In the middle of March, it is time to set the purple martin houses up. Native Americans would hang gourds up for the martins to nest in. They would try to attract the birds so that they would eat the insects from their crops. About this time of year, the purple martins migrate back from South America.
We did not have luck getting the martins to live on Providence Prairie last year. The birds that did come were bluebirds, so this year mom and dad got a purple martin decoy. The purpose of it is to attract the special songbirds so they might decide to stay. If they stay, they will come back again year after year.
On March 18, we pulled the long pole from the loft in the barn and started setting up the purple martin house. We had grown our own gourds, painted them white, cut half circle holes in them, and cut a twenty-foot pole for the houses to sit on. This time though, we put our new decoy up at the top of the pole.
We have not seen or heard any purple martins yet. I hope that the dark, blue-black birds come to live here. They will keep away all the bugs, be fun to watch fly like acrobats, and make sweet music. I cannot wait for them to arrive!
~Isaac
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