They're here!
Monday, March 16, 2015
First Purple Martin Arrival for Season 2015
My first 'scout' for the season arrived yesterday evening (3/15) at 5:00 PM.!
They're here!
They're here!
Monday, March 9, 2015
Purple Martins Moving into Missouri-Migration 2015
I'm so glad I decided to pull on my wading boots this past weekend to trudge through the water & muck to raise some housing and a few gourds. With mud up over my ankles, I kept thinking, I can take my time. But in looking at the Scout Report on the PMCA site, I can see that will not be the case. Apparently, the martins are in a hurry this year!
With scouts reported in Webb City, Steelville and Washington, MO on Sunday, 3/8, it looks like we need to be ready for a potential arrival any day now. There were also reports from southern Illinois and Kentucky!
See the scout reports here: http://www.purplemartin.org/scoutreport/scout.php?Y=2015&S=MO
The PMCA also hosts a very nice forum that has been active and growing since 1997. So, if any of you are interested in joining the discussion and sharing your stories, you can join here by clicking on the 'Register' button:
http://purplemartin.org/forum/index.php
Joining the forum is free and there are lots of experienced landlords from across the United States, including myself, to chat with. It's pretty busy right now and you can make contact with other landlords in your area.
Now that the season is upon us, I'll be publishing more short articles with helpful tips and methods that work for me at my site, as well as updates on how my owl encounters go this year and the effectiveness of my owl guards. A couple of you have already offered to let me share your purple martin stories on my blog also, so look for those in upcoming posts!
Thanks to all of you that are reaching out to other existing landlords and landlords that want to attract martins this year to share what you have learned. You all are making Missouri a very attractive state for purple martins!
Don't forget about the Purple Martin Workshop, hosted by the Missouri Conservation Department, coming up on March 17th at the YMCA in Mountain Grove from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM! Contact me via this blog, and I will forward your reservation.
Feel free to print or share the article at the link below to help new landlords:
http://kathyfreeze.blogspot.com/2014/03/attraction-techniques-for-new-sites.html
With scouts reported in Webb City, Steelville and Washington, MO on Sunday, 3/8, it looks like we need to be ready for a potential arrival any day now. There were also reports from southern Illinois and Kentucky!
See the scout reports here: http://www.purplemartin.org/scoutreport/scout.php?Y=2015&S=MO
The PMCA also hosts a very nice forum that has been active and growing since 1997. So, if any of you are interested in joining the discussion and sharing your stories, you can join here by clicking on the 'Register' button:
http://purplemartin.org/forum/index.php
Joining the forum is free and there are lots of experienced landlords from across the United States, including myself, to chat with. It's pretty busy right now and you can make contact with other landlords in your area.
Now that the season is upon us, I'll be publishing more short articles with helpful tips and methods that work for me at my site, as well as updates on how my owl encounters go this year and the effectiveness of my owl guards. A couple of you have already offered to let me share your purple martin stories on my blog also, so look for those in upcoming posts!
Thanks to all of you that are reaching out to other existing landlords and landlords that want to attract martins this year to share what you have learned. You all are making Missouri a very attractive state for purple martins!
Don't forget about the Purple Martin Workshop, hosted by the Missouri Conservation Department, coming up on March 17th at the YMCA in Mountain Grove from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM! Contact me via this blog, and I will forward your reservation.
Feel free to print or share the article at the link below to help new landlords:
http://kathyfreeze.blogspot.com/2014/03/attraction-techniques-for-new-sites.html
Saturday, March 7, 2015
Spring-We Welcome Your Warm Embrace
It seems like it has been forever since we have seen a warm day. 'Warm' is relative though isn't it? I was thrilled when the thermometer hit 42 degrees this morning and threw open the windows. With temperatures forecasted to be rising to 64 degrees by next Thursday, I am preparing to deploy my mason bee tubes. I have been cutting and rolling tubes for weeks now.
It's also a fun project for kids to do. I have 40 mason bee cocoons in the refrigerator that are 2/3rd through their food supply, so I'll be monitoring the weather very closely and checking out the wild plum and cherry trees to watch for signs of blooming.
On our way to 60 degrees today, I'm headed out to prepare both the mason bee housing and my purple martin housing. Last year, my purple martins arrived on March 10th, and with warmer days now in the forecast, it's time to pull on my mud boots, trudge through all the mud and muck left by the melting snow & ice and put up their housing.
For now, a few quick pictures!
It's also a fun project for kids to do. I have 40 mason bee cocoons in the refrigerator that are 2/3rd through their food supply, so I'll be monitoring the weather very closely and checking out the wild plum and cherry trees to watch for signs of blooming.
On our way to 60 degrees today, I'm headed out to prepare both the mason bee housing and my purple martin housing. Last year, my purple martins arrived on March 10th, and with warmer days now in the forecast, it's time to pull on my mud boots, trudge through all the mud and muck left by the melting snow & ice and put up their housing.
For now, a few quick pictures!
 |
| Materials: Ruler, regular #2 pencil, scissors, tape, parchment paper (I also have a roll of unbleached parchment paper, not shown in this picture). The pencil is the exact diameter for the mason bee holes. |
 |
| 40 mason bee cocoons, waiting for the right temps and food. |
 |
| My holding can. Arranging different lengths of tubes together presents a 3D effect is supposed help the mason bee more easily find her home. |
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Trapping and Shooting Strategies for Eliminating European Starlings and English House Sparrows
After I shot my first starling in 1998, I put the gun away and cried for three days. I just couldn’t bring myself to do it again. Then, I moved to Missouri in 2007 and decided that I wanted to put up a purple martin house and have a bluebird trail on my 23 acres. But when I first read the articles on the Purple Martin Conservation Association forum about hosting purple martins, my heart sank; one of the key factors to attract and keep purple martins is control and elimination of the non-native, invasive species; the European Starling (EUST) and the English House Sparrow (HOSP). Then I read the bluebird forums and found the same information and learned that HOSP are also a particular problem for bluebird trails.
Entrances on purple martin housing can be fitted with Starling Resistant Entrance Holes (SREH), to keep starlings out and the holes on bluebird houses are far too small for the starlings to enter. The more insidious problem is the HOSP, because any hole that was small enough to prevent the HOSP from entering would also prevent the purple martin, bluebirds or tree swallows from entering the nest box as well.
During my first year I trapped and killed more than 35 HOSP at my site. They wreaked havoc on my purple martin, bluebird and tree swallows’ eggs. At first, I was timid in my approach, however, after experiencing the loss of 5 one-week old baby tree swallows, my compassion for the HOSP ended. A male HOSP came by at 7 AM one morning and by 7:30 AM had committed the atrocities for which he is well known. At that point, I declared war on every HOSP and became determined to educate every purple martin and bluebird landlord that I came into contact with about the issues with allowing HOSP to breed and roam their sites.
Identifying the Starling and English House Sparrow:
The Starling is pretty easy to recognize: bright yellow, long beaks, long legs and iridescent coloring of their feathers.
...
Entrances on purple martin housing can be fitted with Starling Resistant Entrance Holes (SREH), to keep starlings out and the holes on bluebird houses are far too small for the starlings to enter. The more insidious problem is the HOSP, because any hole that was small enough to prevent the HOSP from entering would also prevent the purple martin, bluebirds or tree swallows from entering the nest box as well.
During my first year I trapped and killed more than 35 HOSP at my site. They wreaked havoc on my purple martin, bluebird and tree swallows’ eggs. At first, I was timid in my approach, however, after experiencing the loss of 5 one-week old baby tree swallows, my compassion for the HOSP ended. A male HOSP came by at 7 AM one morning and by 7:30 AM had committed the atrocities for which he is well known. At that point, I declared war on every HOSP and became determined to educate every purple martin and bluebird landlord that I came into contact with about the issues with allowing HOSP to breed and roam their sites.
 |
| One-week old tree swallows were victims of a HOSP attack. |
The Starling is pretty easy to recognize: bright yellow, long beaks, long legs and iridescent coloring of their feathers.
...
Sunday, January 25, 2015
Eagle Visitors in January
As Bob expressed his love and gratitude for the sausage and egg breakfast this morning with a warm hug, I spotted over his shoulder an object with a white tail flying over our field. "Hey, our leucistic Northern Harrier has returned!", I said. I was wrong.
After running to grab the camera and stumbling out on the porch I realized it was an EAGLE and he had landed in our field. 'NO CARD' was flashing in the viewfinder and I really needed the bigger lens anyway, so I ran back in to change the lens and grab a card. Isn't that the way it always happens? Another trip out and I found I could use the binoculars too because the eagle was still down in the field somewhere and I couldn't spot him through my camera lens. Another sprint inside and back out again. Finally, he started to rise and, now with the proper viewing / photography gear, I realized I had multiple subjects.
I spotted a second white head perched in the trees. Joy and a yelp of excitement!
After a couple of deep breaths, I realized my subjects were staying awhile and with the temperatures hovering near low 30's I was freezing - no coat and only my slippers to keep my toes warm. My husband quickly fetched my coat and gloves when he saw I would rather freeze than miss a second of this special event. 34 pictures later and I'm giddy with excitement.
After running to grab the camera and stumbling out on the porch I realized it was an EAGLE and he had landed in our field. 'NO CARD' was flashing in the viewfinder and I really needed the bigger lens anyway, so I ran back in to change the lens and grab a card. Isn't that the way it always happens? Another trip out and I found I could use the binoculars too because the eagle was still down in the field somewhere and I couldn't spot him through my camera lens. Another sprint inside and back out again. Finally, he started to rise and, now with the proper viewing / photography gear, I realized I had multiple subjects.
 |
| Taking off from the field |
 |
| As I tried to follow him with the camera, I accidentally captured this image and realized there was a second Eagle! |
After a couple of deep breaths, I realized my subjects were staying awhile and with the temperatures hovering near low 30's I was freezing - no coat and only my slippers to keep my toes warm. My husband quickly fetched my coat and gloves when he saw I would rather freeze than miss a second of this special event. 34 pictures later and I'm giddy with excitement.
 |
| Original, un-cropped image of the 2 pictures above this one. |
Wait, what is that third large bird flying over and around them and what
are those strange sounds they're making? No way! A THIRD eagle?
HERE? Snap, snap, snap - deep breath - quit jabbing the camera button
and 'squeeze' the button.
 |
| THREE? Yay! |
 |
| Original, un-cropped image of the picture above this one. |
Monday, January 19, 2015
The FOB - Part 3
When the weather warms, so do I. With outside temperatures reaching 60 degrees this past weekend, I came down with "I-must-get-outside" fever and I finally put the finishing touches on my owl cage. I am feeling so much better about this upcoming purple martin season, but I think I will refrain from my usual taunts that tempt fate such as, "Bring it on, Mr. Menacing-Evil-Martin-Eater". You know, just in case he does decide to bring it on. And something really bad happens. So, I'll just nicely say, "please don't bring it on".
At a minimum, I know I have made it more difficult for him to easily access my systems and prevented him from playing volleyball with my gourds. Hopefully, that will encourage him to hunt elsewhere. Time will tell.
Altogether, I estimate we have added less than 30 pounds of hardware; that includes the fencing, the aluminum brackets that extend out over the corners, the cross brackets to support the top, and the entrance hole covers.
My plan right now is to lower the cage and maneuver inside for nest checks. If that isn't realistic, I may have to cut off a foot of the vertical wire so I can more easily slide in & out of each section.
If you're interested in reading more details about the construction of the cage, you can go to these two posts:
The FOB - Part 1: http://kathyfreeze.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-freeze-owl-block-fob.html
The FOB - Part 2: http://kathyfreeze.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-fob-part-2.html
Current migration status shows that the purple martins are on their way with a report showing one in Saint Amant, LA. Track their migration here on the PMCA site: http://www.purplemartin.org/scoutreport/
At a minimum, I know I have made it more difficult for him to easily access my systems and prevented him from playing volleyball with my gourds. Hopefully, that will encourage him to hunt elsewhere. Time will tell.
Altogether, I estimate we have added less than 30 pounds of hardware; that includes the fencing, the aluminum brackets that extend out over the corners, the cross brackets to support the top, and the entrance hole covers.
My plan right now is to lower the cage and maneuver inside for nest checks. If that isn't realistic, I may have to cut off a foot of the vertical wire so I can more easily slide in & out of each section.
 |
| The cage will ride up and down with the system. For now, I have left the full 4' of length on each side, but if maneuvering in and out becomes a problem, I may cut off at least 1' from the bottom. From this angle, you can see the brackets that span from corner to corner, providing both support and a place to anchor the top wire to keep it from flopping in the wind. |
 |
| There are ten 4"x4" entrances cut out on each side and have undersill trim has been placed on the bottom of each entrance to cover up the sharp nibbins left by the wire cutters. |
The FOB - Part 1: http://kathyfreeze.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-freeze-owl-block-fob.html
The FOB - Part 2: http://kathyfreeze.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-fob-part-2.html
Current migration status shows that the purple martins are on their way with a report showing one in Saint Amant, LA. Track their migration here on the PMCA site: http://www.purplemartin.org/scoutreport/
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
Monitoring Your Purple Martin Colony With Game Cameras - A Browning Trail Camera Review
Last year I learned a hard lesson. Never say, "never" when it comes to owls, snakes, racoons, and other predators that could prey on your purple martins. Never. As I learned, you don't really know what's going on with your purple martin colony unless you are either sitting outside all night or you have positioned multiple game cameras around your site. If you ignore the possibility, then you could end up with lots of dead martins and even lose your entire colony.
Sitting in my yard all night was just not realistic for me, so I chose the latter option. I quickly shopped for game cameras after noticing that my Trendsetter was not filling up like it had in years past and finding a GHO feather in my driveway escalated my sense of urgency. After reading the reviews for multiple brands and shootout results (good site to see all trail camera reviews here), I decided to try out a Browning Trail Camera - Recon Force XR Series (BTC-2XR). It has some nice features, including long detection range and the ability to record video.
My purple martin gourd rack - 7-2-2014- 8:20 PM.
My first impression when I opened the box is that the camera is small and compact and the casing has a high-quality, heavy duty plastic feel. My second impression was, "whoa - this takes a LOT (8) of batteries!".
After loading it with batteries and an SD card, I was able to poke around the very user-friendly buttons and quickly setup the date and time. I had read about all the features while shopping, but I hadn't realized there were features within features. Read on to see what features I find most attractive in this game camera.
Features
The camera has 4 capture modes: Trail Cam, TimeLapse, TimeLapse+ and Video Mode.
...
Sitting in my yard all night was just not realistic for me, so I chose the latter option. I quickly shopped for game cameras after noticing that my Trendsetter was not filling up like it had in years past and finding a GHO feather in my driveway escalated my sense of urgency. After reading the reviews for multiple brands and shootout results (good site to see all trail camera reviews here), I decided to try out a Browning Trail Camera - Recon Force XR Series (BTC-2XR). It has some nice features, including long detection range and the ability to record video.
My purple martin gourd rack - 7-2-2014- 8:20 PM.
My first impression when I opened the box is that the camera is small and compact and the casing has a high-quality, heavy duty plastic feel. My second impression was, "whoa - this takes a LOT (8) of batteries!".
 |
| The Recon Trail Camera User Interface |
Features
The camera has 4 capture modes: Trail Cam, TimeLapse, TimeLapse+ and Video Mode.
...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)