eNewsletter0103

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Purple Martin Voice

Volume 1(3)

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.

Research

In the last two issues of Purple Martin Voice, you learned about two Purple Martins' spring migrations with one taking 28 days and the other 15 days, while the fall migrations took 27 and 44 days, respectively. We will now learn about the last of the three Purple Martins whose geolocators were retrieved from the same Sioux Falls, South Dakota breeding colony.

An after second year female (ASY-F) banded in 2011 with band number 2331-84511, spent time at five different wintering ground roosts before beginning her spring migration back to this Sioux Falls colony from northern Brazil (Amazon River region) on April 6, 2012. This spring migration took exactly two weeks with the ASY-F arriving back in Sioux Falls on April 19, 2012. This ASY-F traveled 4,633 miles in 14 days averaging 331 miles per day.

Once again the fall migration took a leisurely approach and, in the case of this ASY-F, she spent 18 days in a pre-migratory roost what we think is the documented large pre-migratory roost in Omaha, Nebraska before spending a month on fall migration. Leaving this pre-migratory roost on August 20, 2011, her migration took 31 days, arriving in northern Brazil on September 18, 2011, and traveling 4,303 miles averaging 139 miles per day. The total annual migration distance traveled for this ASY-F was 8,936 miles.

Purple Martins are on their spring migration back to their breeding colonies in the Dakotas. The first Purple Martins are arriving in South Dakota from their wintering roosts in Brazil. Meteorologists are talking about the lower-than-average temperatures here in the Dakotas. Last year, at this time, meteorologists were talking about the higher-than-average temperatures. These weather extremes impact agriculture, ecosystems, water resources, and more (1). The social media news has been “abuzz” from the mid-latitude Purple Martin landlords who are working hard to supplement feed Purple Martins to keep their colonies alive during this persistent cold weather. Thankfully, so far this year, there has only been one report of Purple Martins in the Dakotas (2). Purple Martins can die of starvation after only a few days without flying insects during these cold periods. As we learn more about Purple Martins through geolocator research, we gain a better understanding how climate change affects Purple Martin populations.

In the next six eNewsletters, we will learn about Purple Martins deployed with geolocators from a Columbia, South Dakota breeding colony.

Literature Cited
1. http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/impacts-adaptation/greatplains.html
2. http://purplemartin.org/scoutreport/

Conservation

In the last eNewsletter, we learned about the North Red River Valley Purple Martin Project [1]. A new Purple Martin site has now been added to our conservation projects and is located in Turtle River State Park. This site began in 2002 when the Turtle River State Park management personnel offered lumber to build a Purple Martin house. Sometime after May 3, 2002 this wooden house was built and installed by volunteers near the chalet in Turtle River State Park. The house stood at that site for three seasons without nearly a look from a Purple Martin.

Early in 2005, the house was taken down, painted white, and put back up in the same exact location. On Sunday, June 12, 2005 there were four Purple Martins nesting in the newly painted Purple Martin house. The excited staff and volunteers proclaimed “Purple Martins established!”

Over the years park staff and volunteers cleaned and maintained this Purple Martin house. In a later year, they added a second commercial aluminum Trio Purple Martin house. Unfortunately, over the years not many Purple Martins took residence in these houses and by 2011 only one pair remained nesting at this site.

In April 2012, Purple Martin Association of the Dakotas was asked if we would be interested in managing the two Purple Martin houses in Turtle River State Park. We were elated to have the opportunity to adopt the site. During our first visit on Saturday, May 12, 2012, we did a complete seasonal cleaning and mudding. There was one after second year male (ASY-M) Purple Martin showing interest in the site at that time.

Before long there were 4 pairs of Purple Martins at the site. By the end of the season, the four breeding pair fledged 13 young.

We plan to make the Turtle River State Park Purple Martin Site even more successful this year with some enhancements to the Purple Martin housing. Anyone interested can join us March 31, 2013 at 1:00 PM CDT near the chalet in Turtle River State Park.

To enjoy more photos of the Turtle River State Park Purple Martin Site, visit our Albums page on Facebook. A Facebook account is not required.

1. North Red River Valley Purple Martin Project was originally comprised of the Agassiz Audubon Society Purple Martin Site, at the Agassiz Valley Water Resource Management Project, located in northwestern Minnesota and the Greenway of Greater Grand Forks Purple Martin Site adjacent to the Grand Forks Near Southside Historic District in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

Calendar

March 31, 2013 1 pm - 3 pm Enhancements to Turtle River State Park Purple Martin Site
April 7, 2013 6 pm - 8 pm Raising the Purple Martin Housing System
April 20, 2013 11 am - 12 pm 21st Annual Thief River Falls Times Home, Sport and Craft Show - Homes for Purple Martins
April 27, 2013 10:30 am - 11:15 am 2013 Gardening Saturday - How to Attract the Birds You Want to See in Your Yard
April 27, 2013 1:45 pm - 3 pm 2013 Gardening Saturday - Getting Started Bird Watching
June 1, 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

Purple Martins arrive in South Dakota!

We thank our shoppers for their support. Our Shop is currently out of stock on all merchandise.

We thank the following organizations for introducing your reading audience to Purple Martin Association of the Dakotas. We welcome all of those who Subscribe to Purple Martin Voice.

Missouri Breaks Audubon
http://www.missouribreaksaudubon.org/

North Dakota Game and Fish Department
http://gf.nd.gov/

Purple Martin Landlords of North Texas
http://www.purplemartinlandlordsofnorthtexas.com/

Outdoor Martin Fest Sponsorship Received:
•ERVA / Nature House

If you, someone you know, or your company wants to sponsor the Outdoor Martin Fest, visit our Sponsor page.