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Posted by David S. on 10:43:28 06/28/08
In Reply to: Re: babies posted by Georgiana
A good place to get information and birdhouses for Purple Martins is from a little catalog called the Martin Market Place, ph. 814-833-7656 or go to www.purplemartin.org. They have the widest selection and the best prices for Martin paraphernalia you could ever want.
I live about 2 miles from the entrance of ENP in deep South Dade. Your more than welcome to come out & check out the house if you are in the area sometime. Just email me & let me know when you're in the area.
My Martin House is an old aluminum one & has been remodeled, with gourds hanging from the 4 corners. Martins like their houses in a semi-open area with easy access so they can fly right to their nest-holes. Southern Martins are more tolerant of trees being closer to their homes the their Northern cousins, but trees should be at least 15-20' away.
The only problems for Martins are starlings and English Sparrows that also try to nest in the boxes. You can get Starling excluders to place over the entrance holes that does a pretty good job of keeping them out. I don't have any sparrows, so I just have the Starlings to contend with. Owls & Hawks can be a problem for the chicks, but a deeper nest box usually solves that problem.
If you get a Martin house, put it up by the end of January, because that's when the scouts are searching for nesting sites. Now my Martins are gone for the year, probably roosting with other Martins in large communal roosting sites.
Good luck and hope you get your house. Usually it's pretty easy to get a family of Martins since they are very people-friendly. All they need to do is see it and they move right in. Once they arrive, you will have many hours of enjoyment watching their acrobatic flight habits and listening to their melodious songs.
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