I've been wanting Purple Martins for awhile too, but haven't gotten around to putting up a house for them yet because I'm still too confused on what is the right one, and do I really want to spend hundreds of dollars on one without knowing it will realy work.
Last summer I brought power into my land for my new home. The power lines cross the corner of my small pond. About a week later, Purple Martins started showing up.
At first there were just a few of them and I wasn't even sure what they were. They'd fly around the pond, drink from it while flying and do neet tricks in the air. They also like to sit on the power lines.
Then the few of them turned into dozens and dozens of them. They line up all together along one of the power lines. Kind of funny how the bunch up like that.
They started coming back again a few weeks ago. Just two at first. Now theres maybe a dozen, but not all the time.
They have also become more friendly towards us. They fly right around us and no longer fly off when we walk by them when they are on the power lines.
I told a friend that I wanted to get a few homes for them, but wasn't sure if it would matter. I don't know where they nest or life at night.
He said, they've been around thousands of years before people started making homes for them.
So now I'm inclined to let them do their thing and enjoy the show. It really is fun to watch them in the air and when they drink from the pond. Especially when there's a hundred of them or more!!!
Eddie
