Purple martins

I visited my cousin’s farm a few months back and was intrigued with the large flock of purple martins that lived and nested in various gourds he had hung around his pasture adjacent to his home.

Martins are migratory and head to South America in the winter and return in early spring to summer and raise their young in the United States. I bought a couple of martin condos and erected them at Honey Lake over the winter and waited and waited and waited. My neighbor had dozens of them start showing up on his farm but no Martins showed up at mine.

I was dismayed, but then one day about a dozen of the colorful noisy little critters showed up and soon both of my martin condos were fully occupied. Today I can drive my truck right up beside the martin poles and watch the beautiful little birds frolicking and gracefully flying through the air chasing down insects with ease. It is pretty cool to watch them through binoculars or with the naked eye.

I went online to learn more about them and found that if it were not for people like me buying martin houses, they would not nest. Martins have exclusively used martin houses prepared for them by mankind to nest for thousands of years now, and as far as anyone can determine they do not use natural nesting sites anymore. The hole in the gourd idea actually came from Indians; some believe it dates back to the Aztecs. They are one of the few beautiful birds that have not been pursued for commercial interests for their feathers, or for food and since man has never been an enemy to them and they nest in close proximity, they have no fear of us and can easily be approached.

While this may be more information about martins than you wanted today, it is interesting to see how God cares for His creatures. No one directed me to erect some martin houses so these lovely birds would have a place to nest. I just did it. Yesterday as I was watching them flying around noisily chattering away I felt God’s presence. I believe He was right there with me enjoying the scene as much or more than me. The Bible states that a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without God seeing it and that we are far more important to Him than a sparrow or even an entire flock. God makes a way for us His creatures and like the purple martin we are not even aware of the fact that He is right there behind the scenes making our lives better.

Don’t get down and blue and feel like God is a million and one miles away from you and that you are alone fighting the worldly battle. The truth be known, God is with us every second and every minute of every day. Count your blessings today and every day, God is love and we are the foremost object of it for now and forever

Matthew 10:29-31

“Not even a sparrow, worth only half a
penny, can fall to the ground without your
Father knowing it. And the very hairs on
your head are all numbered. So don’t be
afraid; you are more valuable to Him than
a whole flock of sparrows.”