Date: 7/15/25 10:11 am From: stan Kostka lynn Schmidt via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Counting Purple Martins
Hello Jim,
Your observation is a good example of how challenging it can be to try and count pairs of martins early in the season, when martins are for the most part laying and incubating eggs, colonies can appear abandoned much of the day.
I visited Ship Harbor yesterday and there are many pairs there, the oldest young are less than two weeks old, and some nests still contain eggs. So, the activity there should be really picking up soon, and will last well into August.
Regarding the timeline of nesting, based on some communications with other folks who have been closely following martin breeding in past years, it appears, for the most part, that martins in Washington pretty much follow the same schedule, from the north end of the Olympic Peninsula to the Columbia River. I was surprised to discover this, but it seems to be true, for the most part.
I recently returned from a trip through northern California where martin breeding can be widely delayed, by a month or more, between the Central Valley and the Northern Coast, due to the weather differences. It was over 100 in parts of the Valley, while high temps in Humboldt County were in the low 60s, with fog.
In any case, there is still plenty of time to observe martins in Washington. Fledging will begin late this month and last well into August.
Not many breeding locations in Skagit, besides Ship Harbor, very small colony on Padilla Bay north of Bayview, in a few old nestboxes on pilings that have been rapidly disappearing over the past few years. And martins have been reported using nestboxes on Vendovi Island, but I’ve never personally visited there.
Stan Kostka
lynnandstan at earthlink dot net.
Date: 7/1 12:49 PM
From: Jim Betz via Tweeters <tweeters...>
Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Purple Martins
Stan,
There is a fairly large "condo village" of Purple Martins at Ship Harbor on Fidalgo Island (Anacortes). That village was very active a few weeks ago
but is now "abandoned" (no activity, what so ever). My conclusion is that the chicks have fledged. If I'm correct - then your timeline for nesting
has to be modified based upon location, location, location. This group of nests has been active for a long time.
I don't know of any other Martin colonies here in Skagit County.
- Jim in Skagit
Date: 7/1 9:31 AM
From: stan Kostka lynn Schmidt via Tweeters <tweeters...>
Subject: [Tweeters] Counting Purple Martins
Hello Tweets, hope everyone is enjoying the weather .
There is currently an effort underway to organize and conduct a search, survey, and count of the number of breeding pairs of Purple Martins in Washington State. If you are interested in being involved, please let me know. If you know anyone you think may be interested, please let them know.
Martin abundance in any region, is generally (always) defined by the known number of breeding pairs, also known as active nests. British Columbia, Oregon, and California have already done this to some extent, but it’s never been done in Washington. There have been estimates in the past, but the fact is that currently nobody really knows.
The earliest nesting Purple Martins in Washington State are now tending to young that are about one week old. Soon, in another couple weeks or so, will be the best time to observe the height of activity at a martin colony, when adults will be busy feeding rapidly growing young, many of which by then will be making an appearance being fed at the nest cavity entrance.
Counting breeding pairs involves identifying active nests. Some people will be looking into nest cavities to confirm the presence of eggs or young. However, at most sites, nests will not be accessible, so counting will be done by observing and recording bird behaviours. Birds entering nest holes in July and August, especially when carrying food, and removing fecal sacs, are how we determine an active nest without looking inside. Later when young appear at the entrance, that observation alone confirms an active nest. Later in the season after young are fledging, they are often visible returning to their natal cavities at dusk, for a week or more before they begin migration.
Covering all of Western Washington over the next couple seasons is going to be a big project, and so the more eyes in the field the better. So, if you are interested in looking for and counting Purple Martins anywhere in Western Washington, please let me know.
ThanksStan Kostkalynnandstan at earthlink.net _______________________________________________ Tweeters mailing list <Tweeters...> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters
