Our Purple Martin Season

One pair of purple martins set up shop and laid 5 eggs. 3 hatched and 3 fledged. The other pair that was around left. It was a fantastic experience though maddening at times. They put on such wonderful aerobatics and I spent many hours watching them soar, glide and chat up a storm. It was amazing how social the martins were and how the closer it was to fledging time, the more and more martins showed up to visit and cheer the babies on. 28 days after hatching the 3 martins took to the sky and we got to watch them. It was fantastic. They took off and were mobbed by the adult birds in an almost gang like initiation. Hopefully these martins will have a safe migration to south america and return again next year to do it again. 

Fledglings about to take flight (blue tint and its sibling in tow). I hope to see y'all next year. 

A Busy Spring

Spring is going by so fast this year. Maybe it is the lack of sleep due to having a 2 month old that makes time fly by or maybe things are just moving fast because of the extended winter that we had to endure. The bluebirds have already laid 5 eggs, 3 hatched and all 3 fledged but we missed it due to a quick trip to visit family.

This year we decided to try our hand at becoming a purple martin landlord and I know that I have absolutely driven my wife crazy with how I act about them. They are an amazing bird that I can spend hours watching, listening to and fretting over. We were given a house by my martin mentor, which I modified according to the PMCA, enlarging rooms, changing entrances to keep starling out and then we began the waiting game. Waiting is the hardest part.

I know nothing about their behavior so I have scoured the PMCA (purple martin conservation association) forum, reading everything I could find. I doubted my location due to trees and then one day a beautiful male ASY (after second year) bird showed up and took interest in several of the holes but he never stayed the night and after a few days I didn't see him again. The thing about martins is that one day your house is covered up with them and then they vanish and continue their migration. A little over a week ago several SY (second year) birds showed up and began staying the night. They quickly attracted females that shacked up with them and began nest building. Today I checked the box. One compartment had a nice nest built. 2 other compartments had the beginnings of nests. I sat on the back porch and watched as 2 pairs of martins returned to roost in compartments 4 and 6, surprised that no bird entered the almost complete nest. They are a mystery to me and hopefully by the end of this season I will understand them better and be able to provide them with a safe place to raise more martins. I am looking forward to the better weather tomorrow to see what it brings.