Our first martin!

Yesterday after church, we decided it'd be a good time to take down the martin house and clean out the sparrow nests. As James was easing down the pole, a pair of martins showed up! I started dancing! They both lit on the electric lines and waited for us to finish. However, you know how it goes when you're trying to rush. Things don't go well! We hurriedly pulled out the one sparrow nest, then James worked to get the house back up. But it wouldn't cooperate. The martin couple ended up leaving. Sniff. But I decided to weed in the nearby oak motte in hopes that I might hear a martin return. They didn't, though I did hear some off in the distance.

After supper, we loaded up lawn chairs and parked outside to watch the house for any activity. Lo and behold, a few martins breezed over, and one flew up to a porch. But it didn't stay. Sniff. I was ready to give up. In the meantime, our neighbor's son, Harold, ambled over, and we all chatted. A good 10 or 15 minutes later, a martin showed up again! This time, he popped right into a compartment. For a while, we could see his head, sticking out through the entrance. Then he went to bed.

Jubilation at the Pink House! 

James called my mother, and I called some other friends. You'd think we were having our first baby together! (Not ever gonna happen, folks, we're OLD.) 

This morning before sunrise, James and I trooped back outside with our chairs and coffee mugs. Patiently, we waited. I nearly gave up (like I wanted to last night). But around 7:30 or so, he stuck his head out.Then he climbed onto the porch. A minute or so later, he shot off and disappeared into the southern sky. Headed for the Blanco River, probably.


I blew up the image above, and I do believe we had a martin last night. As far as I know, OUR FIRST EVER! After four years of waiting! Stay tuned!