After-Action Report: July Purple Martin Hour

What a difference a month makes! We wrapped up our third Purple Hour meetup of the year, and the atmosphere at the colony was completely different from last month. While June brought us singing, chirping adults who barely paid us any mind, July had a whole new energy.

The adult chatter was replaced by the eager sound of hungry juveniles calling from inside the nest boxes! With chicks to protect, the adult martins were a bit more defensive of their space this time around—even giving us a few warning flybys to let us know who was boss! It was amazing to watch their aerial acrobatics and shifting behaviors as the breeding season progresses.

Once again, we were thrilled to welcome some new faces to the group. It was such a great evening connecting with everyone, sharing past martin encounters, and exchanging knowledge while watching the dusk activity.

By the Numbers: One of the key goals of our monthly visits is monitoring the colony. Last month, we estimated about 11 breeding pairs. This month, we were able to confirm it: 11 out of the 18 nest boxes are officially occupied! While we could clearly hear the chirps of the new generation inside, we couldn't tell exactly which boxes had chicks, so the total juvenile count remains a mystery for now.

Looking Ahead: We’ll be out one last time in August for our final Purple Hour, hopefully catching the colony right before they begin their long journey south for the winter. After they depart, we’ll be opening up and cleaning the nest boxes for the season—which will give us a chance to inspect the nests for evidence of how many babies were raised this year!

A big thank you to everyone who came out. See you in August!