Although I have raised purple martins for about 20 years, this is the first year that I managed my birds and kept records. My birds arrived on April 25. I have 24 gourds on two separate poles. This year, 12 of them were occupied by Purple Martin‘s. I battled with the sparrows on the other 12 gourds. This year, 40 baby PMs fledged from my colony. All my purple Martins left on August 10. Now that I have done this nest check for my first year, I have a better understanding of how to do things.
A couple questions:
1. I live in Sioux Falls South Dakota. Where do my birds go to roost after they leave my colony? I have heard there are places in Minnesota and Iowa where the purple martins gather in huge numbers. Is there any way to find out?
2. How long should I leave my gourds up before taking them down and cleaning them?
Next year I will be prepared for the sparroows. I have three special bird houses with traps that I will be using. I also had a little bit of a mite problem in a couple of my gourds. What is the best way to prevent the mite problem next year? I finalized and submitted all of my data today. I do photography and am attaching a few photos of my birds with dragonflies from last week.
Birds just left, yearly report and QUESTIONS
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bbbdco
- Posts: 21
- Joined: Tue Apr 11, 2017 8:02 am
- Location: Sioux Falls, SD
- Martin Colony History: began in 2001. I've had Purple Martins for 25 years.
- Attachments
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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
Good afternoon,
I think you will find your fledge rate and martin numbers increase by managing.
For mites, some folks change nests, I personally use sevin dust well under the nest. Half teaspoon full...up to you when to apply, just as they arrive or when chicks emerge...or when you see the mites.
You can check with the local Audubon society on a martin roost, they hear pretty fast.
When the martins aren't coming around any more to socialize, or check out the housing you'll be safe to take them down. Some take it down soon as they leave, others leave it up until martins are well on their migration routes. Really up to you. With 20 years of hosting martins, I don't think you will disrupt anything. All of my home colony gourds are down and cleaned out, but we have a 2 year old colony at another site, going to leave those up until the end of the month.
Last, the dreaded sparrows! You can really make a dent in their population with trapping, on and off season. Dont give them any rest. Nest box traps during their breeding cycle and baited traps off season. Best kind of bait for those ground traps is another sparrow, keep it alive and fed/watered it will draw them right in. Worst case, pull the nests out-you will be doing more for your martins than some do.
Caution in that though, the male sparrow may go on a rampage and go after the neighboring martin chicks and eggs.
Glad your trapping, had alot of luck with those nest box traps.
Tom
I think you will find your fledge rate and martin numbers increase by managing.
For mites, some folks change nests, I personally use sevin dust well under the nest. Half teaspoon full...up to you when to apply, just as they arrive or when chicks emerge...or when you see the mites.
You can check with the local Audubon society on a martin roost, they hear pretty fast.
When the martins aren't coming around any more to socialize, or check out the housing you'll be safe to take them down. Some take it down soon as they leave, others leave it up until martins are well on their migration routes. Really up to you. With 20 years of hosting martins, I don't think you will disrupt anything. All of my home colony gourds are down and cleaned out, but we have a 2 year old colony at another site, going to leave those up until the end of the month.
Last, the dreaded sparrows! You can really make a dent in their population with trapping, on and off season. Dont give them any rest. Nest box traps during their breeding cycle and baited traps off season. Best kind of bait for those ground traps is another sparrow, keep it alive and fed/watered it will draw them right in. Worst case, pull the nests out-you will be doing more for your martins than some do.
Caution in that though, the male sparrow may go on a rampage and go after the neighboring martin chicks and eggs.
Glad your trapping, had alot of luck with those nest box traps.
Tom
A good house sparrow is a dead house sparrow.
HOSP: 17. Starlings: 23
HOSP: 17. Starlings: 23
Bbbdco, those photos are awesome. So detailed. What equipment do you use? I love them. I’m getting ready to do a painting of my colony site and could never get close enough to get details like that. You are talented. Keep up the great work. I appreciate your talent!! In regards to martin roosts, if you have the chance to check the PMCA conference tapes in You tube they covered roosting behavior. I don’t know when they’ll post them but I’m sure they’ll announce it. Great photos. Hope to see more. Brent
Brent
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Dave Duit
- Posts: 2145
- Joined: Tue Nov 25, 2003 2:02 pm
- Location: Iowa / Nevada
- Martin Colony History: In 2024, 82 pair with 350 fledged youngsters. 110 total cavities available, 82 Troyer Horizontal gourds and a homemade PVC / metal 28 compartment unit, 1 fallout shelter. Hawk and owl guards included. Martin educator and speaker. President and founder of the Iowa Purple Martin Organization. Please visit Iowa Purple Martin Organization on Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1627283871068161 Emails send to daveduit@yahoo.com. Subject line include Iowa Purple Martin.
Wow !!! Amazing pics. In the future I might ask you for permission to use some of the pics for educational purposed during presentations or for an online video.