In 2020 my martins hit it hard then stopped several times due to sudden changes in the weather, usually cold snaps. Nest building may start in earnest, but may suddenly stop for a time especially it the weather sours. It’s a great time of the season as a purple Martin landlord. This usually coincides with the arrival of the second year birds. As spring progresses and mid April rolls around the martins spend more and more time around the site until the nesting season begins with all its excitement. My concerns are erased around sundown as the birds return finally to roost for the night. Even at my site that has had martins for 25 years It’s not unusual for the early birds to be away from the site for most or all of the day causing me to worry that they might have decided to abandon me. Often a quick visit in the morning is all you get. When you do get martins that are interested in your site, they will not hang around all day. That does not mean you cannot still get your first pair. Many times southern landlords are posting of their martins leaving before the arrival of SY birds in the north. It’s always important to notice the location of posts you read and their content. The further north the later the window of opportunity is open. It only makes sense that they can attract martins easier. Every martin that nests in US passes through a southern state. That’s because there are less martins that travel that far. It’s more difficult to attract that first pair the farther north you go. That first year is a fun experience watching the actions of other martins that may be lured to your site by the activity of your first pair. Once you get that first pair your colony can grow exponentially each year. That’s all it takes to get a thriving colony started. SY birds continue arriving and passing through for 6 to 8 weeks. In my case in 2020 the first SY birds arrived 6 weeks after my first scout. Their arrival often starts 3-4 weeks after the first influx of older birds.
New setups are typically started by last year’s young, termed second year (SY) birds. Most adult martins ( termed after second year ASY birds ) have homes they return to so don’t panic when your neighbors birds are back, and martins show little interest in your new setup. More northerly sites have a much later window. I hear of many landlord Wanna-be’s that get discouraged way too early in the season. That is a three to four month window of opportunity. So I consider mid June to be the closing of the window if trying to start a new colony in southwest Virginia. In my area ( southwest Virginia) I typically have a late nesting pair that lays its first egg mid June. In 2020 my first second year birds arrived around April 20. I saw this bird a couple of times, then not again until three birds arrived on March 19th.Īfter that numbers increased almost daily. In 2020 my first martin (scout) returned on March 6. There can be several weeks between your first sighting and your first influx of martins. Even at established sites a scout can be reported weeks before arriving at another nearby established site. Here are some of the things to get you ready and calm your mind as you wait for that beautiful martin song to fill your back yard.ĭon’t panic when purple dots fill the scout arrival map in your area. A purple Martin landlord and wanna-be landlord gets as antsy an an expectant mother.
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