May 09
11
Watching the Martins
Free Room and Board in The Purple Martin House
Our neighbour has a Purple Martin house which he cleans every year and reinstalls each year with the high expectation of full occupancy. Some years the house has been fully occupied within hours of its installation.
Last year, while the hatchlings were too young to fly, a smart raccoon somehow scaled the pole and raided the nest. Then, the starlings came and attached what was left. It was sad. Baby bird parts scattered all over the lawns. The adults that escaped the massacre left mid season and did not return.
This year in mid April the house went up, but there was no activity. About a week later I spotted two sub-adults checking it out. They were flitting in and out and around, the flitted away and did not return.
I watched and watched, the starlings watched along with me, to no avail. Today, I thought I heard the Martin twitter, and sure enough, there they were, this time there was one standing on guard and one in the house. I have been watching for 3 hours off and on and they are still there. This is a good sign. I will keep watch.
