Western purple martins

[C.C.Martins]

I see quite a few reports of martins out west, read one very interesting post (an older post) about his persistance and ultimate success in attracting martins to his home in Washington.
However, I don't see many out west folks posting questions or talking excitedly about their arrivals, on the Forum.

It seems to be a rare enough event to be note worthy, if there are western landlords reading, I for one would love to hear of your sucesses and challenges the western landlords face in expanding the martins range out west.

Tom

[ken buker]

Hi Tom,
Just wanted to let you know that though I'm not sure the individual post you refer to is mine, but it sure might be.

I also provided a new update on my Northwest colony status. I posted it on the form this evening.
There are more martin enthusiast near me than there use to be and that's a very good thing. I personally know of four or five colonies within a 50 mile radius from my colony site. Interesting thing is that they use commercial racks and gourds as I do, though that's not always been the case.

Here on the west coast for many years, we believed that our birds needed to be treated differently and thus provided habitat based on historic assumptions about martins. My early experience as a martin enthusiast even as a member of our local organization was that martins rarely accepted multi cluster arrangements on gourd racks and never utilize compartment houses like T-14's. Instead we placed wooden boxes on pilings and poles spaced apart from one another to give the birds room. When gourds were used, they too were spaced about four feet apart so it was common to have a tall pole with two arms (one above the other) with a total of four to eight gourds.

I must admit that in my early years I wanted to think like a martin and preferred natural gourds but they are a lot of work and I've learned they like and accept commercial gourds willingly and they are much easier to maintain than natural gourds. I'll try posting a few pictures in the future. Last time I tried (2017) I couldn't get them loaded, but I'll try again.

Ken Buker
Silver Lake, WA.

112 active pair the last few years.

[C.C.Martins]

Yes sir it was! I do appreciate you reaching out like this; 112 pair, a very strong colony!

I find that family fascinating, I suppose they go to Brazil during the off season as the rest of them. All I know is what Iv read-they dont necessarily accept colony type homes, some biologists were watching a few pairs in some old growth snags, apparently they were very secretive and finally yes, homes on pilings that were accepted. Seemed a solitary existence and the difference from what Iv experienced is striking. However, you dashed all that thankfully!

Im glad to hear that your colony isn't just doing well but thriving, as are your neighbors colony's. I'd imagine you experience the same challenges (cavity nesting sparrows and starlings), our starling pressure is so high we haven no choice but to use starling resistant entrances and chase/kill sparrows to no end.

My wife is from Trinidad in the Caribbean, so of course i read up on the Caribbean martin; seems the same old west coast model applies; solitary, nest where they can...I doubt very much anyone there has tried gourds...if they did they would be successful.

I saw your update so will keep this short sir, tough to have two threads going-Id be interested in pictures!
Wish you all the best this season,
Tom

[flyin-lowe]

I would love to see some banding studies done on your martin colony. With that many pair, and only a few colonies within 5o miles of you it would be interesting to see how the SY's disperse upon their first arrival. I wander if you have more SY return to your own colony than we do in the east, where more colonies are available for them. I assume "mother nature" leads them back to the west their first year but wander if any of them follow the typical migrating birds back to the east.