Whether they will raise another brood this year depends on where you're located. If you're in the south, they may very well raise another brood. Yes, take down the sparrow spooker and add it again if they start laying.

No way anyone could watch this video without smiles, tears, laughter...absolutely awesome! I joined Mom, Dad and siblings in their attempts to coax baby #5 out of the box! Found myself saying out loud,"come on baby, you can do it"...Thank you so much for sharing this joyous occasion with us. CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!! Donna

They eat all sorts of flying insects...not just mosquitos...but all flying insects...and only flying insects. They eat flying beetles, flies, wasps; dragonflies, about anything that will fit in their wide, soft mouths. My neighbors insist we have fewer mosquitoes in the area, and while the PMs do eat mosquitos, the Barn Swallows probably eat far more. They won't eat from feeders or bathe in bird baths. They drink and bathe "on the wing" by flying low over creeks, rivers, ponds, lakes, etc. They're a native species bird that was on the brink of extinction due mainly to the non-native English House Sparrows and English Starlings - which also have severely threatened other cavity nesters that use to be so plentiful...bluebirds, chickadees, tree swallows, woodpeckers of all varieties, nuthatches, etc., and lack of available housing. The PMs winter in southern Brazil, and make the migration back each spring to nest in Northern America from the southern-most tips of Florida and Texas up to north of Winnepeg, Canada. They're beautiful; they sing and chatter and have lovely flight displays. They return to the same area to nest each year and they nest only in man-made housing. The east coast native Americans were providing gourd housing for the PMs around their villiages before Columbus discovered America. They're fascinating, fun, frustrating at times (when weather and HOSP destroy them), and they need us! I could go on and on...but (thankfully, LOL) I have to run to the commissary. The photo shows some of my babies last year. I've not had time to download my recent photos, but I'll get it done before too long. Here is a link that might be useful: Purple Martins! Read all about 'em here!

Lisa, how exciting! Purple Martins need every informed and dedicated landlord they can get to keep them from the brink of extinction. As do all our native bluebirds, woodpeckers, nuthatches, and other cavity nesters so threatened and decimated by lack of habitat and predation by EHSs and EUST (non-native European House Sparrows and European Starlings). If you could manage even a colony of only four gourds, or the large (new specs) 4 house colony, it would do wonders for the species in your area. I always try to encourage new "landlords" to go slow, study everything, and start with fewer, but much larger cavities, such as the gourds or houses with 7"x7"x12" compartments. The ASYs and SYs I referred to with the martins are just more Martins. The initials refer to their age/breeding/plumage status. Yes, PMs will allow other PMs to help feed their young. Sometimes the SY males help feed; sometimes they just harass the nestlings, hoping to encourage the female to renest with them. They little home-wreckers! The martins don't mind when the doves, gold finches, hummingbirds (!), etc. perch on the rack. They fight with the Tree Swallows; I can send you info on how to manage Tree Swallows and Bluebirds so you can have one pair of each, nesting in harmony about 50 ft. from a PM colony. That stops the fighting and everyone wins. My pair had a couple knock-down drag-outs with the wrens, but since the wrens now have a box near the large white spruce tree, everyone is happy once again. Next year the wrens will be in the back yard. Since they, too, are native birds, it takes careful management, but they can be safely and legally persuaded to move. Had my colony been full of breeding pairs, or even half-full; the wrens would have never ventured up there. Since I'm began all over in a new location this year, and had only one pair, I've had extra problems, more challenges, and even more interaction with them. It's been a great year. The fledglings will stay around and sleep in the gourds for a couple weeks, or longer. If I had a "full" colony they'd hang around, with their parents, until all the chicks were fledged and the entire colony was ready to begin the migration together. It's a wonderful pandamonium when several nests are fledging. Grackles, the messy, noisy things can be a big help to a PM colony, too. We have only a few pair here during the summer, hundreds during the short spring and fall migrations, and none in the winter. When I hear the PMs' "HAWK" scream (once you hear it you'll never mis-understand it again!) all the martins in the area swarm high and fast. Hot on their heels are the grackles and everyone attacks the hawk. He won't stand a chance. I've not seen a grackle in two months, except for the couple of times a hawk passed by; then I see dozens. You can email me through "My Page" if you want to talk about PMs. I can share what's worked for my birds. Check out the PMCA; they have all sorts of PDF links on the bottom of their main page. That's a great place to start. Linda...how big is your yard and how close are the neighbors? Is there an open area, at least 50' from very large trees? Are your neighbors nature-minded? You might have room for a small house or gourd rack, if you were so inclined. Do you have power lines? How do they run from your house. Martins like to use them as perching areas if they are close to the rack. As long as the lines don't pass right over your car, there will not be any "mess" problem. My birds perch only on the gourd rack (no power lines here). PMs feed on the wing and range up to 10 miles away. They're never on the ground or perching on furniture, plants, etc. They don't even land in the trees except when they are building their nests and need green leaves to line them. They're stickly birds of the air, they even drink their water on the wing while skimming above ponds or lakes. Here is a link that might be useful: PMCA