Purple Martins

Each year with the passage of Christmas and New Years, my thoughts become concentrated on getting the old bird houses up for the arrival of the purple martins. At least in southest Texas, the "scouts", as they are called, usually arrive sometime between the middle of January and the end of the month followed by younger males and then females. It is of utmost importance to have the abodes up before the scouts fly in because if not, they will simply find another home to nest in. It is rumored that the adult birds and offspring from the previous years will seek out the same residence year after year, providing the bird houses are put up in time for their arrival. I wouldn't say these two-legged, warm blooded, feathered friends were actually purple in color as the males tend to be coal black while the females sport more of a grayish black look. The call or chirp of these birds is very distinct and one can tell at an instant when they have arrived just by hearing their melodious song. Martins also prefer making their home near a body of water as they skim across the lake where I live, scooping up insects that happen to be floating on the top. These birds dine on all kinds of bugs including mosquitoes, which are in abundance during the summer months, and are highly regarded because of this trait. A bird feeder sits almost directly below one of my bird houses, and all kinds of birds including doves, sparrows, crows etc. daily visit this free feast of grains. Never have I witnessed a martin eating from this feeder only bolstering the fact that they are small arthropod feeders.

By the start to middle of June, chicks have hatched and the behavior of the adult birds becomes more protective and aggressive. Before this time, the birds seem to fly nonchalantly over the landscape, but once they become parents, they seem to be acutely aware of their surroundings. My dog, Spike, who used to wander around the yard without being noticed, has suddenly become a threat to the birds well being and is occasionally dive bombed if he wanders anywhere near their home. As soon as daylight appears, the males are seen making uncountable trips to and from the home, bringing back tasty morsels for the newly born chicks to feed upon, and continues until sundown when the male and female along with the newborns snuggle up for the night in their cozy abode.

When the Fourth of July arrives, little heads are beginning to peep out of the entrance holes of the houses, and take their first look at mother earth. Soon afterward, the new fledglings are ready to take flight as the adult birds fly round and round the houses, chirping loudly, and coaxing the youngsters to venture out and give it a shot. The majority of the young birds make it, however one or two might meet some sort of demise while trying to learn how to fly. Large numbers of young and adult birds can now be seen flying daily around the area always heading back to their little homes every evening before the sun sets.

It is always sad about mid August when suddenly, all the purple martins, adults and young alike, seem to disappear just as quickly as they arrived. These fun to watch creatures head back to South America each year about this time, where I understand they are not welcomed visitors. Seems they like to eat coffee beans and are despised by the coffee farmers that reside in that country. Being as there are so many coffee brands on the store shelves these days, I don't think the purple martins are making a dent in the fall of the coffee industry.

If you live in a part of the United States where purple martins regularly visit in the spring, get yourself a martin house and enjoy the company of these great companions. Heath company makes a great aluminum house, made especially for purple martins because the entrance hole must be a certain diameter. These houses have a couple designs, oval or square, with apartments that are easily cleaned after the birds have left, and come with optional hole covers that can be inserted to keep the sparrows out before the adults arrive. Pricing on these types of bird houses usually start around $60 or so, and can readily be found on e-Bay or on the Internet. Get one or two houses and have fun all summer watching the activities and lifestyles of these great birds.