No more whining; because they're here!

caroline94535

18 years ago

5:19 p.m., Friday, May 9, 2008 Larimore, ND

The Purple Martins are here.

Purple Martins are in my gourds!

I have an ASY (After Second Year, fully-mature) male in Gourd 3

I have an ASY female in Gourd 1

I have more flying in.

Wes was on the computer and I was in the bedroom folding laundry. We hear the familiar "krieeek" call; nothing else sounds like it. Wes said, "They're here!"

We run out to the patio and there's the male, chattering and whistling out of Gourd 3. We run inside to the living room window and see a female peeking out of Gourd 1.

Boy, oh Boy! They're here. Now I have to wait for them to leave, lower the rack, and unplug the rest of the gourds. I keep them plugged to keep the vermin-sparrows out until the Purple Martins arrive.

They're here!

They're here!

They're here!

They're here!

They're here!

They're here!

They're here!

I'm so happy I could do flips!

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Comments (9)

kacram
18 years ago
Yea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! they found you! LOL
User
18 years ago
Photos, we want photos please!
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nodakgal
18 years ago
I know it makes your heart happy! I remember all your hard work in G.F.
Glad they followed you.
Daisy7
18 years ago
Caroline, I am so very glad for you!
tannatonk23_fl_z9a
18 years ago
I just knew they'd find you, Caroline!!! I can hear the excitement in your post and I'm very happy for you! I get like that when the hummers finally show up and they are here now. I spent a good part of the morning just watching them.

~Betsy
grammahony
18 years ago
Caroline, I just had to let you know, my Purple Martins are back (well some of them). I had a lot more last year, but was really late getting my house up this year. I didn't even really get to watch/count as I was just there from about 2:30 yesterday until 2:30 today. Now, I'm off to the shower, I feel so grungy.
Leslie
caroline94535
Original Author
18 years ago
I have four Purple Martins now. This is so sad. When I had the 11 gourds set up on base, I'd get 50-100 birds all fighting for the 11 homes.

I guess is will take a while to build a colony here. I'm very thankful I have the two pairas; and it's not too late for more to join the party.
joyfulguy
18 years ago
Birds and Bases don't go together very well, do they?

I guess that'd be larger, higher flying birds, e.g. cranes, ducks, geese or swans. Do they have noise-makers, etc. to frighten them off?

ole joyful
caroline94535
Original Author
18 years ago
Hey OJ!; The wildlife and A/C pretty well all co-exist. They actually have an office that has sole responsibility to monitor, maintain, and encourage as much natural and native wildlife and plants as possible without impacting the main (flying) mission.

The layout and location of the runways are so far from the rest of the base that the birds adjust.

There are some strikes during the goose/duck migration, and I know they have some sort of sound deterrent on the runway itself, but for the rest of the base they try to encourage as much natural wildlife as possible.

We had a couple wonderful colonies of Purple Martins, two long bluebird trails, scores of native birds that were nesting, and a large herd of deer.

We also had a visiting bear on base our first year here, but the state game commission, in it's infinite wisdom, shot and killed it because they "forgot" to bring a tranquilizer dart. The base officials called the state officials to "remove" it to a safe area. The goons shot it instead of relocating it.

I was livid.

Wes and Harry found a bear while out scouting last weekend. They went one way; the bear went the other and everyone's happy.

No more whining; because they're here!

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kacram

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No more whining; because they're here!

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kacram

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