Planning ahead

 Today I finally developed the latch that I think will be the key to the ChirpyNest box. 

The latch has always been an obstacle  I haven’t been able to overcome.   

   I realize I just haven’t spent enough time focused just on that to solve the problem. I have been able to do that the past couple of days and now I’m ready to source it out and produce the next round of boxes with this new latch   

 This will make the first run of boxes which turned out to be 64 units a one-of-a-kind collector item.  There are still 10 to 12 boxes available for this out of this first production run but when they’re gone the second generation will take over.  

2018

Only 17-18 weeks until my martins return.

Gearing up for 2018.

As October comes to a close and the chill of the first cold sets in I am gearing up for the next production run of ChirpyNest single boxes for 2018.   

I’m excited to be working with Virginia Highlands Community College in planning a new colony at historic Whites Mill, outside of Abingdon. this will end up a 26 unit site identical to the one added at the established college purple martin colony in 2017. This White’s Mill site will be the very first attempt to establish a brand new purple Martin colony using only ChirpyNest housing. 

    Details are still being worked out but with involvement of the biology department students this will be a well managed and productive site.  

I am currently working on making the ChirpyNest units available for trial by other purple martin landlords in order to see if others have the success that I have had since I have been offering my martins these houses.  

Visit “the ChirpyNest Page” for more information.  

ChirpyNest singles ready for next season  

July 7

  Friday evening just approaching dusk about 850-9 o'clock.  The martins are all gathering chirping singing. It's a loud active filled night. Then all of a sudden as the sunlight was still shining A Cooper's hawk made an appearance and all the birds took off Into the sky in a defense formation 

 Once the initial threat had subsided these  birds remained aloft soaring in loose flocks and slowly return to the colony and tucked themselves in for the night. The hawk sighting was the end of the evening for the Martin's and the darkness is falling fast it's about 9:15.