Forgot to explain the purple Martin house–the martins got here on Monday morning,Memorial Day, and I immediately lowered the house and cleaned out the sparrows’ nests so the martins could get into an apartment, hopefully to build their nest and start laying eggs. If you’ve never heard a purple Martin sing, it’s hard to describe except to say that it’s very melodic and distinctive–it is beautiful!
Country Threads Chicken Scratch
Farm life
We have had our Martins for a month. So far we have 9 martins. I love to hear them sing also. I had to untangle one from a string in our gardens a couple years ago. He kept trying to fly until I started talking then he settled right down in my hand as if to say your that crazy woman that comes out and talks to us everyday!
after the Martin’s leave the nest, our neighbors clean their house and put balls in the holes so the sparrows can not get in. In the spring when the Martin’s return all he has to do is take out the balls and the house is clean and ready for the new tenants.
We have had our martins for a month. We got 9 martins. A couple years ago I had to untangle one from a string in our garden. He kept trying to fly until I started to talk to him. He then just settled down and looked at me as if to say “you are that crazy lady that comes out and talks to us every day” I was able to lift his wings and get the string off
Hi Mary,
Thanks for the explanation: I was looking at the photo of the old nests and thinking ‘What IS that??”! As I write in my third-floor quilt studio swallows and martins are circling past the window – I love them, true harbingers of summer.
Regards Fiona.
Once birds have begun finding nesting sites, I love how they keep returning year after year. Had a pair of Cardinals that would show up in March, have three broods of babies every summer and leave late in the fall. I had six different kinds of birds nesting somewhere on the property, something I really miss now that I exist in Assisted living. But soon I hope to find a new house, with wheelchair accessibility so I may get back to watching birds.
Having Purple Martin’s returning each year must certainly help reduce the bug population at the farm.
Mary, I have never heard purple martins, so, I went to u tube where I heard a chorus of beautiful bird music. One video had martins giving a squirrel a really hard time…fun.