Carthage, MO Purple martin roost

[Darryl Sparlin]

I tried to upload a video of the purple martin roost in Carthage, MO
but it was to large a file. So I uploaded it on you tube if anyone is
interested in viewing it. Enjoy!! It is a little lengthy but if you enjoy
martins as much as I do you won't mind. It gets better as it moves
along from start to finish.

[Darryl Sparlin]

I tried to post to youtube and it replied that post was successful but I have yet to locate it.

[John Miller]

Darryl, I have not found it...will look again. Also trying to get the Carthage Press to do a story (hopeful) and trying to get an MDC photographer there (hopeful). Wish I could come see it, but 5 hours down I-44 with our 70 mile per hour speed limit in Missouri and big trucks passing me going 65 -- ha -- will wait for your video. John Miller

[MamaBruff]

I was just there tonight, and it was AMAZING!!! Initially the grackles and starlings arrived around 8 PM, then the PMs arrived by the THOUSANDS! The waterfall sound was thundering, and some of the arriving PMs flew right over my head! WOW! There I stood with my mouth hanging open , going WOW! I saw ASYMs and LOTS of HYs.

There was a Carthage couple there who had been there the night before and mentioned a man who had martins who had attended (Darryl?) Best of all, a reporter for the Carthage Press, John Hatcher, showed up, took lots of pics and videos and then interviewed us! Of course I dropped some names (Darryl Sparlin, Tim Mangan, John Miller) and recommended he check out purplemartin.org and the purple martin facebook page. We talked about how PMs are largely dependent on human housing and this is a natural event, and so special, and that they are getting ready to migrate back to Brazil. I told him also about the Tulsa roost that has 200K birds; mentioned how Larry Melcher had analyzed photographs in grids to determine numbers. Also told him that this Carthage roost shows up on radar, and is very important to remain undisturbed.

Now to wind down with a big grin on my face! Planning to get back over there again!

PS The reporter's ears seemed to perk up when I told him John Miller was hoping to contact somebody who could report the roost...

[Louise Chambers]

That sounds wonderful! - great job, Ms Bruff
I like your description of roost sound as being like a waterfall. People often compare the sound to hissing steam. I like to encourage people to cup their ears to capture the sound better (and to look silly).

[john farris]

FYI - I'm not wanting to take total credit but it was I, John Farris, who " discovered " the roost in Carthage. I have been trying to get the word out to people ever since. I work in Carthage and most of the people here thought it was just a bunch of starlings. I work with the mayor and he assured me he would let the newspaper know about it and he did. I also contacted KOAM TV about doing a report on it. I told them to be there between 8 and 8:30, they showed up at 8 in the morning. I guess they didn't know roost means evening. I don't know if they will be back. I told Darryl about it last year and he has been several times. At least now the word is finally getting out.

[MamaBruff]

Here is a photobucket link to a crappy cell phone video I shot while at the Carthage MO roost last night. PS John, I initially thought it was a bunch of starlings and grackles too. So I moved my car to a different spot on the East side of the trees and all of a sudden the martins started to show up, and just kept coming. It was amazing. Thank you so much for bringing attention to this wonderful natural spectacle!

http://s1332.photobucket.com/user/MamaB ... a.mp4.html

[Tim Mangan-Kansas]

Been trying to get over to Carthage to view the roost. John Farris contacted me last year about this roost but never got to Carthage to look at it.

I have not seen any martins flying overhead for two days so I am guessing the roost might be starting to break down. Wife and I are planning on going over tonight to look at it. Anxious to see if it is comparable in size to the roost on Lake Ouachita outside of Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Tim

[John Miller]

John Farris posted a video to Facebook from last evening, says roost is actually growing. Grab an umbrella folks and head on over!

[MamaBruff]

I went to the roost tonight. I don't think there are as many birds there as last week, but it was still really awesome to me. I tried the ear cupping thing Louise mentioned and it really worked. As before, starlings and grackles started in, then the martins came. It was all over at 8:15. There was another gentleman there who works with John Farris. Apparently the roost site is on property owned by the city of Carthage... rumor has it that that the Mayor is going to try to have it made into a preserve of some sort. We did a little education with passersby who were asking about /complaining about the birds. The general public sadly doesn't know that the summer birds we have here spend the winters in Central and South America. We assured one lady that this is temporary, and soon the birds will be gone.

So MY QUESTION is, what prompts them to move on? Is it the decreasing hours of daylight?

[DornCounty]

great work folks... I'm a real slacker for not making over and checking it out.

[Louise Chambers]

Mary, decreasing daylight hours are one of the factors that send the martins south, but there are probably others as well - hormonal changes in the birds (ha! right...) may help trigger them to head north next spring.

[MamaBruff]

Well that makes sense. Decreasing (or increasing) daylight hours affect my hormones too! Right now, I'm feeling an urge to go South myself!