflies abound.

Swallows arrive in mid August and finish nesting mid July. There is a large annual roost in mid August upriver a few miles at Mauricetown.

This ASY male is hard working and has a short cut. He helps by bringing back nesting material with his mate most times. He also waits until the other martin pair leave to collect their nesting material and then he reaches into their cavity and grabs material and brings it into his own.

Here is a picture of one of his stolen leaves. Notice that it is a dry holly leaf.

http://picasaweb.google.com/11178170660 ... 3181089106

live video here:

http://68.36.16.186/view/index.shtml
Last edited by terrapincove on Thu Jun 03, 2010 4:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Caroline94535-ND
Posts: 337
Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2003 10:12 am
Location: North Dakota/Larimore
Martin Colony History: Will add later

:oops: :oops: :oops:


UPDATED...Oh Lordy; here I am with a big ole duck egg on my face!

I looked at the one photo showing the holly leaf tucked under his chin, and in my mind I saw "white bib." I have TRES on the brain, since mine lost all their eggs a couple days ago.

I apologize a hundred times. Please forgive me. He's a beautiful Purple Martin!


- - - Original post here - - -

That is an absolutly beautiful set up and photo.

I hate to tell you this. The bird in the photograph that your link went to is a Tree Swallow, not a Purple Martin.

Did you link the wrong photo???

He does have a dry Holly leaf (ouch!) but he is most certainly a Tree Swallow.
Last edited by Caroline94535-ND on Fri Jun 04, 2010 8:26 am, edited 2 times in total.
~ Not all those who wander are lost.
terrapincove
Posts: 366
Joined: Fri Jan 22, 2010 4:06 pm
Location: Maurice River, Southern NJ
Martin Colony History: Well established 90 cavity colony. Mostly plastic gourds with some custom cedar houses atop pilings out over the river. We live stream the activity on our website https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXKqSW ... Ph2tywu4eg

We are on the Maurice River. The Maurice is brackish and tidal. It meets the Delaware bay about three miles down at East Point, NJ. The area is remote and consists of dense marshland and swamp. Dragonflies abound.

Swallows arrive in mid August and finish nesting mid July. There is a large annual roost in mid August upriver a few miles at Mauricetown.

It surely is an ASY male, holly leaf in tow
flyin-lowe
Posts: 3789
Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2006 8:49 am
Location: Indiana/Henry Co.

Caroline wrote:That is an absolutly beautiful set up and photo.

I hate to tell you this. The bird in the photograph that your link went to is a Tree Swallow, not a Purple Martin.

Did you link the wrong photo???

I don't know if something changed but that is a martin NOT a tree swallow. Tree swallows no matter what age or sex will have a snow white stomach.

He does have a dry Holly leaf (ouch!) but he is most certainly a Tree Swallow.
jeffwilliams72
Posts: 267
Joined: Tue Apr 27, 2010 9:22 am
Location: Indiana/Carthage

Excellent picture, that little thief knows how to conserve energy!I hate to tell you something you already know,but that is definitely a martin.
2008/1st pair/ 4 fledged
2009-2010 visitors only
2011/2 pr/9 eggs/8 fledged
2012/9pr/33 fledged
2013/27pr/101 fledged
bird fan
Posts: 62
Joined: Fri Feb 27, 2004 12:13 pm
Location: Wisconsin/Sheboygan Falls

Definetly Martins!
Greg Z
Caroline94535-ND
Posts: 337
Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2003 10:12 am
Location: North Dakota/Larimore
Martin Colony History: Will add later

Oh Lordy; here I am with a big ole duck egg on my face! :cry:

I looked at the one photo, the one showing the holly leaf tucked under his chin, and in my mind I saw "white bib." I have TRES on the brain, since mine lost all their eggs a couple days ago.

I apologize a hundred times. :oops: :oops: :oops: Please forgive me.

This time I opened all the photos, and even my middle-age, distracted, old eyes can see Martins.

I really do know what PMs look like; I just could have sworn I saw "white" when I was actually seeing the leaf.
~ Not all those who wander are lost.
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