Hi Bub, Are they the ones that you can lower? Since you're not sure that purple martins were in there, I would clean them all out and watch for other birds, like house sparrows that might try to set up house in them, and then evict them. I had some tree sparrows hanging around mine one year, and the bird people told me that they were a good thing to have there too. Unfortunately, nobody stayed. You can get covers for those holes. And If I'm remembering right, you keep them covered until you start seeing Purple Martins, then uncover them. That will keep the house sparrows out. Good luck.

The attached link has scout reports for South Carolina. ("scouts" refers to martins returning in the spring looking for nesting spots.) There are probaby martins near you, be patient. You may want to try putting out gourd houses as well. Here is a link that might be useful: martin scout report, south carolina

I had a Purple Martin House for about 10 years until we moved to a different house with a heavily treed lot. Purple Martins need lots of room around their houses, at least 20 feet from trees. Are there house sparrows nesting in the house? PMs will be chased away by them so the Martins will not use a house that already has sparrows in it. They migrate back to South America in June and July. I think they're gone for the year and will be back next Feb/March. That said, I bet the drought has something to do with it. They eat flying insects like bees, wasps, and dragonflies, so if those insects around around, neither will be the Purple Martins.

I was afraid that might be the case, they all look around the same size (martins) and info I found today said that the martins usually start to arrive here in February and look for nesting spots. In addition to All the other potential dangers/problems with the house/location where these martins are possibly planning to nest and raise babies, same neighbors also have a HAMM RADIO tower in their back yard and every year around late spring/ summer a great horned owl perches up there on and off and and hoots, I've heard him and seen him up there several nights in a row before. Is there anything I can do at this point, like put up a safe Martin house, or will they stay there now regardless? I'm hoping that if I talk to neighbors and explain the situation, they will do something about it. I feel sick at the thought of the martins going through whole process and end up losing babies or being harmed themselves. If I thought there was a possibility that they would relocate this late in the game, I'd gladly put up a safe place for them to nest and make sure it stays that wAy, although I'd be learning as I go, ughh, whole situation makes me nervous. I'm going to post the pics of the house and the birds tonight, I'm pretty sure the house is not the ideal layout either, it has little porches with metal railings on both floors and another railing across top and from what I've read so far, that makes it easy for owls to get to them. Thanks