purple martins

billbill1 · Apr 6, 2005

Mrs. billbill and I have 3 purple martin houses, the birds showed up this past Sunday, April. 3 , 2005. We really enjoy the time they spend here in Kansas, have any of you seen them in your area yet?

8NTX · Apr 6, 2005

They've been at our place for about 2 or 3 weeks now. I don't know if they eat that many mosquitos, since we still seem to have plenty. But we love watching their acrobatics in the evening.

Steve

EddieWalker · Apr 6, 2005

I think they are at my place, but I don't have any houses' or gourds for them. They look just like the pictures, they fly all around my pond and even skim the surface to get a drink.

Where they sleep at night, I have no idea.

kensfarm · Apr 7, 2005

Not yet.. but I always have a few families move in and build nests in the bottom level of the barn. I keep watch.. one nest last year had 6 baby birds.. the nest was so crowded I built a little platform under the nest to catch the overflow if one fell out. I love to watch them following me when I'm mowing.

heehaw · Apr 7, 2005

i put 7 houses around my pond, 18 years ago...found out some interesting information..i had one really nice redwood house, it was up for several years and the martins never nested in it..they filled the trio metal houses first, then a couple home made ones i "had", then the newest plastic houses..they actually went for 2 years after i put the plastic houses up before they would nest in them..i think its because the top is dark green, and it has to get really hot in there..but the metal houses are still nested in first..the ark game and fish folks put out a pamplet several years ago, it said the martins do not send "scouts" and ate very few mosquitos...
gave me another reason not to believe anything the govt says.
heehaw

DannyD · Apr 7, 2005

Saw some just last week, never have seen them in 12 years here..........

Now how do I keep them here. anyone with plans for martin houses or is it best to buy one?

billbill1 · Apr 10, 2005

Danny, Northern Tool sells purple martin houses. The ones that we have are Trio Grandpa's that we bought from a garden store. You can get martins in any state and here in Kansas they usually show up late May or early April. They migrate back south in early August. Neat birds to have around and to watch raising their young. They prefer to house to be in the open with powerlines somewhere near the house to sit on.

DannyD · Apr 11, 2005

Guess I need some houses then, we have power lines out the wazoo here.

thanks for the info, now to find the NT catalog the wifey threw out last week

Freds · Apr 11, 2005

Can I ask a question here? OK, what exactly are purple martins? I thought the areobatic birds that followed me around while mowing were barn swallows. I say this because they live in my pole barn and have thin, falcon style wings. I don't know very much about birds, but I guess I could do a search if needed.
There are farms around here that have birdhouses that look like white bee hives. They raise them in the spring on top of a pole that they have several attached to and lower them in the fall. Are these for purple martins?
Sometimes I will see what appears to be 1000 birds flying and dive bombing in unison over the vineyards, are these purple martins? I don't know what they look like up close...