Purple Martins

[sonofsven]

I've been putting up a pole with pm gourds for about five years. My first two of the season arrived this morning! Their arrival is usually right around tax time (4/18), a little late this year due to unusual cold recently. (SNOW in April? Falling on blooming cherries and rhodies??)
Once you hear their distinctive call it's pretty easy to ID them. They have the most wonderful, rambunctious babbling vocalizations, especially when there's a whole group of them.
They make me very happy :)

Any other PM enthusiasts?

[wenchsenior]

We don't have houses or anything, but they arrived in our neighborhood last week along with the western kingbirds, and we are always excited to see them. I saw someone out in the local park watching them with binoculars, so they have a bit of a following, apparently.

The chimney swifts must have rolled in last night (we'd been looking for them). There was a small flock chittering away overhead when I walked out to the mail box. Mississippi kites should arrive this week, too.

[SunnyDays]

People seem to either love them or hate them.  In big flocks, they're very noisy.  Good for keeping the mosquitoes down though.

Someone around here must have decided they hate them, because there was a HUGE house at the thrift store yesterday!

[jrhampt]

I've been putting up a pole with pm gourds for about five years. My first two of the season arrived this morning! Their arrival is usually right around tax time (4/18), a little late this year due to unusual cold recently. (SNOW in April? Falling on blooming cherries and rhodies??)
Once you hear their distinctive call it's pretty easy to ID them. They have the most wonderful, rambunctious babbling vocalizations, especially when there's a whole group of them.
They make me very happy :)

Any other PM enthusiasts?

What region do you live in?  It's not totally unusual to get snow here in April.  We don't have rhododendrons blooming in April either though, so I'm assuming you're further south?

I noticed the robins and red-winged blackbirds pop back in earlier this month, but I don't know that I've ever looked for Purple Martins.

[sonofsven]

I've been putting up a pole with pm gourds for about five years. My first two of the season arrived this morning! Their arrival is usually right around tax time (4/18), a little late this year due to unusual cold recently. (SNOW in April? Falling on blooming cherries and rhodies??)
Once you hear their distinctive call it's pretty easy to ID them. They have the most wonderful, rambunctious babbling vocalizations, especially when there's a whole group of them.
They make me very happy :)

Any other PM enthusiasts?

What region do you live in?  It's not totally unusual to get snow here in April.  We don't have rhododendrons blooming in April either though, so I'm assuming you're further south?

I noticed the robins and red-winged blackbirds pop back in earlier this month, but I don't know that I've ever looked for Purple Martins.

North Oregon coast (Astoria). We get massive winter storms but generally mild temperatures. Snow at sea level in April was a new one for me.

[GuitarStv]

Birds would be nice animals to have around.  I've chased a woodchuck out of our small suburban back yard this year, and have been trying to figure out a way to keep raccoons from pooping on the roof in front of my son's window.

[nessness]

Birds would be nice animals to have around.  I've chased a woodchuck out of our small suburban back yard this year, and have been trying to figure out a way to keep raccoons from pooping on the roof in front of my son's window.

Apparently raccoons hate the smell of Irish Spring soap. My mom used this to keep them from pooping in a spot in her yard and it worked like a charm.