It wouldn't hurt to put it up now, but you'd be putting it up more for PR than to actually attract purple martins. Still, you never know. The Purple Martin Conservation Association says purple martins can migrate back as late as June, although I've never had new ones arrive here that late in the year. By PR, I mean that the local Purple Martins might notice it and remember it is there when they come back next year. Or, if something happens to a purple martin home at a house near you....like it is destroyed by a hail storm or high wind, the birds might move to your house soon thereafter. The Purple Martins migrate back to Oklahoma in the late winter and early spring. The ones at our house usually show up about the third week in February, and I am in Love County down by the Texas border. They generally raise a clutch of nestlings before it gets too terribly hot. The birds prefer for their homes to be out in open areas, which means they are unshaded, and the birds abandon the homes when the really hot weather arrives and live in the woods. However, they often come back and sit on the rooftops and perches on the martin houses in the early mornings and evenings while swooping around feeding on flying insects. Sometimes the juvenile birds come to sleep in the houses at night even after they've fledged and left the nest, but they spend the days in the cooler woodland area. I've linked the website of the Purple Martin Conservation Association below for you. They go into great detail about how to place your housing in the best way so it will be attractive to purple martins. Once you attract purple martins, they show a high degree of "loyalty" to the house and will return to it year after year. Some people have trouble attracting purple martins, but we had some show up less than a month after we originally put up our house about a decade ago, and then had to add a second house 3 or 4 years later. They really like to be around people and often come sit on the electric line and sit and watch me work when I'm in the garden. Good luck attracting purple martins! Dawn Here is a link that might be useful: PMCA Website

Hi Lisa, Yes, I would think that they would have their houses up already. My friend who lives in North Dakota has just had her Martins arrive, so it is time. It is absolutely NOT too late to get nesting Martins. It is VERY important to place the house in the very best location possible. Martins need large open flyways from all directions. They do not want to nest next to large trees, but they do not like to be too far away from people either. Location is EVERYTHING to them. Proximity to the Bluebird housing should not be too much of a problem for them. I wouldn't put them side by side intentionally, but many Martin landlords have BB's nesting in close proximity to their sites. What you absolutely cannot do is to allow any other cavity nester to nest inside the Martin house. It must be monitored very closely. If you see another species of bird is interested in the housing, then it needs to be closed up until you see Martins on it or around it. YES, there are many websites where Martin landlords come to discuss their colonies and are very willing to answer questions and offer advice to those who are newbies and trying to learn and establish colonies. Here are some Purple Martin sites: http://www.purplemartin.org/ http://www.pmclubhouse.com/isapi.dll?c=h&htx=page http://www.michiganmartins.com/ http://purplemartin.org/mentorprogram/index.php?loc=MI http://www.chuckspurplemartinpage.com/ Hope that helps you!! Keep me posted on your progress?~~Angie

Hi marti, This is a subject with which I am well familiar as this will be my 4th season trying to establish a Purple Martin colony. Many of the older ASY (After second year) birds are back to their nesting colony sites now, and the older males are soon beginning to "dawnsing" in order to attract in the younger Subadult (SY) birds to their sites. In the Purple Martin migration, the older birds arrive home first and the younger ones come 4-6 weeks later. So, playing the Dawnsong CD calls them in! It really does work. Now, there is another CD available called the "Daytime Chatter" CD. It is just a compilation of typical colony sounds and can be played all throughout the day. I have linked the PMCA site with info on that CD. I am in zone 7a, and the subadults are not back up this way yet, but they would be coming into your zone. Oh, I do hope that you get some to stay!! Because I erected a Purple Martin site, I now have nesting Tree Swallows and Great Crested Flycatchers returning to my yard each year. They were attracted in by the Purple Martin housing and sounds. I originally offered a Purple Martin house and some gourds, but have now gone to offering gourds only, as the house seemed to attract the House Sparrows more. I know lots of serious Purple Martin landlords and will be happy to direct you to some of their good info and advice. Just shoot me a private e-mail if you are interested.~~Angie Here is a link that might be useful: Purple Martin CD

Hi Lisa, Yes, I would think that they would have their houses up already. My friend who lives in North Dakota has just had her Martins arrive, so it is time. It is absolutely NOT too late to get nesting Martins. It is VERY important to place the house in the very best location possible. Martins need large open flyways from all directions. They do not want to nest next to large trees, but they do not like to be too far away from people either. Location is EVERYTHING to them. Proximity to the Bluebird housing should not be too much of a problem for them. I wouldn't put them side by side intentionally, but many Martin landlords have BB's nesting in close proximity to their sites. What you absolutely cannot do is to allow any other cavity nester to nest inside the Martin house. It must be monitored very closely. If you see another species of bird is interested in the housing, then it needs to be closed up until you see Martins on it or around it. YES, there are many websites where Martin landlords come to discuss their colonies and are very willing to answer questions and offer advice to those who are newbies and trying to learn and establish colonies. Here are some Purple Martin sites: http://www.purplemartin.org/ http://www.pmclubhouse.com/isapi.dll?c=h&htx=page http://www.michiganmartins.com/ http://purplemartin.org/mentorprogram/index.php?loc=MI http://www.chuckspurplemartinpage.com/ Hope that helps you!! Keep me posted on your progress?~~Angie