Roosts relocate from year to year?

LarryMelcher/KY · Wed Aug 12, 2015 1:11 pm

Ernie Hester and I were talking today. Seems that pre-migratory roosts in our part of Kentucky, the ones we try to visit each summer, relocate. Not all of them, but my favorite ones I've visited over the years, I can't count on them being at the same place.
Do you notice the same? I hope the roost chasers can chime in on this.

John Miller · Thu Aug 13, 2015 7:13 am

Did the roost at West Point, south of Louisville on the Ohio, not form this year? I really enjoyed seeing it last year.

Not seeing roost rings at dawn this year near St. Louis, unless I need to improve my weather radar interpretation skills. Three or four years ago, some of us confirmed a roost south of Old Valmeyer Illinois (not far from St. Louis) in cornfields. It probably was a few thousand birds -- not tens of thousands. Not seeing it on radar this year.

I continue, as for many years, to see big rings further out from St. Louis. One occurs in the area of Rend Lake in southern Illinois, and another north of St. Louis along the Mississippi river in the area of Clarksville, Mo., but probably on the Illinois side.

Kind of glad if some roosts move as that would be better for the birds to be more adaptable I'd think.

John M

DornCounty · Thu Aug 13, 2015 7:52 am

The Tulsa roost has moved around a bit over the years.

LarryMelcher/KY · Thu Aug 13, 2015 10:05 am

The West Point roost did form but has really dropped in numbers. Now, there is a lot showing up on radar east of Louisville.
We need to share our hobby and get more landlords vocal. I know someone must be seeing all these birds. We need more people to share their birding experiences.

taxidermy lady · Thu Aug 13, 2015 2:56 pm

I seen hundreds last weekend down by the river. This is across from the Kaskaskia lock and dam in Modoc, il. Last yr. they would cross the Mississippi River and roost somewhere over on the island. This is a remote area. The only access would be a boat. We only have a small boat and no way I'm crossing the mighty Mississippi River with it. With the flood just receding the mudd is like chocolate pudding and we usually go out to the sandbar to watch the sunset. Last yr. there were thousands going to Beaver Island. We may be able to get there this weekend and I'll see if they are going across the river again. (If I don't get stuck in the muck)!!!!!

John Miller · Thu Aug 13, 2015 4:52 pm

Sharon,

There surely may be a roost in that area somewhere. (south of St. Louis along the Mississippi). One year I was seeing it on radar and went to Fort Kaskaskia, Ill., on top of the big bluff there and looked out toward the Missouri side of the river at sunset....martins were floating overhead dotting the skies, but I could not determine where they were going, and the area gets pretty remote for a city boy after dark. John M

taxidermy lady · Sun Aug 16, 2015 10:57 am

John, I seen 20 or so martins at the river. It was like quick sand out by the river. Couldn't make it out there. The ones I seen and heard were on the power line with the other swallows. Not sure if they are roosting there are not!

John Miller · Mon Aug 17, 2015 6:25 am

Sharon

I'm not seeing a distinct radar image just south of St. Louis this year, but as most years, a big one in southern Illinois in the area, maybe, of Rend Lake, north of Carbondale, or just out in some corn fields in that area. (some of us documented they do use corn fields a few years ago).

As Larry Melcher said, someone out there must see these birds...wish we knew the exact location.

John

taxidermy lady · Mon Aug 17, 2015 7:16 am

Yeah John the large one is rend lake area. I will be camping with my son on the Labor Day weekend but they should be headed south by then. He has a boat that we will be using. I will keep my eyes and ears open! Good luck!

The other one could be around the Baldwin lake power plant. It looks like it would be close to it.

Jim Beatson~SC · Sat Aug 22, 2015 1:11 pm

Larry,

This is a real anomaly. The huge roost that had been on Bomb Island, Lake Murray, SC since the late 1980's moved en masse 20 miles NW to Lake Monticello for unknown reasons last year. I'm told they were back on Bomb Island in total this year?

Jim

Vern1 · Sun Aug 23, 2015 7:20 am

The roost that has been at Highland Mall in Austin, Texas for at least the last 4 or 5 years moved to Capitol Plaza this year.
The distance is only about 1/2 mile South.

Hanover Bill · Sun Aug 23, 2015 3:51 pm

Does anyone know of any pre-migratory roosts in the North Western part of West Virginia? I am located in Southwestern Pa. and I am wondering if my Martins have an option to go South from here, instead of North to Presque Isle before going South.

Hanover Bill.

Don Troha · Sun Aug 23, 2015 9:52 pm

The roost in SW Houston (Stafford) moved 250 yards south to another set of trees in the same shopping center parking lot. The roost in NW Houston (Willowbrook) was a no-show this year.

Hanover Bill, earlier in the month there were two small radar rings north of Pittsburgh. To the south the nearest is Teays Valley. To the west in Ohio there were rings at Akron and another one southwest of Wheeling. It's getting quite late in the season and not much is showing up now on the radar screens.