Last Purple Martin Hour of 2026
The night air is turning slightly crisp, signaling that summer is winding down (or is it?) —and with it, another incredible season with our feathered friends. On August 10th, the Kitsap Audubon Purple Martin Stewards gathered for our final Purple Martin Hour of the year.
We moved this last meeting up by a week to give everyone the best possible chance to catch a glimpse of the remaining birds before their long migration south begins in earnest. By September, these skies will be quiet, but our early timing paid off.
Highlights from the Final Hour
Active Feeding Frenzy: To our delight, several adult pairs were still hanging around. The nesting gourds were buzzing with activity as parents worked overtime feeding their hungry juveniles.
Tough Landing Navigation: Stewards spent the hour watching parents standing at the entrances and seemingly blocking juveniles from re-entering the gourds. While it looked like avian "tough love" to force the young to fledge, we've since learned what was actually happening: parents were acting as visual targets to help their clumsy teenagers learn to land! Because fledglings are still mastering flight, parents hold the entrance and repeat the landing routine until the juveniles successfully tuck inside for the night.
Strong Nesting Numbers: Seeing a dozen or so pairs utilize the gourds this year was a fantastic milestone for our local conservation efforts.
Looking Ahead to Fall and Next Summer
Now that the birds are preparing to depart, the work of the stewards shifts into a new phase. In the coming months, our team will schedule a workday to lower, inspect, clean, and winterize the gourds. Inspecting the nests inside will give us evidence of just how many offspring successfully hatched this season.
With a successful 2026 season in the books and roughly 12 active pairs calling our gourds home this year, we are already counting down the months until next summer. We can’t wait to see if our returning colony—and its newest generation—grows even larger!
Thank you to all the dedicated stewards and bird lovers who came out this season to monitor and protect these wonderful birds. See you next spring!
Photos by Justin Carrington & Sandy Pavey
