Among one of the most dearly held false hoods regarding purple martins, is the one of the infamous “scouts”. Long to be believed as birds sent ahead to gather intelligence, that then return to tell their flock to start migration back North, scouts are really just the first returning birds. Scouts is still the term we use, for these first arrivers and they are always ASY (After Second Year) birds who are more experienced and familiar with the instinctual urge to fly back North to nest. The PMCA (Purple Martin Conservation Association) has the best online tracking tool for landlords that want to know how far purple martins are from them. One can see this scout  map at http://www.purplemartin.org/scoutreport/ Another option is to Follow us  on TWITTER. We tweet all kinds of martin related info, pictures from our colony and more. You can also LIKE us on Facebook. Just look for PurpleMartins-R-Us and click “Like”.

Our colony has tons of eggs at a nest check yesterday and even 1 nest with 5 babies. They ranged in age from 3 days old to 1 day old and seem fat and healthy. I am sure these early nests will do well as the weather has been mild and even weekly rain. Though we aren’t getting as much rain as we should, we are not as dry as last year when we had big losses from a drought.

A quick note about our BirdCam. It is up. We do not, at this time, have sound and the nest cams are turned off, so that birds can nest. But it is the best we can do. Webcams are not our forte and this cam has been a huge expense for us. Not knowing what we are doing, we sought the help of PalmBeachGeek to get the one we have online. There is a limit to the number of people that can be watching the cams at any one time, so if it doesn’t work, keep trying. Also if it doesn’t work for you, send us a quick email letting us know what your problem is, what internet explorer you are using (Firefox, Internet Explorer,Chrome) and we will try to improve things as we work out the kinks.

The National Wildlife Federation just recently certified our property as a wildlife habitat. It is well know how the NWF helps protect wildlife by being America’s largest conservation organization. The National Wildlife Federation works with more than 4 million members, partners and supporters in communities across the country to inspire Americans to protect wildlife for our children’s future. By certifying our site we have shown our continued effort to provide food,water, cover and places for wildlife to raise young, not only for purple martins but many other animals that call our yard home.

Our property, at almost 1.4 acres is not only home to our 45 some odd pairs of purple martins, but a family of screech owls and wild rabbits. Not to mention the assortment of birds that visit our bird feeders and water fountain.

And speaking of purple martins, no nest building of yet, but I expect that to begin anytime. Almost all compartments are taken except by either ASY pairs or singles. The only compartments that have not been taken are a few compartments in the aluminum houses and the shepherds hook gourds. The shepherds hook gourds are simply a few gourds that I hang up on plain old 5 foot shepherds hooks and every year they get taken also. No SY birds have been seen yet, in any State, but they aren’t too far behind.

For some reason the purple martins this year to be a lot more vocal than usual. In past years they seem to trickle in a few here and there and then they keep a low profile. Staying away feeding for much of the day. Not wanting to draw too much attention while their numbers are low. This year seems a bit different. Maybe its because our colony here in Loxahatchee, Florida is now firmly established as we enter our 6th year, or perhaps its just the size of the colony, now offering over 45 compartments. It just seems like the birds are hanging around, chortling, sitting in the entrances of their gourds staking their claim. They were a few days late this year but they seem to have arrived in greater numbers. I counted 15 in the air but I am sure there were some in the gourds.

I have a few final finishing touches to complete to the colony site. Putting up 2″ x 4″ hardware cloth on the 2 aluminum martin houses on the MPP, is on the to-do list. Also changing out some access caps with the new Heavy Duty caps that won’t stretch and pop off. Also the BirdCam is being worked on and though it is proving to be a bit more troublesome this year, I am sure the live streaming cam will be up soon.

The MPP is a Multi Purpose Pole that lets you hang 2 houses on 1 pole and plus hang gourds below. The picture shows not only the MPP pole at our colony but the same pole we sell at our site, BTW. I added even more gourds to this set-up by adding a set of Universal Gourd Hanging Arms to the houses themselves. So The pole has 12 house compartments and 8 gourds for the martins to choose from. Though you could in theory add more gourds, I  usually don’t recommend going more than 18 compartments/gourds on any 1pole. Remember, the problem isn’t with the weight, per sea, but with the time it takes to check on so many compartments. Inevitably what happens is that you will end up not being able to check nests because of the variation in nest ages and then you have to worry about scaring babies that are close to fledge age. It can get a little tricky and if you don’t keep up on nest checks, you end up with a cluster! For those that want to offer houses and gourds and have limited backyard space, the MPP is a wonderful thing.

Its official. All Troyer Horizontal and Troyer Vertical gourds (with SREH) are now featuring Anti-Wing Entrapment tunnels AND new thicker Heavy Duty access caps that WON’T pop off! We are proud to offer the Troyer Horizontal Gourds and Troyer Vertical gourds and we use them ourselves in our own colony.

Off course you can buy these HD Caps separately to upgrade and improve your current selection of Troyer Gourds, Supergourds and Excluder gourds. These caps are opaque (so light won’t leak in), are stronger (so they won’t stretch out and pop off), have a ribbed grip and have 4 purple martins embossed on the top to boot!

All Starling Resistant Entrance Holes (SREH) on Troyer Gourds will now feature an anti-entrapment Guard on the interior of the tunnel. We have written several post in the past on wing entrapment and any SREH is susceptible to having this happen. If a bird becomes entrapped and it goes unnoticed the bird and any trapped behind it will perish. These new guards will cut down on this risk. Read more about wing entrapment at PurpleMartins-R-Us and also on this Blog. The guards are molded into the tunnel and are trap compatible with the Troyer-Haskell Tunnel Trap. Perfect for trapping S&S (Invasive House Sparrows & European Starlings) or even can be used to safely capture purple martins for banding/research purposes.

The season is almost upon us and the martins will be arriving in South Florida within the next few weeks. So stay tuned for an increase in posts here on MyPurpleMartinBlog.com and follow us on Twitter for martin Scout reports. (We are “PurpleMartinArt” on Twitter) Also we are working again on our webcam to get it up and running for our birds return.

In closing we wish you all a relaxing Joyful Holiday and a Healthy New Year!

Erva announced recently that is was discontinuing a couple of their aluminum purple martin houses. The MSS-8 is therefore being discontinued. I was never crazy about the MSS-8 as it was just too small and there are several much better values out there. Once you close off alternating compartments, as recommended by the PMCA and PurpleMartins-R-Us.com, you end up with a pretty standard, unimpressive 4 room house. Not giving you much room for a healthy colony, our opinion is a 4 room house is just wrong.

Why do we make such a big deal about enlarging compartments? 6×6 is so 20th century and so unsafe. 6×12 is the way to go. Predators such as Owls can reach in 6 inches with their feet making anything in a small 6×6 compartment an easy dinner. Even Fish Crows and in some cases Blue Jays, have been known to reach in and snatch an easy meal. Also PMCA studies show that purple martins that nest in larger compartments lay more eggs on average, more eggs hatch and more survive to fledge.  A simple feat to enlarge existing compartments. Some housing systems (Like Quad Pods) use a “baffle” to deter Owls. That is simply a plastic barrier, within the compartment that prevents the owl from seeing past it and into the compartment itself. Larger compartments simply increase the distance from entrance to the nest interior. The added length makes it difficult for an Owl to reach in and pull out birds with his talons. Since an Owl can not reach in far enough, houses or gourds that incorporate this added length can help your Martins have some measure of safety.

The other models being discontinues are the DH-12N (a budget version of the popular Trio Mini Castle system) and the winch version of the MSS-12. The Budget DH-12N has always had stiff competition from the Heath 12/6 convertible that has the added features of SREH (Starling Resistant Entrance Holes) and compartments that can be easily enlarged to the recommended size, and still has the same hexagon shape that folks find so attractive. Though Heath does make an even cheaper version of the 12/6 convertible, again we do not recommend it due to the safety issues it poses to purple martins.

The Nanaimo News Bulletin in BC Canada featured another article on our Western purple martins a few days ago. It’s hard to believe that the season is still winding down for our Canadian neighbors. As the final day of summer approaches, it’s almost a “last hurrah” of sorts for us here in the extreme Southern range of the Eastern species.

It is nice to hear that despite the poor weather they still managed to have a good year and some 585 pairs that managed to produce some 2,200 baby martins. 110 of those pairs within the Nanaimo area itself.

Of course you can read the entire article by clicking on the picture or visit www.georgiabasin.ca or www.saveourmartins.org.

Now that my season is over I like to herald in the fall by placing my egg shell collection container on my kitchen counter. True, it is not the most decorative touch but it reminds me to continue to save egg shells and build up my stores for the next season. In reality it is nothing more than an old Folgers coffee container with holes poked in the top to allow air circulation and my husband always seems to be trying to hide it away, under the sink. But one could decorate it nice if you were concerned over the aesthetics of it all. What’s the big deal? Plenty, if you want the most from your purple martins nesting efforts.

Some folks get it all done and over with by going to a local diner or restaurant and just asking the cook/chef/manager for their egg shells from breakfast service. It sure would make my counter look nicer without the old Folgers can. Of course the best way (as recommended by the Purple Martin Conservation Association) is to actually purchase a bag of Oyster Shell. But however you do it, supplemental Calcium has been a staple of the bird business for as long as folks have been breeding birds.

The actual preparation of egg shells is pretty easy. And “yes”, you do have to prepare the egg shells. It is quite easy and just following these instructions on “Preparing Egg Shells” at our parent site, gives an easy recipe, of sorts.

As mentioned earlier, the PMCA actually recommends using Oyster Shell which is sold as a chicken supplement. It is easily found at any feed store, grain store or the like. Not all are created equal, however. Look for the “pullet sized” which are bigger pieces meant for supplementing chickens as some calcium supplements are in a powder form and way to fine for supplemental feeding. If it is too fine, it will just blow off your elevated feeder. If the oyster shells in the bag you purchase are too fine, just make note and don’t buy that brand again. The only thing the dust version of the Oyster Shell is good for is for your garden, in some cases, to ‘sweeten’ the soil. And if you see “Coral” anywhere on the ingredients, beware- you may end up with a bag of coral dust.

If you are wondering what the big deal is, you can read more here: EFFECTS OF SUPPLEMENTAL CALCIUM ON THE GROWTH RATE OF AN INSECTIVOROUS BIRD: THE PURPLE MARTIN (Progne subis) By Ray Poulin

The PMCA also has an article in their publication The Purple Martin Update Vol. 15 (2) on page 20 I believe that is an interesting read. Contact the PMCA for a back issue of that.

To paraphrase all and take from my own experiences with domestic birds; by providing supplemental calcium you will help your female purple martins in how many eggs are actually laid and the number of birds that actually hatch. Also the nestlings with supplemental calcium have longer feathers at the same age and better growth rates overall. Though the PMCA states that Oyster Shell is much better absorbed than eggshell, if you can’t get the Oyster Shell, Egg Shells are better than nothing.

Time after time, this season, I have received calls from landlords concerning dead purple martin nestlings. I myself have found several jumpers this season. Jumpers are nestlings that are far too young to fledge but jump out of their nests for whatever reason. Usually extreme heat, hunger or parasites are the culprits that lead a martin nestling to such a desperate act. I liken it to people trapped in a high rise that is ablaze. The victims jump to their death to escape the fire.

This year South Florida is suffering from record drought conditions. In droughts flying bugs are significantly decreased leading to catastrophic food shortages. Nothing but rain can re-establish the equilibrium of the food chain. Since our weather is usually fair, our population of purple martins is not familiar with supplemental feedings. In some emergency situations like extreme cold, purple martins can be trained to accept food from an elevated tray or Bed & Breakfast type feeder. Unfortunately, when the weather is fair enough to fly and catch some bugs, the birds will just forage longer and farther from the nest. So training them to accept feedings is extremely difficult. To see a video of supplemental feeding of purple martins click here.

In the usual activity of a purple martin nest you will see some of the nestlings at the entrance waiting to be fed while others are sitting in the back of the nest resting. As the ones in front are continuously fed and get full they turn around and retreat to the back of the nest to sleep, digest and grow. The nestlings that were resting and digesting then get hungry again and come back to the front of the nest to take their place at the entrance to wait for a mouthful of bugs. The nestlings are in a continual carousel of being fed, keeping the parents busy feeding a nest full of an average of 5. But when the nestlings are not getting enough food then they all cluster at the front. So these “jumpers” can actually be accidentally pushed out by the jostling of the babies at the entrance for food.

Martin nestlings that jump due to starvation are usually doomed as the accompanying dehydration is far more deadly than the hunger. Since all purple martin nestlings water intake comes from the insects that the parents bring, in cases like this the jumpers are all very dehydrated. Not wanting to sound like a pessimist, there is not much that can be done. Feeding a dehydrated and malnourished nestling can cause it to just die faster. Looking at the jumper you can often see clues as to how well fed they are or are not. A pronounced keel (breast bone) shows lack of muscle development from chronic malnourishment. Dry, flaky skin is a sign of dehydration. A  wildlife rehabilitator would also look for signs such as skin turgor or “tenting” of the skin as a sign. Emergency injections under the skin would then be given BEFORE any feedings would be attempted. Water or other liquids can aspirate and kill birds quickly if given by mouth. This article on Hydration of Purple Martins can answer some questions and prevent more harm from being done while a rehabilitator is contacted. If their are other nestlings in the nest sometimes the weaker nestlings “jumping” can increase the survival rate of the nestlings left in the nest. If the jumpers can be hydrated then fed by a rehabilitator, they can often be reintroduced into the nest when the are approaching 21 days old before they fledge. Nest checks become increasingly important to know the age of the nestlings. As lowering housing may sometimes cause fledglings to prematurely fledge out of fright.

Though we provide housing for these wonderful birds, one can’t feel responsible for acts of nature such as drought. We help as best we can and give them a chance to survive. Next year they will return and hopefully with better weather conditions. We learn from our experiences and the next season will bring another chance at life.

Look out for our next entry on some of the other causes of “jumpers”.

(c) 2011 PurpleMartins-R-Us.com

Today I received a question and I thought I would share it with you. This DOES NOT pertain to T-14 or Cedar Suites wood houses which use winch / pulley systems and high grade poles designed for the weight of these houses that weigh from 65 to over 100 pounds.

Question

I have a purple martin wooden house that weighs 35lbs. I need to purchase the pole and the plate to set it up. Please recommend the best pole and plate to use to set it up.

ANSWER

It depends on what type of wooden house it is. Is it home made or store
bought? DIY Purple Martin houses that are just flat wood on the bottom, folks mount it to a 4×4 wooden post bought at a lumber yard or home improvement yard. The weight of the house will make it too heavy for a telescopic pole.

Though some websites may say that a telescopic pole can handle up to 25 lbs and sell brackets, galvanized pole or pipe FLANGES can be found in any hardware store. It would be cheaper for you to buy at Lowes, Home Depot or any local hardware store. We do not sell them due to safety concerns. We believe that the weight of the house combined with the height at which martin houses are mounted, substantially increases the risk of pole failure. Though we sell aluminum houses that use galvanized pipe, these
houses have been tested and are proven to support the weight they are designed for.

If you mount to a wooden 4×4 wood post then the base of the house can be screwed onto a post using “L” brackets, also found at any hardware store for under a few dollars.

Unfortunately many wooden purple martin houses sold on the web are poor choices to actually house martins. They are not built with martins in mind. Which is why we do not sell them.

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One good tip when buying ANY purple martin house is beware of the term “Easy end of season cleanout” or” top level detaches from the bottom”doing nest checks you want to be able to selectively open compartments. Opening a whole floor at a time is just ASKING for trouble. I mean, where are you supposed to put that portion of the house while you check the other section? On the ground? What about if a nest is close to fledging? The nestlings would be jumping all over the place. Never mind the issues with the posts that these houses are designed to be mounted on. Decorative at best, way to short or impossible to reach at worst.  And I haven’t even mentioned the fact that there are no starling resistant options and the compartments are WAY too small.

Any good purple martin house will have large 6×12 (or even 6×11) compartments and the ability to selectively open portions of the house with minimal disruption. Easy to lower and SREH options show that your and your martins comes first.