I once had two colony poles with 48 gourds with between 30 and 40 pairs of martins nesting near my vegetable garden. Now I only have 24 gourds, with four nesting pairs last summer. He said that with most pairs fledging from four to seven young, there were often more than 200 birds flying around catching insects before they migrated south in late July and August. Bradshaw enjoys their clear metallic and musical songs in daylight hours throughout the nesting season. An additional benefit of having purple martins is that they are vigilant sentries who guard against hawks and crows, chasing them from the vicinity of the colony.
Purple martins drink while on the wing, skimming over lakes to scoop up water.
Therefore, the colony will enjoy a greater chance of success if it is placed within a quarter of a mile of a lake or pond. The birds seem undisturbed by frequent boating activity. The following instructions include refinements Bradshaw has made on his own colonies over the 40 years he has enjoyed attracting purple martins. For summer 2001, he is making a similar martin condominium for the Heirloom Garden at the S. C. Botanical Garden in Clemson. This can be done manually with a sharp pocketknife.