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Purple Martin Voice

Volume 1(7)

Purple Martin Voice is an eNewsletter distributed by Purple Martin Association of the Dakotas. Issues feature the plights and triumphs of Purple Martins in the Dakotas.

Outdoor Martin Fest

Saturday, June 15, 2013
9:00 am - 3:00 pm
12345 396th Avenue
Columbia, SD 57433-7100

In order for us to plan for our lunch, your RSVP is appreciated before Saturday, June 8, 2013.

Join us for an informative day and discover how using geolocator technology allows scientists to help Purple Martins. Get answers to your questions about Purple Martins and connect with other beginner enthusiasts and experienced landlords. The only festival dedicated to Purple Martins in the Dakotas!

For complete driving directions from your general place of departure, visit our Outdoor Martin Festpage.

Research

We hope you find the information included in this delayed issue of Purple Martin Voice worth the wait. Our next issue will be published on our regular biweekly schedule of June 9, 2013.

We will now continue learning about Purple Martins deployed with geolocators from the Columbia, South Dakota breeding colony mentioned in previous Purple Martin Voice issues.

Purple Martins from the Dakotas are now in the final stages of spring migration since second year (SY) birds have arrived throughout the Dakotas. An after second year male (ASY-M) banded from the same Columbia, South Dakota breeding colony in 2011 with band number 2331-84528, began spring migration back to this Columbia colony from northern Brazil (Amazon River region) on April 18, 2012. This spring migration took two weeks with the ASY-M arriving back in Columbia on May 1, 2012. This ASY-M traveled 4,393 miles in 14 days averaging 314 miles per day.

The ASY-M left Columbia, South Dakota on August 14, 2011. The fall migration took over twice as long as the spring migration to complete including eight stops. His migration took 37 days arriving in the forests of Colombia, South America on September 19, 2011 traveling 3,829 miles averaging 103 miles per day. The total annual migration distance traveled for this ASY-M was 8,222 miles.

Partnership

Purple Martin Association of the Dakotas is announcing the recent partnership with HAV-IT Services.

HAV-IT Services is a 501(c)(3) federal tax exempt nonprofit corporation headquartered in Harvey, North Dakota serving adults with intellectual difficulties since 1983. HAV-IT Industries support services program focuses on employment activities. Trained staff provides support to people in this program that assist them to find, train, and keep jobs in the Harvey area. Some of the employment activities are offered in the HAV-IT Industries building built in October 1986. The Accreditation Council on Services to People with Disabilities accredited HAV-IT Services in 1987 and has awarded HAV-IT Services an “Accreditation with Distinction” continuously since 1993. The building facility is very adaptable and can be quickly converted to handle whatever task is at hand.

HAV-IT Services has varied work opportunities for their clients, such employment activities are offered in the community and surrounding area of Harvey and include lawn and yard service, janitorial contracts, and a recycling center. In addition HAV-IT Services has a small woodworking department that makes various seasonal yard decorations, school mascots for the Harvey Area Schools, and colorful animated garden row markers. Most recently HAV-IT Services began building Bluebird houses out of Cedar. We are excited to publicize that HAV-IT Services will began building Purple Martin houses.

"We are always looking for meaningful work for our clients. At HAV-IT Services we were thinking about a unique opportunity for our clients building Purple Martin houses and then selling them to the Purple Martin enthusiasts." said Gerald Wilcox, Employment Manager for HAV-IT Services. Wilcox goes on to say , "We are happy to consider the Purple Martin houses as another work opportunity for our clients."

During our communication with HAV-IT Services it was determined the T-14 Purple Martin house was without doubt the premium model to deliver a quality product. Plans for the T-14 Purple Martin house were ordered from the Purple Martin Conservation Association for use to build the prototype. HAV-IT Services has constructed the housing with the Starling Resistant Entrance Holes, and routered a relief around the holes and on the outside edges of the porches. HAV-IT Services offers the eight unit apartment with attachment side plates for future addition of six more units. And of course the fully loaded model will be the T-14 complete. The housing is built so the metal pole or wood pole will work on either the 8 unit or 14 unit houses.

HAV-IT Services is planning on bringing the T-14 Purple Martin house, a staff member, and one of their clients who has been working on the project to the 2nd Annual Purple Martin Fest. Purple Martin Association of the Dakotas is proud to endorse the HAV-IT Services built housing premiering at the 2nd Annual Outdoor Martin Fest on Saturday, June 15, 2013.

Conservation

Twelve of the fifth grade students helped with nest checks during their field trip.

One of our objectives at Purple Martin Association of the Dakotas is to "Educate the public about Purple Martin conservation efforts." It is important to understand the laws with respect to any native bird. Being a Purple Martin landlord means you are responsible for keeping native aerial predators safely away from a Purple Martin site, but what is the best way to accomplish this task? Aerial predator guards prevent hawks such as the Cooper’s Hawk and Sharp-Shinned Hawk, as well as owls, from reaching into gourds and predating Purple Martin fledglings. At no time is it appropriate to use lethal techniques against these aerial predators as they are also a protected native bird. The destruction of native bird species in the efforts to attract another is illegal.

We expect Purple Martin landlords to be well informed and abide by the law. The Purple Martin Association of the Dakotas will not condone illegal activities including the destruction of any native bird species. We will disclose all known illegal activities to the proper authorities. Our organization is comprised of unpaid volunteers who are passionate about Purple Martin conservation. Should you have any questions at any time regarding what birds are native and protected, we are available to help educate whenever an opportunity arises.

You can learn more about our partners on our Partnership page or visit the Urban Raptor Research Project for more information about Cooper's Hawks.

Ways to Help

Help our conservation and education projects so we can continue to provide engaging Purple Martin Voice articles and content. Your donation will help conserve and enhance Purple Martin populations in the Dakotas for you and your friends, for your children and their children. Purple Martins need your help to make a difference today. Thank you for your support!

Donate Any Amount

Calendar

June 8, 2013 11 am - 11:45 am Getting Started with Purple Martins
June 15, 2013 9 am - 3 pm Purple Martin Association of the Dakotas 2nd annual Outdoor Martin Fest

For more information on events, visit our Calendar page.

Announcement

Outdoor Martin Fest Sponsorship Received:
•South Dakota Chapter of The Wildlife Society
•ERVA / Nature House
•Purple Martin Products by Creative Universe Enterprises
If you, someone you know, or your company wants to sponsor the Outdoor Martin Fest, visit our Sponsor page.