Purple Martin Landlords….let’s get those houses back up!

[RascalArms]

I have a starling making a nest. I live in a neighborhood so pellet gun is not an option. How can I keep them out?

What is the best time of the day to lower the house and remove the starling nest?

Look at my post above. Van Ert traps work great for me. As for the best time of day to lower...the martins don't really care but I suggest doing it during the day but before they return to nest at dusk.

[Mudslinger]

8 nests in a 12 room house w/27 eggs total and at least 3 newly born. Did not want to look or disturb them. There were 5 eggs total in that nest.

[Mudslinger]

Bad news on my Martins. Bad weather destroyed our house, the eggs and at least 2 adults.😥

[SaltwaterSlick]

Oh man that's a dang shame!! Sorry to hear that! Heck, I didn't even think about my martin boxes during our storms... We were lucky I guess. Our birds seem none the less for the wear...

[Mudslinger]

All 27 eggs were destroyed along with the 3 new borns. Most of the nests we flipped inside the rooms. I put the nest back down as best I could but had to take out 2 as it looked like a sparrow nest. Opening was completely blocked. Martins are back around the house but not sure what will happen.

[SaltwaterSlick]

Not sure if they will lay again this year. Hope so! 🙏🙏

[Wolfpack0311]

I hate to hear that about the nest and homes being destroyed by the storms. As of right now on our place we have 22 nesting pairs, I will be adding a ghord setup for next season!

[RascalArms]

That's terrible...sorry to hear Mudslinger. 😕

I've been so busy with work I haven't even performed a nest check in the last 3 weeks since replacing my solid plug doors with the vented doors to dissipate some of the heat. I had no eggs at the time but there's bound to be plenty with all the activity I've been seeing lately.

[RascalArms]

05/25/24 nest check video
49 total cavities, only 2 of which were not active nests and empty. 1 had a sparrow nest I had to remove that somehow eluded me.
Counted 105+ eggs in 21 cavities and the other 25 cavities had a total of 111 babies, ranging from just hatched pinkies to a few nestlings that were pretty far along.
Never had this many hatchlings so early in the year. I hope this means the babies get big enough and strong enough to fully fledge before it gets so darn hot. I know I've lost a bunch of birds to the heat the past few years.

I did have a dead male martin just inside the entrance in 1 of the empty nests. Not sure what happened to him tbh but I hope it wasn't a d*** HOSP from the nest I removed. I can't believe I missed that.🤨
https://youtu.be/LdzXQ80aDr0?si=TMma03P6KFYZQjMJ

[SaltwaterSlick]

WOW Joel, great video!! I'm gonna have to replace my main house for next year most likely... It's old and I just sort of patched it up and give it a new coat of paint to get it through this season... Got a good big family going so far though... I haven't checked the apartments, but it seems that they all fared OK through the storms...

[Stolle]

I had about 5 -6 pair before I left for vacation. Got home last Tuesday and they were gone. Is it the time of year or did something scare them off?

[Wolfpack0311]

I've been wanting to check mine, now I will , the boss always tells me to leave them alone!!!