I lowered my Martin house today . There were no martins in or on the houses. I found thirty seven eggs all together. Several martins came right away from a maple tree in my yard.
Being a first time expectant parent, I'm worried if their eggs will hatch. Thanks in advance for any advise.
Are they doing what they need too?
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Martinfarmer
- Posts: 153
- Joined: Sun May 07, 2017 6:33 pm
- Location: Guthrie KY 42234
- Martin Colony History: 2015 put up a S-k house, visitors but no takers
2016 homemade Martin condo (40 nesting boxes) several visitors no takers
2017 changed crescent openings to Troyer Conley 2 openings and installed 4 super gourds with Conley2 adapters and 12 vertical Troyers.
Several nests and eggs. Hopefully will exceed one hundred eggs this year.
6-21-17 nest inspection 68 chicks and 26 eggs
6-30-17 inspection 90 chicks and a new nest with 4 eggs.
8-30-17 successfully fledged over 85 martins.
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taxidermy lady
- Posts: 2988
- Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2014 10:21 am
- Location: IL/Ellis Grove
- Martin Colony History: Started trying to attract purple martins in 2012! It's finally happened in 2017! 5 years!!! ASY male and SY female came May 1st, fledged 5 babies!
They've been doing this thousands of years! They are fine! 
Sharon from southern Illinois
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Martinfarmer
- Posts: 153
- Joined: Sun May 07, 2017 6:33 pm
- Location: Guthrie KY 42234
- Martin Colony History: 2015 put up a S-k house, visitors but no takers
2016 homemade Martin condo (40 nesting boxes) several visitors no takers
2017 changed crescent openings to Troyer Conley 2 openings and installed 4 super gourds with Conley2 adapters and 12 vertical Troyers.
Several nests and eggs. Hopefully will exceed one hundred eggs this year.
6-21-17 nest inspection 68 chicks and 26 eggs
6-30-17 inspection 90 chicks and a new nest with 4 eggs.
8-30-17 successfully fledged over 85 martins.
Ok thanks, growing up on a farm . It seemed to me that a chicken just wouldn't leave her nest once she started incubating her eggs. lol I know, PM's are a far cry from a chicken
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C.C.Martins
- Posts: 3368
- Joined: Fri Apr 14, 2017 11:15 am
- Location: Corpus Christi Tx
- Martin Colony History: 2016- Visitors.
2017- 5 pair. 15 fledged
2018- 18 pair. 85 fledged
2019- 17 pair. 81 fledged
2020- 25 pair. 111 fledged
2021- 28 pair. 118 fledged
2022- 33 pair. 151 fledged
2023- 33 pair. 165 fledged
2024- 40 pair. 185 fledged
2025- 40 pair. 181 fledged
HOSP:
Home colony: mix natural, super, Troyer and excluder gourds, enlarged compartment house. All SREH.
Satellite colony: Oso Bay Preserve: 49 PMCA excluder gourds; 16 room Lonestar Goliad with Modified Excluder entrances.
2019: Visitors
2020: 3 pair, 11 fledged
2021: 10 pair, 30 fledged
2022: 11 pair, 35 fledged
2023: 18 pair, 101 fledged
2024: 39 pair, 181 fledged
2025: 51 pair, 216 fledged
PMCA member
Martinfarmer,
Me too, Checked a gourd saw three eggs three days ago. That day I waited and waited for them to come back, nada. dusk came and mosquito bitten thinking they had left for some reason, went to bed. next morning they were coming and going like no ones business, funny, I thought they would be more attentive! They know what they are doing I suppose. Too windy to check now; tomorrow for sure! Found a very white egg shell, neatly broken in half in the yard, suspect I have a chick up there! Didn't look sabotaged, looked like mom/dad dropped it away from the nest!
Dying to look.
Me too, Checked a gourd saw three eggs three days ago. That day I waited and waited for them to come back, nada. dusk came and mosquito bitten thinking they had left for some reason, went to bed. next morning they were coming and going like no ones business, funny, I thought they would be more attentive! They know what they are doing I suppose. Too windy to check now; tomorrow for sure! Found a very white egg shell, neatly broken in half in the yard, suspect I have a chick up there! Didn't look sabotaged, looked like mom/dad dropped it away from the nest!
Dying to look.
A good house sparrow is a dead house sparrow.
HOSP: 17. Starlings: 23
HOSP: 17. Starlings: 23
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Martinfarmer
- Posts: 153
- Joined: Sun May 07, 2017 6:33 pm
- Location: Guthrie KY 42234
- Martin Colony History: 2015 put up a S-k house, visitors but no takers
2016 homemade Martin condo (40 nesting boxes) several visitors no takers
2017 changed crescent openings to Troyer Conley 2 openings and installed 4 super gourds with Conley2 adapters and 12 vertical Troyers.
Several nests and eggs. Hopefully will exceed one hundred eggs this year.
6-21-17 nest inspection 68 chicks and 26 eggs
6-30-17 inspection 90 chicks and a new nest with 4 eggs.
8-30-17 successfully fledged over 85 martins.
I'm starting to have a few stay around for most of the day. Ninety percent leave by noon. But I also noticed several others are sitting in the tree tops around the yard. SY martins are still coming in. Central time zone here and most all of them come in and turn in by eight o'clock. Its amazing to watch, at or near dusk most all of the Martins fly down to a nearby pond and dive into the water repeatedly. I guess they are taking a bath before bed.
I'm up close to forty martins( difficult to count them) . There are around five ASY males.
I'm up close to forty martins( difficult to count them) . There are around five ASY males.
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DebA
- Posts: 1941
- Joined: Tue May 04, 2010 7:43 am
- Location: Pratt County/Kansas
- 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.
I remember thinking and feeling the same way awhile back. A long while back. Lol. Then I realized they lay one egg a day. When they have completed their clutch whether it is 3 to 8 eggs then they sit the nest and incubate. So egg 1 sits for days. I suppose the females are out eating as much as possible during this time knowing they are about to do nothing else but sit soon. But yes, once they sit apparently the eggs are still good and start doing their thing. So do not worry. It doesn't mean you won't have a dud here or there but overall yes they've got things figured out.
Deb
Deb
PMCA MEMBER
Pratt County, Kansas
2016 34 PAIR
2015 27 PAIR
2014 23 PAIR
2013 13 PAIR
2012 6 PAIR
2011 4 PAIR
2010 2 PAIR
2009 1 PAIR
Pratt County, Kansas
2016 34 PAIR
2015 27 PAIR
2014 23 PAIR
2013 13 PAIR
2012 6 PAIR
2011 4 PAIR
2010 2 PAIR
2009 1 PAIR
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C.C.Martins
- Posts: 3368
- Joined: Fri Apr 14, 2017 11:15 am
- Location: Corpus Christi Tx
- Martin Colony History: 2016- Visitors.
2017- 5 pair. 15 fledged
2018- 18 pair. 85 fledged
2019- 17 pair. 81 fledged
2020- 25 pair. 111 fledged
2021- 28 pair. 118 fledged
2022- 33 pair. 151 fledged
2023- 33 pair. 165 fledged
2024- 40 pair. 185 fledged
2025- 40 pair. 181 fledged
HOSP:
Home colony: mix natural, super, Troyer and excluder gourds, enlarged compartment house. All SREH.
Satellite colony: Oso Bay Preserve: 49 PMCA excluder gourds; 16 room Lonestar Goliad with Modified Excluder entrances.
2019: Visitors
2020: 3 pair, 11 fledged
2021: 10 pair, 30 fledged
2022: 11 pair, 35 fledged
2023: 18 pair, 101 fledged
2024: 39 pair, 181 fledged
2025: 51 pair, 216 fledged
PMCA member
40 martins! wow, thats awesome!
A good house sparrow is a dead house sparrow.
HOSP: 17. Starlings: 23
HOSP: 17. Starlings: 23