Midway man turns backyard into Purple Martin paradise

There is a riot of sound coming from Tim Hyatt's back yard. He first started hanging gourds up to attract the birds in 2001. Today he has 120 gourds hanging in his back yard.

[@Itsjustbeau]

I was running my tractor a few weeks when I came across a large yellow jackets nest that I stirred up. It was just as the sun was setting and all at once the large swarm of birds came out of nowhere and went to work on those yellow jackets. I had made very angry and thought I was in for it, I have never have seen anything like it. I was amazed at how they flew. I did some research and found out they are purple martins. Some of my neighbors must have a colony. I'm hooked and wanting my own colony now these birds are amazing.

[@danielyourko1714]

I am working on my crop of gourds from last growing season. Cleaning painting so on. I hope to have tenants like that in a few years. Great job

[@Valeska687]

Do you have a colony yet?

[@danielyourko1714]

Heck no. I got lazy. They’re under my shed in storage 🥴

[@Valeska687]

@@danielyourko1714 oh well. Maybe next year.

[@tanker965]

This man brought the population back

[@Salmiyaguy1]

I love purple martins. right now I am focused on Baltimore orioles and hummingbirds and now working to attract blue birds. but I plan to house purple martins down the road and have done plenty of research and spoken to birders like Tim who have attracted and housed them for years. A little tip from my research: the get retractable gourd poles and check the gourds at least once per week for mites and sparrows and Starlings. mites can be controlled with non-toxic powders and sparrow and starling eggs should be destroyed. Those two bird types are invasive and not protected in teh USA or Canada.

[@AnthonyCarrion-wk9ng]

My neighbor has feeders for the Orioles, they are gorgeous, I have a martin house and this is my second year, I've had a lot of scouts but no luck yet.

[@jacobcarlson4948]

That's a lot of gourds to check every couple of days.

[@mab4670]

Awesome!

[@kg60999]

So cool!!! I love this story.

[@jameslomenzo1139]

Purple martins are the best insect eaters.

[@jameslomenzo1139]

@Richard Gilley that's just part of the ecosystem.

[@jameslomenzo1139]

@Richard Gilley yes I know they eat mosquitoes dragonflies, snake doctors we call them in the south.

[@annereynolds66]

@Richard Gilley I think tree swallows are the mosquito eaters . We had a pair nest in our bluebird boxed when the bluebirds left . Love them

[@annereynolds66]

@Richard Gilley I just looked barn swallows up , they eat a variety of flying insects, especially flies (as I believe tree swallows are good for eating flies ), also beetles and wasps . Tree swallows evidently are big on flies , beetles etc . They do list the mosquitoes too

[@annereynolds66]

@Richard Gilley just read the top five mosquito eaters , 1-purple Martin , 2-barn swallows,3-songbirds,4waterfowl and 5- bats . Since tree swallows live near wetlands, they must be attracted to mosquitoes.

[@ginalane7540]

Oh i love it

[@annereynolds66]

Does anyone know what state this is ?

[@williamwatson9471]

GA

[@markwarren7116]

That’s alot of gourds. I usually have 18 pairs, but nothing like this.