Ready for Purple Martins 2022
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
I’m late getting the gourds up this year, but the Purple Martins are not yet in this region, so it‘s all good.
I keep planning a new pole and rack to hold more gourds, but it hasn’t happened so far. I’m offering 15 nesting gourds again this year.
I’ve hosted these beautiful birds since 2003.
Most of the entries are closed off with duct tape to keep House Sparrows, Starlings, etc. out of the gourds until the PMs actually arrive.
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Rookie growing purple martin gourds
Comments (4)Hear from another semi novice. I grow birdhous gourds last year by accident. I intended to grow ornamental gourds but there were mixed and included some small birdhouse gourds too. I Was caught off guard, as I had no idea what I am getting into. As they kept growin (and growing) I kept making arches and treliss. Thanks to internet that I learned how to deal with it. I did grow some pretty good ones but my birdhouse gourd plant died young from some unknown disease(grin) and left whole bunch of orphans. So the gourds could not mature and harden on vine . Problem number two was mildew attack. I fought it and managed to salvage some ornamental gourds. Problem number three was polinating BH gourds, since they open flowers early in the evening(separate male and female ) , after sundown and close before next dawn, during which time there are hardly any active insects around here to do polinating. But despite that experience, I am growing more ang larger BH gourds plus swan gourds plus luffa gourds this year. I planted mine directly in the patch, as we have long growing season, there was no need to start them inside. My gourds now are ready to bloom. The vines are growing up to one foot a day. I will pinch the mains off when about 10 ft long, to encourage lateral branching and fruiting. P.S. This year I am going to take precationary measures and spray them for mildew prevention. Actually I have done once and I am going to do it again, tomorrow. So you heard it right here from another novice.(Grin!!)...See MoreBiggest Colony of Purple Martins Ever
Comments (11)The purple martins took off for South America yesterday. It was sooner than I expected. I'm a little sad. Every year, I get used to seeing them when I come home. I always take some time to watch them. It is so relaxing to take a few minutes to sit on the bench to watch them soar around the sky and talk to each other. It is great to invite friends over to sit under the tree, have a glass of ice tea and watch the martins. That last set of babies fledged and boy, the colony didn't waste any time at all. I saw them late yesterday morning and had a sense that they were getting ready to go. Their fluttering around the house wasn't quite their normal behavior. By noon there wasn't a purple martin in sight. None came into the birdhouse at dusk last night and this morning, the house was still empty. So I took the house down this afternoon and cleaned it out. Got it ready to put into the attic until Christmas/January. I sure do miss them already! Carol...See MoreIts Purple Martin Time!!!!!
Comments (5)Kendra, Do you have the house away from tall trees? Martins are nor like helicopters smile..They like to zoom in and zoom out. The best way I like to tell people is imagine they are the fighter jets and your house is the aircraft carrier or the airport. Nothing can block the flight path to the runways and consider the open areas near your colony the runways. It is the martin's nature not to want to slow down when entering or exiting the colony site. This puts them at greater risks of getting caught by the Cooper's or Sharp Shinned Hawk. If the martins do not have these open flyzones to and from they will not colonize a new site. Give them everything they seek Kendra is my point. You may also want to try hanging about 4 well natural gourds under the T-14. Martins love gourds but make sure these gourds are also starling resistent like your house is. That is very good that you have taken the steps to protect the martins from those no good murdering starlings and that is a huge step at getting a martin colony started. Anyway I just thought I would give you some tips and if you try and envision your martin setup like it is the airport and the martins are like F-16's you will see what I mean. You acnnot attract a nest seeking woodpecker to an open field Kendra and you cannot attract a martin to a woods or in the midst of tall trees or even buildings that may block the flyzones. Now at the same time make sure the martin house in within at least 120 feet of your house without blocking the flyzones. Martins like nesting near man because they have learned that the threat of hawks is not as great. Glad you love the martins Kendra..I know I do. Just keep on trying and make sure you do not allow the Hosue Sparrows to nest in the house either. They are just as bad for American birds as the starlings and there are traps for dealing with them...Mike...See MoreMid-Season Purple Martin updates; 4 photos
Comments (3)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....See More- 4 years agolast modified: 4 years ago
96 pair are amazing! My 15 pair keep me hopping.I saw a posting that PM eggs are hatching in Houston.
Here’s a PMCA arrivals map enlarged to show my area. I am halfway between Grand Forks and Minot.
There are birds south, east and north of me, but none here - yet.
The Winnepeg and Edmundton, Canada areas always have their arrivals before our area.
- 4 years agolast modified: 4 years ago
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