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Purple Martins are North America’s largest swallow and have been “helped” by man in their reproductive success longer than any other bird. Getting martins to nest in your backyard is often no easy feat. Knowing a few key points and choosing the right martin house can save you time and keep your birds safe and happy.
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Getting and Keeping Your Purple Martins
Christmas Past
Photo: Rose De Dan©2009
It all started with my desire to give a special Christmas gift to my niece and nephew, who are two and four respectively. I saw the ad for the Hallmark recording storybook “The Night Before Christmas” and instantly knew this was a great idea. Due to circumstances I had been unable to travel to visit them in person. Aunt Rose was simply a voice on the phone or perhaps a photograph. But with the storybook their Aunt Rose could read them her much loved Christmas classic from 1823 at bedtime, and perhaps they could have wonderful dreams filled with promises of Santa’s visit on Christmas Eve.
I ordered a copy, and a week after it arrived I began recording. Several hours later, extremely sad and frustrated, I concluded that my copy was defective. I cannot tell you how wretched I felt – Christmas was ruined. It was late in the month, and internet research showed that the storybook was sold out of stores across the U.S. Apparently I had stumbled across this year’s hottest item.
I did find a few copies being auctioned on the net at almost triple retail price, and seriously considered it as an option for a few moments. I had complex feelings of being a bad aunt for not being able to get a copy, and at the same time questioned whether I was becoming too materialistic. I finally concluded that it simply boiled down to seriously wanting to be some part of my niece and nephew’s life. If I could not do it traditionally by being there in person on Christmas Eve, then I was willing to do the next best thing.
Next morning I had another crack at recording, and lo and behold, it worked! Christmas was saved! By this time the store had returned my call and explained why. Apparently the sensor was light sensitive. I had been trying to record by firelight to add the ambiance of the crackle of the flames. Breathing a sigh of relief, I wrapped the storybook up and shipped it off via U.S. Postal Service Priority Mail. Since it was December 14th I had plenty of time for it to get there.
December 22 rolled around and tracking revealed that the package appeared nowhere after Seattle. More angst. Took me 45 minutes to finally figure out how to contact the right department at the post office to initiate a claim. Once again, Christmas was ruined and I felt like a bad aunt. Maybe I should have spent the additional money and sent it Express Mail?
At this point I decided that the best thing to do was to send Reiki to the situation, which I did. Half and hour later I received a notice from the P.O. that the package was in New Jersey. Christmas was saved! I figured that it would be delivered that afternoon. It was not.
Drastic action needed to be taken, and so bravely Aunt Rose took out her new Flip camcorder which she had little experience with, and decided that she was going to make a movie, something she had never done. Feeling somewhat Grinch-like toward the Post Office (after all every other package either she or someone else had sent before or after this one had long ago arrived at their destinations), Aunt Rose drafted her trusty dog Puma, and faithful cat Saqqara into the effort.
After much maneuvering of the camera on its very cute tripod, Aunt Rose finally arrived at a balance where you could see part of her face and all of Puma. Apparently the small frame of the camcorder limited the amount of scenery you could include, and moving it back made sound quality difficult. So many decisions!
Thankfully the shoot went off without a hitch in one take. Puma was a pro, albeit a somewhat nervous one, being a bit camera shy. He even made an effort at acting, at the point in the poem where Saint Nicholas comes down the chimney with a bound, Puma shot up from his resting position looking startled. And Saqqara played the part of the cat settling down for a long winter’s nap well, giving a convincing yawn before exiting.
Figuring out how to edit the portions and put them together took longer, but finally it was done and uploaded. Christmas was saved once again. Clement C. Moore’s timeless classic from Christmas Past now lives again on YouTube as The Night Before Christmas read to Dog and Cat. All made possible by the technology of Christmas Present and one determined aunt!
From all of us at Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing – Rose De Dan, Saqqara, Kiya, Cougar, Sand and Puma – Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and a blessed and Happy New Year!
Postscript: Today is the 24th of December, and the package has moved closer to North Jersey but is not there yet. Package might arrive on Christmas Eve along with Santa. Or maybe not.
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Think Outside the Cage
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Rose De Dan, Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing LLC, is a mesa carrier in the Peruvian Q’ero tradition. In addition she is also a Reiki Master Teacher, animal communicator, author of the acclaimed book Tails of a Healer: Animals, Reiki and Shamanism, and creator of Animal and Reiki Art. As an animal shaman, she views her role as a healer as one of building bridges between people and animals, and of empowering them to reconnect with Pachamama, Mother Earth.
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Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Aunt Rose
Looking for a backyard challenge? Consider investing in a birdhouse that will attract North American purple martins. These little beauties keep the mosquito population at bay and are fascinating to watch in your backyard.
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Attracting Purple Martins
The guinea pig is one of the most popular pets in North America. In spite of this, there are many facts about this little creature that are not commonly known by most people. Please join me as I attempt to explore (sometimes successfully) some facts regarding the history and characteristics of our friend the guinea pig. Author’s note: No pigs were harmed in the writing of this article.
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Guinea Pigs – A Cavy Q&A
Llamas are part of the camelid family, which also includes camels. They were originally found in North America, in the Central Plains, almost ten million years ago. These were the predecessors of the llama, facts state, and not the same animals that we know today. They migrated into the area that is now South America about two and a half million years ago, while their camel cousins moved to the Middle East, and other areas. The camelid family became extinct in North America about twelve thousand years ago.
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Llama Facts You Might Like to Know
Parrots are found on all tropical and subtropical continents including Australia and the islands of the Pacific Ocean, South Asia, southeast Asia, southern regions of North America, South America and Africa. Some Caribbean and Pacific islands are home to endemic species. By far the greatest number of parrot species come from Australasia and South America.
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Parrot Species
The pygmy hedgehog, or the little creature that we refer to as such, is not actually a species of hedgehog but is the result of crossbreeding of some of the more prominent African species. There are no hedgehogs native to the North American continent, so any that you see in pet shops or with breeders are basically from Africa.
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Pygmy Hedgehog – Species Or Term?
What’s this business with jills, hobs, sprites, gibs and kits, you say? Ferrets. The third most popular uncaged domestic pet in North America.
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All About Ferrets
The Purple Martin is the largest swallow found in North America. The adult has a slightly forked tail which aids it in flight, giving it speed and agility. When approaching its housing, the purple martin will dive from the sky at great speed with its wings tucked.
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Who Are the Purple Martins?
Hummingbirds are small birds with magnificent colors and a long bill. They are pleasing to the eye because of their beauty. Hummingbirds can be found in North and South America. The 16 species that breed in North America.
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Hummingbird Festival September 17-20, 2009
