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The Kitchen Table

Trumpets Blasting; Angels Singing; They're Back!

14 years ago

It's Time! I just love Alice Cullen's "It's time!" quote from the Twilight movie.

In this case it's Purple Martin time!

At about 1:53 p.m. I was talking to the MIL. I was telling her about the gourds, and "No; they're not back yet, but any day now..." I walked over to the front window and was looking at the empty, quiet rack of gourds.

And here they came. I can see several way up high. One ASY (fully mature, breeding) female zoomed down, poked her head in a round-holed SuperGourd and then settled on the porch of the BO-11+ gourd. They do love the porches best of all. I'm in the slow process of getting porches on all the gourds.

My happy time has begun. The cold, bone-twisting winter is over. Sun and fun and flowers and birds and fresh air...and lots of garden improvements to do this season...in between watching and listening to the birds.

The Tree Swallows arrived on Monday (April 23). This was the first year since I starting hosting Purple Martins (2003) that the TSs arrived before the martins. Usually the TSs arrive a week or two later.

I think, I saw a hummingbird yesterday. I didn't have my glasses on so I can say with 100% accuracy, but what other creature flys and moves like a hummingbird? LOL I've had the nectar feeders out and filled for a couple of weeks so it's all good if they are back.

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Comments (5)

User
14 years ago
I love Martins, and well most all birds really.... and Larry is interested in putting up a Martin House here on the knob...
Where do you live?? Our hummers have been here for a couple of weeks.... and I have 3 feeders out... but as soon as the wild honeysuckle vines go into full bloom... they don't mess with the feeders all that much.. for a few weeks anyway...

Carolyn
dees_1
14 years ago
I got my martin scouts on Feb 29, think we already have eggs in the nests (we have about 50 pair and the neighbor has about 60). My neighbor saw an Indigo Bunting and we should be getting grosbeaks soon.

I saw my first hummingbird yesterday. In fact, he tapped on the window to let me know there was no feeder....the little ones do that every year. They let me know when the feeders
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folkvictorian
14 years ago
Hooray! Our tree swallows are here but the barn swallows have not returned yet. They should be arriving any day, though. Meanwhile, we have teeny tiny puff-ball yellow Canada Goslings at the pond, too. Happy happy day!
socks
14 years ago
I was wondering about the PM's for you, Caroline. How thrilling! Thanks for letting us know.
joyfulguy
14 years ago
Hi again Caroline,

Hope you're (otherwise) enjoying spring.

Question: when one of your resident birds gets a bit of an upset tummy ...

... does s/he refer to him/herself as a "burple martin"?

o j

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