My first topic! Went to the roost here in Austin, Texas and was overwhelmed - my grandsons had a great time - we stayed for a couple of hours, an amazing sight. You see these black dots way in the the sky, then a few thousand birds drift down and take to the roost! This happens over and over and over again. I enjoyed going to the edge of the roost and listening to the sounds of thousands of purple martins. Ever see a Live Oak limb sag from the weight of Purple Martins? You gotta check it out!
Moved here from Kentucky last August. Put up 12 Gourds, opened my gourds Feb. 12th. I had 9 pair come. I had a total of 36 birds at the end of the season. They are gone now but I have occasional visitors. I assume they are headed to downtown I-35 to the roost. I will add 12 more gourds on for next year.
Martin Roost - Autin Texas downtown Embassy Suites
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marcus
- Posts: 314
- Joined: Tue May 10, 2016 10:21 pm
- Location: Fairland OK
- Martin Colony History: Mom n Dad had a plastic 12 unit martin house with some martins as long as I can remember. In 2013 they had 1 pair. I don't think they fledged any. I then started learning how to take care of martins and in 2014 we took that house down and put up a Troyer 18 gourd rack. We had 7 pair with 28 fledged.That summer I built a T-14 (I was only 12). I was also given 4 natural gourds that I hung beneath the T-14. In 2015, we had 23 pair although only 22 pair fledged young. They fledged 88 young. In 2016, we had 36 pair, 210 eggs, 163 hatched, 149 fledge!! One pair fledged 2 broods. In 2017, I had 36 pair with 35 fledging young. They laid 204 eggs, hatched 155, and fledged 152.
Welcome to the forum and way to go on attracting martins. 
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pmartinlover2
- Posts: 521
- Joined: Mon Mar 24, 2014 6:37 pm
- Location: IL/Hillsboro
- Martin Colony History: 2011 Home site--1 SY pair--2 fledged
2016 Satellite Site---4 pair--19 eggs laid--17 hatched--16 fledged
2017 Satellite Site--8 pair--37 eggs laid--34 hatched--34 fledged
2018 11 pair--fledged 60
2019 20 pair-fledged 94
2020 23pair-fledged 108
Congrats on your new colony and welcome to the forum, Phillip! Wow---9 pair your first year! That's amazing. Good luck!
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Jody
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Jody
Jody in Central Illinois
Landlord in 2016
2016—4 pr fledged 16
2017—8 pr fledged 34
2018—11 pr fledged 60
Landlord in 2016
2016—4 pr fledged 16
2017—8 pr fledged 34
2018—11 pr fledged 60