Another Purple Martin Season Nears

It's almost that time again.....Purple martin season! In about 3 weeks I should begin seeing them in the area. They've arrived at my colony during the second week of February every year for the past 10 years. This will be my 14th year as a martin landlord and hopefully it will be a productive season and provide lots of stuff to write about. I finally cleaned all of my SuperGourds, which I should've done months ago. One of them had its entrance hole enlarged by the maw of a gray squirrel. That's what I get for not taking them down soon after the season ended last year.


I ordered a replacement gourd and also some black cap liners for the access caps which will help make the interior of each gourd darker like a natural cavity. I also have a few minor repairs to perform on the gourd racks and should be ready just in time for their arrival. They've been spotted already in parts of Texas- Port O'Connor and Hempstead as of today and the reports should steadily begin to increase in the upcoming weeks. If you are a purple martin enthusiast (or thinking of starting a colony) and not a member of the PMCA I highly recommmend that you become a member. As stated on their website they are the "only organization devoted exclusively to the scientific study of Purple Martins (Progne subis), their biology and habitat requirements".

Camera Trap Setup Part 1

The deed is done….I’ve finally got around to setting up a camera trap….let the games begin! The main reason for setting up this camera is to capture images of a gray fox. The gray fox, to me, is one of the most beautiful and fascinating animals I’ve ever come to know. My first encounter happened while hiking back in August 2006 in Roosevelt, TX. I had been hiking when all of a sudden I had that feeling that something was watching me. As I turned around there it was sitting in the middle of the road. What a sight! There’s no doubt they’re in this area due to all of the tracks and scat that I’ve come across.
In fact, not far from the area where I setup the camera trap I found muddied tracks of one that had crossed a wooden bridge that goes over a thin watercourse that originates from the creek. And unfortunately on my way up here I found one that was road-killed about five miles away. The spot I chose for the camera was about 60 yards off of the trail. I could see the paths of animals that had been traveling through this location from different angles. Also nearby was a log that had been used by a bobcat as a scratching post.
I did what Camera Trap Codger did and mounted two 2”x2” carpet squares to a log that was directly in front of the camera. I then saturated them with fox urine and beaver castoreum. The fox urine lure was so pungent it made my nose run, and the beaver castoreum lure, well to quote the Codger “So fine a scent! I jest not. Castoreum has a sweet tarry essence.” Not a bad smell considering it came from a beaver gland. I didn’t set up my FurFindr this time, but if nothing turns up when I come back in a week or so I’ll then add it to the mix. Wish me luck!