Kathleen CA - I'm checking with some of the PMCA members to get all of the facts correct, but there are small numbers of Purple Martins in California. They nest differently though; where the martins in the eastern half of the country are human-imprinted and colony nesters, the ones that have moved to the west coast tend to nest in smaller, or solitary, groups and not near people. I know there were several larger colonies forming around Sacramento. The birds have discovered the drain pipes built in to some of the larger highway overpasses were excellent places to nest. They also nest in pilings and piers along the coast. I'll get back with you when I get more info. I don't know how far south they go. Socks/Kathleen CA - Yes; Wes has been a great help with the my Purple Martin hobby/obsession. When we moved from the base to the new/old house in Larimore in 2007, one of the very first things he did was to dig the 36" deep, 12" wide hole and set the ground stake in cement so it could cure and hold the pole before winter. The pole slips down 30" into the stake. This is the same set up I had on the base. We had a nearly-impossible-to-budge rope-and-pulley system until now. I don't know why it never worked correctly, but the manufacturer replaced the entire hub system with a new and improved one! Since it can hold two layers of eight gourds each, we bought a boat winch to "power" it. The system was easy to install on the old pole and it works beautifully. It would have taken me weeks to put together and install the winch, pulley and hub if I had to do it on my own. It would have involved blood, bruises, pain, and probably broken fingers. Wes had it all together in an hour or so. "I think I'll keep him!" There have been four Purple Martin "scout" sightings in North Dakota since April 11. Two in Mandan, and one each in Devils Lake and Coleharbor. I have three "martineering" friends in Grand Forks and Bismarck. They have not seen birds yet. Purple Martins are native American birds that migrate to and from Brazil each fall. They return in the spring to nest from Florida to north of Winnipeg. At one time they were in danger of extinction because of lack of properly monitored housing (the vast majority of the birds only nest in man-made housing) and predation by non-native European starlings and English house sparrows. Here is a link that might be useful: Purple Martin Conservation Association

Good gourd, you'll be a busy neighbor! Feed them plenty of mosquitoes for me. I thought I was doing well with my regular bunny tenants renewing the lease under my shed!

Lily, every one that enjoys any species of birds is lucky, too! I am very proud of my little PM colony though. I don't know where they're nesting, but I have a pair of catbirds that visit my nectar feeder every day. Yes; they have a sweet tooth hidden in that sharp little beak! I use an older style Opus nectar/"oriole" feeder. It has rubber plugs that function as bee guards. I took two of them off and was surprised at all the other birds that love sugar water when they can get too it. I've seen chickadees, house finches, purple finches, Hairy and Downey woodpeckers, and hummingbirds all using it, along with the expected orioles. Of course, I don't have a photo of the catbird on it, but this is the nectar feeder all the yard birds enjoy.

Sorry Linda...I use too much jargon. Wait till my "AF Veteran" kicks in! LOL HOSP is English House Sparrow. The non-native scourge of all our native cavity nesters. ASY is an "After Second Year" Purple Martin. It's an adult. The year they hatch they are called HYs. Hatching Years. This fall my HYs will migrate to southern Brazil. When they come back next spring they will have their juvenile coloring and be called SY (Second Years) although they are now only one year old. It's the second year they've been in northern American though. A few SY females will breed and nest. An even smaller number of SY males may breed. Then next fall the SYs (2010) they again migrate back to Brazil and molt into their finally adult plumage. When they come back again, (Spring 2011) they will be fully mature, ready to successfully bred and be called ASYs.