No,no,no, there is a martin here!

[Bill Pec]

It is too early for martins to arrive. The temperature is 32 degrees and dropping into the single digits. The sky is spitting rain, sleet, snow, and there is a Purple Martin sitting on the top perch of my gourd rack. This is a story all too often told this year. Not only is this bird's early arrival surprising, the fact he returned before the Tree Swallows is unbelievable. In the past years the Tree Swallows have always arrived about ten days before the martins. So I would use the Tree Swallows' arrival as my indicator to get thing ready for the arrival of the martins. The early return of this martin has thrown that theory out the window.

I was spending the day fabricating owl/hawk guards for my gourds in the warmth of my shop when I realized I needed a part to complete my tasks. So I grabbed an umbrella, a jacket, and walked down to the dock to retrieve the needed part. It was then that I was totally flabbergasted by the sight of an ASY male martin sitting on the rack above me. After welcoming him I told him he was an absolute idiot for returning so early. I then told him there probably isn't a flying insect within a hundred miles of this place. This was probably an exaggeration, but you get the point. Figuring my neighbors were also calling me an idiot for standing out in that weather, talking to a bird, I decided to head back to the house, tell my pretty wife of his arrival, and get some meal worms.

Knowing the lives of any early arriving martins would be in jeopardy I placing four double walled Bo11 Gourds equipped with caps and tunnels on a small gourd rack just in case some birds showed up early. These double walled gourds are extremely dry and when filled with a pile of pine needles and wheat straw gives the birds a good chance of surviving cold weather. While the martin perched I removed the door plugs, added Mealworms to the tunnels, the porches, and raised the gourds. The martin only flew off when I started to raise the gourd rack. A half hour later he returned and quickly entered one of the gourds. Guess it is time to get the rest of the gourds that are sitting on the ground around the rack up and raise the Trendsetter House, too.
I great this martin with mixed emotions. He is certainly welcomed, but his life is precious to the both of us and in peril. With some help I hope he survives.

Bill

[taxidermy lady]

Good luck Bill, hopefully the weatherman is correct! Descent weather predicted the next 10 days, above average for most of our area!

[Mark Peters]

Hope they can stick it out for a few day in that cold.

[D'Nese]

Bill,

What a strange year this is starting out to be. I too use the arrival of the TS's as the indicator of the coming arrival of the martins. In the past 3 years the TS's have arrived approx 8-10 days before the martins. I spotted a ASY male today on the T14's. At first I thought I was seeing things but the glide while in flight is unmistakable. And then I saw your post as well as a few others in the past few day's and I am now making my first scout report to the web site. My hope is that my guy will fair ok tonight as it is expected to be in the teens. I hope your guy makes it through this cold.

[Courtney-NC]

Bill!! I can imagine the conversation you had with that martin!

He was lucky to end up at your place with a caring landlord like yourself to look after him. Hopefully you won't have too many more arrivals until the weather calms down!

[dhjohnson]

Bill,
I'm right there with you...we too had our first ASY martin female come in at 10:30am this morning! Not early but wondering about this weather. We too will weather this storm!
Good Luck this year and best wishes for pulling him through
Keep us posted!
Debbie

[Anthony Neira]

Good luck to the Martin & to you ! Hang in there Bill!

[tonyg]

Bill do you supplement feed your early returnees?

[KathyF]

Bill,
How early is he? Like you, I set up my housing in the spring based on the Tree swallow arrival too. Good thing you were out there and saw him!

I checked my scout reports and mine arrived on 3/10 and 3/9 in the last 2 years, so once we start to thaw today, I guess I better get into gear too!

Best of luck to you and your martin!

[Bill Pec]

The martin survived the night. It is 7:20 am, 20 degrees F. and he is sitting on a perch next to a decoy. Misery loves company.

Tonyg,

I keep Mealworms and Crickets on hand for emergencies and have offered scrambled eggs. Fortunately, the weather in this part of Virginia has not been bad for long stretches of time to make the martins hungry enough to accept my offerings. I've tried flipped food, have left the food in trays, and placed food in gourd tunnels and on porches.
If this martin finds food or accepts my offerings I will be able to tell by checking my "Poop O Meter". What is a Poop O Meter? It is the deck under the martin pole. Two of my three martin units are partially over the boat dock's deck. By checking the deck I can tell if, and sometimes what, the martins are eating.

D'Nese,

In the past the Tree Swallows have never let me down. They have always arrived about ten days before the martins. For not doing their job I might punish them by closing their nest cavities for ten days. Only kidding. :-)

Bill

[Bill Pec]

KathyF.

Here are my ASY arrival dates for the past five years.

4/03/2011

3/13/2012

3/20/2013

3/23/2014

3/05/2015

Bill

[Bill Pec]

Louise,

You asked me to keep you informed about the early arriving ASY martin. I saw him on the gourd rack the next morning so he survived the cold night. He left mid morning and I haven't seen him in three days.

The Tree Swallows arrived today so if all goes as in past years my home colony martins should start arriving in about ten days.

We will have great weather for the next week of so. :-)
Enjoy your passions,

Bill