Purple
Martin Page
This
will be a limited report this year, because the bad weather caused
the death of some of our adult birds. The birds died because the
weather was wet and cold, which caused a limited population of
insects, the thing the purple Martins eat the most. Starvation and
exposure, when one is already under stress, caused at least 10 adult
birds to die in the nest boxes.
The birds were late in coming to our area because it was still cold.
They finally arrived when it started to warm up. The bird pairs were
formed and they started to nest. The weather took a turn for the
worse and its final insult was a strong wind and rain storm that put
every one under stress. After the
storm, the living Purple Martins disappeared for about a week. They
returned when it warmed up and started to go through their normal
breeding procedure. The boxes that contained the dead birds were not
used again. We found about 30 % of the boxes were not used. The
boxes facing south into the wind or too close to people were not
used at all, suggesting we lost breeders in the
wind storm. The remaining birds completed their normal cycle and we
got enough babies in most of our areas to insure they will be back
next year. We would guess we got about 50% of our normal hatching
from the past.
We wish to thank every one who helped in this years breeding cycle
and hope we get a large population of Purple Martins next year.
2007 Update: This is an update
for 2007 to keep KAS members current on our progress
with Purple Martins in Kitsap County.
Brownsville
Marina
Kitsap Audubon Society put up 22 nest boxes at the Brownsville
Marina this year. All were used.
John Mc Donald also found six sites we did not install. Purple
Martins were at the Brownsville Marina before we started our
program. The birds nested under the caps on the pilings and are
still active.
A boat owner has also put up four more boxes within the marina, but
only two were used. He estimates
there 30 active pairs in the area. We usually estimate 3.5 to 4
hatchlings per active pair, so more than 100 chicks have probably
fledged here. We have found unhatched eggs and some dead birds in
nest boxes this year. Brownsville had seven dead chicks–one box had
three and four had one each. We also found two unhatched eggs. John
is trying something new this year. He and his crew cleaned all the
boxes and put them right back where they were. We do not know how
they will weather, but they will be in place when the birds arrive.
Some birds are already here and appear as soon as we put the boxes
up.
Seabeck Marina
Seabeck is still a problem area. The Ark, an original box put up at
the Seabeck Marina, has had many chicks fledge over the years. The
Ark was moved this year to a different site on land and only one
pair used it. Kitsap Audubon put up 14 gourds and one wooden box.
They were used by 13 active pairs. Seabeck also had dead birds, one
each in three different gourds. 13 active pairs times 3.5 chicks
equals 46 chicks, minus three dead chicks equals 43 chicks.
Poulsbo
Oyster Plant Park
We operated from the dock again this year, a very welcome change
from a boat, and put up 14 boxes–a mixture of gourds, tube nests and
wooden bird houses. The eight gourds yielded five nest sites and
three unused gourds. The unused gourds had a little straw in them,
but were abandoned for some reason. Three of the tubes were heavily
used, the other unused and clean. It faced north, which I think is
why it was not used. The two wooden bird houses were both heavily
used. Ten boxes yielded 38 chicks and one unhatched egg.
Silverdale
Marina
Philip Bangs and I used the boat again this year. There is some talk
of removing the piling in Dyes Inlet
because they are saturated with creosote which leaches into the
water. We hope they do not remove them all so we can continue to put
up boxes over water. We put up ten gourds and eight were used. We
also found one unhatched egg and one dead bird. Eight boxes times
3.5 minus two equals 26 chicks.
Private sites
Bill Matchett has four boxes on his dock on south Hood Canal.
Three were used, so we estimate they
produced ten chicks. Larry Millman who is north of Seabeck on Hood
Canal put up five gourds and a condo house. The five gourds were used,
but the house was not. Five boxes times 3.5 equals 17 chicks.
Paul McDonald found ten old wooden boxes and placed them on
Bainbridge Island in Eagle Harbor. He
is happy to report they all got used. Ten boxes times 3.5 equals 35
chicks.
Dave and Jane Ritchey of Driftwood Key report they had nine
nesting pairs. Nine boxes times 3.5
equals 31 chicks. Ed and Charlotte Roe on north Hood Canal had three
nesting pairs this year. Three times 3.5 equals ten chicks.
Gene Daniels reported he had one pair that fledged three
chicks.
The grand
total is
306 chicks.
Photos
below from Paul Carson - KAS member and committee chair for the
Purple Martin Project.
Martin
over nest box attached to piling. |
Martin
in old wooden boat "Noah's Ark" nest box in Seabeck, WA |
Martin
feeding nestling in wooden nest box. |
Nestling
Martins in plastic gourd - in Brownsville, WA |
Purple
Martins on Tube nest boxes in Seabeck, WA |
Female
Martin feeding nestling in wooden nest box. |
Purple
Martins photographed in 2008
Purple
Martin Web Links:
Purple Martin Conservation
Society: www.purplemartin.org
The Purple Martin Society: www.purplemartins.com
Wilcox
House Photographs and Web Link:
Wilcox House Bed and
Breakfast: www.wilcoxhouse.com
Located between Seattle and
the Olympic Peninsula, on the Kitsap Peninsula on Puget Sound, the
Willcox House Country Inn is surrounded by a natural paradise,
including several families of Purple Martins.
2390 Tekiu Road NW
Seabeck, WA 98380
(360) 830-4492
(800) 725-9477
Kitsap Audubon Society is affiliated with the