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Purple Martin House

E

El Toro

Well-known Member
I forgot I still had a picture of this martin house. I built it in 1966 and had birds the first
year. We sold that home in 1968 and the martins were there. My neighbor put up a martin house and they went there. We installed the martin house that Fall at the new house and had birds every year up until 1972. We were hit with a northeaster with lots of rain that summer. When I came home my wife said there's something wrong in the martin house. She told me she thinks the baby martins may have died from the heavy rain. That's what we found when took the house down. I never had martins again. Even bought an aluminum house still no birds. The adult birds would come, but none stayed. Hal
a142709.jpg
 
I have to wonder if something else other than the "noreaster" is to blame for the birds not returning.

Did a tree grow nearby that shaded the house ?

Shrubs, or flowers planted at the base of the pole ?

Martins don't like either.

After an owl attack, our birds were slow to recover - maybe two years but they did rebound.

I had a racoon attack them in 2012 and the surviving birds left. It was too early in the season for them to migrate. I expected reduced numbers in 2013, but I was wrong. We raised quite a brood last summer.
a142712.jpg
 
Hal, I'm wondering if something is happening to the [population of those types. I never built a house but always had about 4-6 pairs build their mud nests in the barn overhang where I store hay.
When I would cut hay the cute little buggers would be dive bombing me, sometimes as many as 20 or so. Last couple years, none in my barn and maby 4-5 at most when cutting hay.
I am thinking that the widespread draught might have had an effect on the insect population over the last few years.
 
Larry, you were seeing barn swallows which are related to martins.

Martins do not tend to follow you mowing hay, but barn swallows absloutely do.
 
It was the heavy rain that killed the baby birds. I should've had drain pipes in each nest. Never gave it a thought when I built this house.
We also bought a fiberglass house and they would come, but wouldn't build any nests. The martin house wasn't near any trees. I threw the wooden martin house away right after that happened. I could run the lawn mower under that martin house and the males were usually sitting on the house and looking down. They didn't seem to mind the noise. Hal
 
The barn swallows are a lot smaller than the Martins. We had barn swallows at work. The black snakes were always after the baby birds. One of my co-workers would catch a snake and throw it into one of our cold chambers at -65°F. Hal
 
The Purple Martins seem to like it when I mow as it stirs up the insects and they circle me and the mower looking for a meal.
 
Hal, I am a firm believer in Gourd houses. When I first started with them I made my own, as time got tighter and my colony grew I started buying the plastic ones.

I had around 40-50 pair when I left the farm.

Gene
 
GeneMO has it right.. I put a house up years ago and got two pairs.. next year 5 gourds. had 9 pairs. following year put up another 5 gourds and had 14 pair.. last year put up 4 more gourds.. 16 pair.. 32 birds. I now have 14 gourds and a house that has 4 compartments that i hope to have 36 this year. The Gourds are def the favorite.. Grow my own and replace when necessary.. Good luck.. Nothing like sitting out on the deck early in the morning listening to them chatter..They say the originals and their young if there is room will keep coming back to the same place..
 
I think the key to getting Martins is to get them cleaned out (houses) & ready early in season, as they send out scouts. My uncle uses gourds, has more Martins then his neighbour with expensive Martin house. I have old barn with 20 pair of swallows, they soon learn the sound of lawn mower.
 
They make mud nests in our old bank type stable barn, I let them have 3/4 of the barn, for nesting. Martins love a water feature, like a nearby swimming pool, or cattle trough. THey like their nests in full sun, if possible. I too enjoy watching them eat bugs that I kick up with the lawnmower, or haybine!
 
There are several good websites that describe how to make gourd houses. They need to be a good sized gourd. I forget the diameter though. I would make the hole. I also made a little porch out of dowel rods and thin aluminum flashing. Also made a little cover over the hole. On the porch you also need to put up railings to keep the young from falling off befor they cn fly. Up at the top of the neck I drilled a hole completely through, then glued in a length of small PVC to act as a bushing so the wire didn't cut through the gourd over time.

I ran a wire through the hole to hang it.


The bought ones are sturdy and have a clean out/access hole on the side. But they are pricy. I think I have almost $300 in my bought gourds.

I built a "rack" out of 1/4" rod, welded to pipe that slides up and down the main pipe. I made a pully and rope system to haul it up.

Ought to patent the danged thing. It was a job to make.

Most people just hang them off of the porches of the bought aluminum houses, but the decking isn't strong enough and needs to be beefed up.

Gene
 
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