Louisiana Landlords

[K_Adams]

Krista, I'm located in Prairieville. Not certain what you are looking for in terms of a "mentor", but if you need something in this area I'll try and help.

Thanks for replying. I'm not actually looking for a mentor, I was seeing if anyone in the Baton Rouge area needed some help/mentoring. Thanks for replying. Any martins yet? I have a public site at North Park in Denham Springs, nothing there. My neighborhood is quiet too.

Are you are on Facebook? The Purple Martin Group has a lot of great folks and I continually learn a lot from them too! If you're ever in the Denham Springs area, stop by North Park and see my site. I just put up two new sites at local schools. Exciting times!

Krista

[K_Adams]

Hi, I have been a landlord for 11 years now with some success. Only the last two years I have experienced a decline in my numbers here. I live right off of Millerville and I 12. I have learned a lot from the good people on this forum and I thank them for sharing their knowledge and experience about Purple Martins. Feel free to contact me on how I might could help you or someone.
Gussiemike

Sorry about your decline in numbers, that stinks! Post some photos of your site. Are you able to do regular nest checks? At my park site last year, I learned so much by doing nest checks and recording our findings. We also saved a few nestlings too that otherwise would not have made it had we not intervened. If you're ever in Denham Springs, stop by North Park. My site is up by the walking path. I went from 1 pair in 2016 to 18 pairs last year. Hoping to fill all 28 gourds, plus am adding another rack as soon as weather permits.

Krista

[K_Adams]

Hi, I am a fairly new landlord, I have had martins for a few years now. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help,. I probably have more questions than answers at this point, but have managed to trap house sparrows when they try to nest in my martin or bluebird houses, so I know a bit about that. I am located in East Feliciana Parish.
Karen

Karen,

I was checking to see if anyone close to BR needed some guidance or someone to ask questions. Welcome to the Purple Martin Landlord club. I'm hoping to be a resource to others in my area. I have a public site at North Park if you're ever in the Denham Springs area. Feel free to send questions to me at Louisianapurplemartins@gmail.com. I'm also on a great Facebook group, The Purple Martin Group, and have learned a lot from those folks.

House sparrows can be a real nuisance. Good luck with that. Let us know when you get your martins. All is still quiet for me in Denham Springs.

Krista

[K_Adams]

After reading about and seeing steve kreonke colony of martins and reading his posts exstivenly. I concluded that martins prefer gourds or rather gourds are spread out enough so that male dominanace is a little less of a problem. So me being cheap and not wanting to buy 60 gourds I decided to build little bird houses out of alum and make a hole new system since I am a master sheetmetal worker and the material is free for me best price. The houses are 6x6x12"deep there is a 2 " deep attic and vent holes along the sides and vent holes at the ends of the gables. The porch extends 3" with a perch on the end.

I met Steve last year along with several other martin landlords last July. We all are on The Purple Martin Facebook Group and scheduled a meet up at the Bass Pro Roost and sat down and had dinner together with our significant others and talked martins. It was such a great time! Can't wait to meet up again....anyway, yes Steve is full of great information. Said he was downsizing this year, but he still has an impressive super colony in my opinion.

I'd love to try one or two of your houses...have any extra? I struggle at my home site due to trees lining my back yard and want to put a house in the front, but the hubs thinks its a bad idea due to us living in a restricted neighborhood. I had a really good idea, but need someone to build me a house. Maybe you can help me? I have an email: louisianapurplemartins@gmail.com. Let me know if you're up to building a unique house for my front yard :-). In the meantime, if you have a spare of one of your small bungalows, let me know. I'd be glad to purchase one and try it at my home site.

Are you on the Facebook group, The Purple Martin Group? A few Louisiana landlords run that page. That's how we all met and decided to see the Shreveport roost.

Krista

[K_Adams]

It is really so strange I have a friend of mine not more than 600 yards from my house her birds come early end of January mine last year didn't show up till around april she is a very good landlord this year she has 8 already and today I actually had 2 circling my house and 1 was swooping at the houses that I have up and after about 5 minutes had landed and sat on the top for about 5 minutes then flew away. So I might have some early birds Saturday I am going to rake up some pine needles and make nests in my houses . Last year I was trying to figure out if its worth it I put pine needles in half my houses and some birds were taking the needles out and other birds were picking them up off the ground I think I am going to make the nest and if they don't like it they throw them out. Crazy birds and the people that love them

I'm in the same boat...a guy a few doors down always gets martins early and it's not until his barn style house fills up that they come over to mine...which I have better housing and take better care of them. I do pipe out the Purple Martin CD (Dawnsong/DayTime Chatter) and it attracts them over to take a look. Maybe try that route...My husband installed a speaker horn on the eave of the house...so I can get the sound up in the air...neighbors are always wondering where the birds that are chirping are

Krista

[K_Adams]

Here's a photo of my North Park site in Denham Springs (taken last year). 18 pairs total. Didn't have martins take residence until end of February. Hoping to see them sooner this year, Krista

[K_Adams]

A beautiful pair. At my park site in Denham Springs, LA Krista