Purple Martins

rdw777 Thu Jun 24, 2021 8:44 am

This has been the most fun project for my wife and I…There was a couple of Martin houses a couple of blocks over in sad state of affairs so we decided to put one up and see if we could get some to come over when they migrated in this spring…. We have five couples and about twenty little ones now…..

The babies in the photo are about three weeks old…. I expect them to fly in about another week…. The photo of the house shows two females on one side and a male on the other side with a dragonfly in his mouth….. I have learned a lot since I put the house up…. You don’t just put it up and leave it…. It’s on a telescoping pole and I let it down once per week to clean any Sparrow nests out, (The bane of Martin houses but I have a better plan for next year)

When I’m cleaning the house the Martins just line up on a nearby Powerline and watch… I put it back up and it’s back to regular show..,,They are very people friendly and actually like their house keepers…. They swoop down at me every morning as if a greeting Very Happy

rdw777 Thu Jun 24, 2021 8:53 am

Photos of an adult male and female (Internet, not mine)…They are fun to watch fly….They thermal quite easily and will soar hundreds of feet high…I’ve watched them with binoculars and they will literally spec out, out of view overhead…., When they want to descend rapidly they’ll fold their wings in only leaving the cups of the shoulders exposed and fall like a rock.., Or they will glide in with an amazing glide ratio hardly beating their wings…Quite entertaining

Robert

Kim Thu Jun 24, 2021 9:55 am

Love those guys!

I took this photo on a sunny, but bitter cold morning a few years ago when the main group showed up EARLY in the Spring and got treated to some REALLY low temperatures.

I know you can't assign human attitudes/emotions to wild animals, but I couldn't help putting some captions to this photo.

rdw777 Thu Jun 24, 2021 1:36 pm

Cute captions Kim, Thanks for sharing Very Happy

Yes, some of the individuals in the colony you kind to get to know,

Robert

rsv1cox Thu Jun 24, 2021 3:31 pm

Nice Robert. First class accommodations you are providing there. Sounds like my next winter project. There must be plans.

Years ago, I'm thinking about 9, I "built" this bird house out of left over PVC 4X4 post sleeve. I included a clean-out port but have never done so. Not much to it. Two weeks ago I was sitting in a rocking chair when a couple of birds landed on the bottom perch and went in, Mom and Dad maybe. Didn't hear any babies chirping. I just took these pictures hoping that I could see something. No joy other than what looks like a washer in the top berth. Probably where i screwed it to the post. Sad

Birds were unremarkable. Not sparrows. Dark gray, small to medium size.

rdw777 Thu Jun 24, 2021 5:52 pm

Nice porch and woody yard rsv…. Nice on the bird house too!! I’m not sure about your neck of woods but the couple you saw could be Wrens…..The house looks accommodating for Wrens….. Wonderful song birds…. See if you can hear them while enjoying your porch Very Happy

Robert

rsv1cox Thu Jun 24, 2021 6:26 pm

@rdw777 wrote:Nice porch and woody yard rsv…. Nice on the bird house too!! I’m not sure about your neck of woods but the couple you saw could be Wrens…..The house looks accommodating for Wrens….. Wonderful song birds…. See if you can hear them while enjoying your porch

Robert

That's the funny part, there were Wren's in the tree next to the bird house putting up a racket. Wrens are popular around here, West Virginia. Perhaps occupiers of the top apartment.

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