Purple Martins… birds that make great neighbors. Not only do purple martins birds help keep insects at bay they also have a pleasant chattering call and a stunning purplish blue color to enjoy.

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Whether you are hooked on bird watching or just like to know what you are looking at, knowing your birds is important. In this article, we take a look at Purple Martins.

As the name suggests, Purple Martins are a colorful bunch. Only the males actually have a purplish blue color. Females tend to be dark brown with bellies that are whitish. Male or female, they have a distinct appearance.

Purple Martins are members of the swallow family. They are found throughout North America, but migrate to South America in the summer. They are a larger bird noted for their triangular wings. They have a deep whistle and often made metal sounding trilling calls.

These are a much loved bird by homeowners in the spring and summer. Why? They are insect eaters. Specifically, they have been touted as mosquito eaters. While they do eat mosquitoes, they tend to go for larger insects that make better meals. Still, anything that eats mosquitoes gets a thumbs up in my book!

When it comes to nesting, Purple Martins like to be up in the air. They build nests in niches or gourd like areas. The use twigs and dry grass for the structure, but line the interior with green leaves. This is believed to help maintain humidity for the eggs. The female Purple Martins will lay three to seven eggs. Oddly, the first eggs tend to result in stronger chicks than the latter eggs. Once hatched, the parents feed the chicks insects ranging from beetles to ants. The chicks remain in the nest for roughly one month.

As a member of the swallow family, Purple Martins are social birds. They are seen migrating in huge flocks. They nest in colonies of these flocks. They are also receptive to human habitats, which means you may see them in your backyard and on golf courses.

They are an interesting bird to keep an eye out for when you are birding. They are certainly worth adding to your life list, although they are not really a difficult sighting to find.

Author: Richard Chapo

Rick Chapo is with NomadJournals.com – makers of birding journals that make great bird watching gifts.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_Chapo

Banding Purple Martins

Over the last 3 days Mark Newstrom and I have banded close to 200 young Purple Martins. This year marks the first year of a color banding program to track birds. I have posted photos and a video clip for anyone interested.

More About Purple Martins Birds 

Mark and I went to a couple of new colonies this morning and in beautiful weather we banded 34 more young Purple Martins. One of the colonies already has both young fledged and flying around and chicks that are no more than 2 days old.

Purple Martins Birds 

Purple Martins are birds that are colony nesters – meaning, they prefer to live almost like humans in apartments. I was able to visit a colony maintained by some very nice folks outside the metro area.

Purple Martins Birds Have Landed In The Lakes

In 2000, people in Portage Lakes decided to build houses for Purple Martins in hope of reducing the insect populations. The birds were counted on to target insects that had been plaguing the region.

Purple Martins Birds 

If there was a ten most wanted list for birds, Purple Martins would be on it. Over a million people in North America put up Martin houses in hopes of attracting a colony. If only it were so easy. Purple Martins are picky house hunters.

Purple Martins

Purple Martins are rare on the the west coast of Canada. Unlike the eastern race, they only breed along the coast. Years ago they nested in dead trees along the south coast of British Columbia.

Purple Martins Birds 

I had seen and heard reports of Purple Martins being seen, so it was a thrill to finally see some ourselves. The lady to whom this birdhouse belongs was so kind and welcoming to us, which we appreciated greatly.

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Birdhouse Gourd Seeds And Growing Gourds

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It is everyone’s duty to do all they can to save the environment, the planet is our home and we need to do everything possible to preserve our resources and the animals living on the planet. However, there is no reason who you should not make lots of money in the process.

Sometimes it is hard for the birds to find enough material to build a home. You can provide great green housing and make money at the same time. In the spring of the year, when everyone is getting their garden ready for planting, you will need to purchase some seeds for gourds. Follow the instructions and plant the seeds.

It will be necessary to water, weed and cultivate your gourd plants. It is only a matter of time when the gourds begin to form. There are many different types of gourds, for instance crookneck gourds are great for making birdhouses and hanging them in the trees. There are other types that can be used to attach to posts.

When your gourd is mature and you can cut it from the plant and set it aside. There are two ways to make a birdhouse from a gourd, you can set it aside and allow it to dry before you make a whole in it. The other method allows you to cut a whole in the gourd and scrape out some of the insides, which can be put out for the birds to eat. However, this material may not last as long as a dried gourd. Making a birdhouse is a great way to do your part and make lots of money.

Author: Lucas Collingsworth

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Kids Can Grow a Gourd Garden This Summer

Parents don’t need a green thumb to have fun growing gourds with their children. Here’s an outdoor activity the whole family can enjoy.

Saving Biedhouse Gourd Seeds

If it was a gourd you grew, what it dry before it was left to freeze? Maybe you live in a zone that doesn’t freeze. That wouldn’t be a concern then. Freezing the gourds before the seeds dry will cause poor germination.

The Growing of Gourds and More Gourds

I planted gourd seed into each "hill" of well mixed soil using the five-finger method. Extend your fingers and thumb so they are about 1/2 inch apart and press five holes into the dirt. Drop one gourd seed into each hole and cover.

Birdhouse Gourd Seeds

I planted five of the Bird House Gourd seeds just to the right of the remaining trellis. I have enjoyed reading about the gourds being made into Martin houses.

Gourd Seeds Wings And Warts

You will get all sorts of colors and shapes with this seed collection. It is all the more fun when you don’t know exactly what will come up. Plant these in full sun in early spring.

Gourd Water Drums, Rattles, and Rainsticks

Kids can make gourd rattles from birdhouse gourds, marakas, dippers, or even small ornamentals. Sometimes, the gourd seeds inside make enough noise on their own.

GOURDS SPROUT KINDA SORTA

The packages for the gourd seeds said they would sprout in 5-10 days. The first batch I put individual seeds in about 2 inches of soil. The second patch I put two seeds each in four inches of soil.

Getting Back to the Basics!

Tayah asked me, sincerely, to plant the gourd seeds with her. I explained that it was far too chilly to plant gourd seeds in January, but if the seeds survived without molding until March we would plant the seeds in our garden.

How to Plant Gourds This Spring

From soaking gourd seeds to setting up a garden and planting young vines, here’s what musicians need to know to get the seeds for their musical instruments in the ground.

Grow Birdhouse Gourds

The yellow-flowering gourds (Cucurbit spp.) are the thin-skinned and used as colorful decorations. You can purchase birdhouse gourd seeds from local nurseries or seed catalogs.

Miracle of Growing Seeds

It doesn’t matter if it is a very tiny little black speck of a seed, or the larger pumpkin, squash or gourd seeds. To me each one that sprouts is a miracle.

The Easy Step in Designing Gourd Bird House

Later, you will need to drill the hole into the gourd. Once that is complete, you have to clean out the inside of the gourd. It is very essential to wear a mask when into gourds.

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Attract More Birds With BirdHouse Gourds 

Bird house gourds are fun way to attract and enjoy many different types of small birds. Here’s an interesting article reviewing bird house gourds.

Gourd birdhouses are a great way to replace natural habitat for many native songbirds. Many of these types of birds prefer to build their nests in the cavities of trees. In areas where trees are lost due to urban development and logging there are far fewer places for these birds to nest.

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Birds actually will prefer to nest in a gourd over a manufactured birdhouse. The inside of the gourd, if some of the dried material and seeds are left, provides some nesting material and is much more natural than a plastic or resin type birdhouse.

Gourds can make very decorative birdhouses. They can be left natural by just cleaning off the loose skin and sanding the outside to make a very attractive rustic type birdhouse. On the other hand, gourds are very easy to decorate in just about any way that suits your fancy. Many artists love to work with gourds and designs can be handpainted on them, or by using woodburning tools, many beautiful decorations can be added to the gourds.

Birdhouse gourds are really very easy to grow and a lot of fun to decorate. Just one plant can produce 10 to 20 gourds in a nice variety of sizes and shapes. Keep in mind, though, that these are big gourds and grow on a fairly large vine, so you will need to have some space to grow them successfully. They grow quite well up a fence or arbor which would save some ground space.

Gourds are harvested in the fall after the vines have died down. They need to be stored in a dry area and left to finish drying and curing. This usually takes several months and you can tell when they are ready by shaking the gourd. If you can hear dry seeds rattling inside, they are cured and ready to be made into a birdhouse.

For more information on how to finish and decorate your gourds, visit http://www.myprairiegardenhome.com/.

For some unusual, decorated gourd birdhouses visit http://www.darlsprairiecreations.com/.

Author: Darlene Anderson

Darlene Anderson has been gardening and watching birds for many years. She grows birdhouse gourds and makes unique birdhouses on her prairie farm.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Darlene_Anderson

Grow Birdhouse Gourds

While you’re planting food and flowers in your garden, why not plant a garden craft, as well? Birdhouse Gourds or Bottle Gourds (Lagenaria siceraria) are one of the thick-skinned gourds that are mainly grown for crafts or decoration.

Bird Lovers 101: A Good House Idea!

I found out that a House Wren is nesting in the gourd. It has a very creative idea for its bird house! It is built by fine sticks, piled on each other. There is also a hollow in the pile, where its eggs and chicks will be.

Birdhouse And Bowl Gourds

This natural birdhouse can last up to 30 years. Learn our easy technique for making birdhouses out of gourds. Purple martins will be flocking to your backyard.

Confessions Of A Compulsive Crafter

I found a few dried gourds last fall at a thrift shop and one of those happened to be a birdhouse gourd. When dried, birdhouse gourds are tough like thin plywood, and are commonly used for birdhouses and other craftiness.

About Drying Bird House Gourds

There is need to be very patient when it concerns drying bird house gourds because this process is a time consuming affair for which there are no shortcuts. It is necessary to ensure that drying bird house gourds is taken seriously.

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Bird houses can be a great way to attract birds to your yard and if you want a unique natural look, the gourd bird houses may be the way to go. The first thing that comes into mind when it comes to creating bird houses is to find the perfect gourd. This can surely help in saving effort and money.

Gourds can be easily found or grown in the garden. Gourds are distinctly identified by their eye-catching colors and markings. They can even be said to resemble alien forms. This happens especially during the late summer and they can be very entertaining to the eyes.

Gourds will normally be something that have to be intentionally grown. To grow one, certain steps have to be taken and regular tending must be done. Apply fertilizer in the soil where you plan to plant the gourd. For a plant grown in the space of the garden, a half dozen seeds should be placed. Then follow properly the directions in the seed packet. Thereafter, the plant should be regularly watered and the fertilizer reapplied every month. For creating bird houses, a large gourd has to be cultivated. This type normally takes 130 days to mature.

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Turning the Gourd into a Bird House

Once you have the right gourd at hand, it can be easily crafted to make a good bird house that you can put in your yard or garden space to attract the birds.

Working with the gourd is relatively easy. It is just like working with the wood. However, doing so will require some tasks to be fulfilled. These steps are necessary to make a bird house successfully out of the gourd.

1. Put hot water with soap in a pail. Get the gourds and soak them. When at least 30 minutes have passed, take out the gourd and clean it.

2. Cleaning the gourd will require the use of a scrub. Do this until the gourd is entirely clean. Just take into account the possibility of discolorations in the gourd. This will not normally take off so do not fret over the stains.

Dry the gourds after cleaning.

3. Select the dried gourds that have the right length for your bird house. a diameter of 8 to 14 inches will be proper enough.

4. Make sure that the walls of the gourds are properly measured so as to make it most comfortable for the birds. It should be at least quarter of an inch thick so as not to make the bird house too warm.

5. Next detail to work on is the hole for the birds to enter. Most of the gourd bird houses are created for martin birds. A hole of two and a half inch are normally sufficient for the martins to enter into.

Drill a hole also at the bottom of the cage for the drainage system.

6. Clean out the insides of the gourd. Scrape out the seeds inside. You can also pour water inside to make sure that the dusts created by drilling are removed.

7. Preserving the gourd is also necessary. Purchase copper sulfate from hardware shops and follow the instructions on how to prepare the mixture. Soak the gourd in the preparation for 15 minutes and let it dry.

Make sure your hands are properly protected with gloves in preparing the mixture.

8. Paint the exteriors of the gourd house. White house paint is normally used to make the bird house to easily attract the birds. Just ensure that no drain holes are left unclogged.

9. Then, make a hole on the top neck of the gourd. This is to give way for the wire that will be used to hang the bird house.

Being closer to the birds is not a difficult task. Again, you only need the gourd at hand and some handy skills. Build a gourd bird house and the birds will come to you.

Author: Lee Dobbins

Lee Dobbins writes for http://birdhouses.garden-g8way.com where you can learn more about bird houses and find out about more about gourd bird houses.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lee_Dobbins

Gourd Bird Houses- A Step-By-Step Guide To Making The Best Gourd

Gourd bird houses are very simple to create. Even small children are capable of making these homes for birds. If you are new to making gourd bird houses, just follow these simple steps and you will soon have your own gourd bird house.

Gourd Bird Houses – How to Make a Gourd Birdhouse

This is to give way for the wire that will be used to hang the bird house. Being closer to the birds is not a difficult task. Again, you only need the gourd at hand and some handy skills. Build a gourd bird house and the birds will come.

Natural Organic Gourd Birdhouse for Wrens And Chickadees

Don’t tell the Chickadees at my house about that myth!! They DO use hanging birdhouses. The birdhouse is 11" long from tip of the stem to bottom. The circumference is 18.5" at the widest part of the gourd.

Organic Natural Gourd Birdhouse

All gourd birdhouses and bird feeders are one of a kind. They cannot be duplicated. Mother earth is the designer of all these beauties.

Organic Natural Wren Gourd Birdhouse

Spring has sprung!! The birds are returning and we must have birdhouses ready for them.This is a wonderful little apple gourd that any Wren will be pleased to see.

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I will reply to all messages as soon as possible.

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