Martin Colony History: Erected 1st house in 1997. Birds were checking it out before Mike got down from the ladder. Six cavities had a little colony 1st year. Grown to 88 cavities all gourds with near 100% occupancy. Most important factor for success is rain = bugs.
Did y'all check it out, yet? Project MartinRoost! Somebody has already done all that radar watching.
Please go to the PMCA Home Page and click on Project MartinRoost and then go down to the map and click on your state. It lists all kinds of undocumented locations that have been spotted on radar.
Maybe this will help some of you find your local premigratory roost.
I don't know anything about other bird species and their roosts. Is it possible for a roost to show on radar and not be Purple Martins?
I'm excited!! I hope that every PM landlord out there gets to see a Purple MartinRoost!!
Laverne, thanks for posting this! I just saw where there is a roost only 19 miles (in TN) from us!!!! Thank you PMCA for taking the time to post these roosts, and also to the people for reporting them!!... .... Pat
Martin Colony History: Erected 1st house in 1997. Birds were checking it out before Mike got down from the ladder. Six cavities had a little colony 1st year. Grown to 88 cavities all gourds with near 100% occupancy. Most important factor for success is rain = bugs.
I hope you find that roost. I just wanted to throw in a little more information that might help you.
You realize that these things are not always so easy to find. The time frame of maybe an hour before until true darkness doesn't give you a lot of time to locate them. Maybe if you know the area it will help. Many of the roosts are being reported at parking lots. There will be some trees and lights that stay on all night. But, like here in Houston... why they chose the Sharpstown Mall over "all" the other locations that fit the description - who knows...
The one at Dale Hollow is near a lake - they often select a site near water. If you don't find them right away - maybe finding an overlook point that would give you a view of the area would help.
Just some ideas. Good luck and have fun playing detective...
Please keep in mind that this is a work in progress, with many improvements to come at it progresses. Also, it is a citizen science project that will only work if people participate.
One more thing to consider is that a roost may be as far as 15 miles away from the coordinates provided for those found with radar only. Also, they may turn out to be nothing at all. We are interested in reports stating where roosts are not as well as confirmations. Please read the advice we have provided in the Project MartinRoost pages.
The PMCA looks forward to working with everyone to document martin roosts and, when necessary, to take action to project roosting martins.
Thanks Pat for the work you have done in posting possible roost locations as detected by radar.
I am glad to report that the Dale Hollow roost, at Lily Dale on Dale Hollow Lake, is large and active again this year.
I also see that you show another possible roost in Overton County, Tennessee, between Alpine and Monroe.
Pat, I believe you are seeing the Dale Hollow roost when you see this echo. I watched it last year for days before I was able to find the roost. It looked as if it was coming from the area you are calling the Overton County roost.
Actually Pat, I think the echo you have detected is coming from The roost at Lily Dale. I do not think there are two roosts in that area. They would be less than twenty miles apart if so.
Pat, I was raised in that area. and know those roads like the back of my hand. I could be wrong, but doubt that I am.
Is it possible for a roost to show on radar and not be Purple Martins?
Yes, it is certainly possible to have an echo of other birds. There would have to be a sufficient amount of them though. Remember the roosts are counted in the thousands, possibly hundreds of thousands of birds. Most birds that I've ever heard of do NOT roost in those numbers. I can tell you another object to watch for if you'd like. Try watching the Austin Texas radar just barely prior to dark (local time). You'll see one huge donut that seems to dissipate to the South (and I believe East). These are millions of bats coming out of Bracken Cave, heading out towards farming lands. I've seen them in person, and there are millions of them. I've also watched them on the Doppler Radar, and it's really impressive if one is interested. Oh yes, there are also a bunch of them under the Congress Avenue bridge that I believe show up on Doppler. (Been awhile since I've watched the radar at night, since I work second shift.) CUL Lou
.... Pat