Martin Colony History: Start 2009 with one pair. Upgraded from S&K houses to two Trendsetter 12's with gourds beneath in 2013. I have experienced job, pet, and parental losses since '13. The Purple Martins lift my spirits and remind me how life continues forward by flying their little selves from Brazil back to my yard. As one forum person once told me, chin up DebA, look at the martins. Danger all around but yet they soar in the sky without a care in the world.
Fret...is my PM hobby four letter word. A little blizzard cannot stop me from getting my new Trendsetters, bought from PMCA, up and ready!
Sunday (2/17) I dig my initial pole holes.
Wednesday came 8" snow.
Thursday came 5" snow. Housing was delivered!
Friday started to melt but I had to work out of town over the weekend.
Monday we are slammed by Blizzard Q. Read about SE KS arrivals.
Today...this is what I do: (after clicking link roll pics to right, total of 3)
I found my original pole hole and unearthed them from the snow. I need to enlarge my holes and be ready to concrete my pole base. A little snow cannot stop this landlord!
Martin Colony History: Had my site up to 22 gourds of which most (+/-3) stayed occupied. Downsized to 17 gourds due to back surgeries. Had 14 families in 2017 but did not do nest checks due to health. Feeling better in 2018 and hoping for a good year.
LOL, you go girl !!
I would have done the same thing....well, down here I mean. It could come a huge heat wave and I would be outside in my swim suit, rubber boots and my sweat towel.. (Can you just picture that?) I love my PM's that much too. Also, I love getting anything new and don't have the patience to wait around for the perfect time to use it, play with it, plant it, put it together, whatever the case may be. But, I can tell you, I would be totally different if I lived where I got that much snow....or any snow. I hate the cold...I would rather sweat and have a heat stroke than put on that much clothes and try to stay warm.
I am glad to see you received your house (I am a little green ) and hope you have lots of fun this year and do a lot of happy dancin' too.
Connie
Martin Colony History: Start 2009 with one pair. Upgraded from S&K houses to two Trendsetter 12's with gourds beneath in 2013. I have experienced job, pet, and parental losses since '13. The Purple Martins lift my spirits and remind me how life continues forward by flying their little selves from Brazil back to my yard. As one forum person once told me, chin up DebA, look at the martins. Danger all around but yet they soar in the sky without a care in the world.
Thanks, Don. I sure hope they do. That house has appealed to me for a few years. Everything about it just makes sense to me. Hopefully it will to them.
Connie, you are hilarious! The funny part about piling on clothes for the cold is you do get the sweat too. When I come inside I almost cannot peel my boots, coat, hoodie, gloves, scarf, hat off fast enough. I do start to sweat immediately!
I know my good friends get a kick out of my martin fetish or at least act like they do (more likely). You are right, part of my excitement is getting something new. Don't be green for me! I live in an old frame farm house (which suits me just fine) but my martins they get a mansion!
Martin Colony History: Start 2009 with one pair. Upgraded from S&K houses to two Trendsetter 12's with gourds beneath in 2013. I have experienced job, pet, and parental losses since '13. The Purple Martins lift my spirits and remind me how life continues forward by flying their little selves from Brazil back to my yard. As one forum person once told me, chin up DebA, look at the martins. Danger all around but yet they soar in the sky without a care in the world.
The digging was easy! I waited until the afternoon where the snow is starting to melt. My husband came home a little early and helped with pouring of the concrete and ground stake. We are going out of town for five days (my daughter is here and if I whine enough she might do crickets if need be) and I want to throw up one house before we leave. Mark thinks we should give the concrete more time. He spent years working for KDOT and has put up tons of signs, poles, etc...and is a great all around fix anything type. He hates it when I second guess him.
So... I consulted my dad. He agrees with Mark. Sigh. My old housing is down...Mark being helpful. On a fluke that my birds come two weeks early the next few days...I read somewhere that the birds will hang out before shoving on. I wonder if that is so when there is no house at all.
I have to do this little trip and thought I would be early enough before martin season. I hope, I hope, I hope.
Congratulations on your new house, Deb! I love my Trendsetter!. Some things I do: I create cardboard nest trays for my cavities....they're disposable.
also, get yourself a telescoping automotive mirror so that you can use it to do nest checks with. It really, really helps!
LOL - digging a hole in the snow...and I thought *I* was the only one that did such things. LOL
"Sometimes", said Pooh, "the smallest things take up the most room in your heart."
2023 - 82 pair
2022 - 80 pair
2021 - 75 pair
2020 - 78 pair
2019 - 80 pair http://kathyfreeze.blogspot.com
Martin Colony History: Start 2009 with one pair. Upgraded from S&K houses to two Trendsetter 12's with gourds beneath in 2013. I have experienced job, pet, and parental losses since '13. The Purple Martins lift my spirits and remind me how life continues forward by flying their little selves from Brazil back to my yard. As one forum person once told me, chin up DebA, look at the martins. Danger all around but yet they soar in the sky without a care in the world.
Kathy,
Do you use the mirror so you don't disturb them? Do you not take off the compartment door?
Do you see a preference by the martins for the gourds or the house? Are yours relatively divided? I'd love the house with my own wrap around porch but I would be so eager to go down that Horiz Troyer tunnel gourd. Oh...she says as if she were a purple martin.
) and hope you have lots of fun this year and do a lot of happy dancin' too.
The birds got a great landlord with you!
