Date: 8/10/26 6:36 am From: John Lewis via groups.io <jwlew...> Subject: Re: [sbcobirding] Figueroa Mountain Purple Martin breeding update
I returned to the summit yesterday morning for the first time since early July and saw no sign of the Purple Martins. I spent several minutes at the nesting cavity and observed no activity there. I didn't have time to explore nearby areas so it's possible they are still there but have left the summit area.
It will be interesting to see if this becomes an established breeding site for the PuMas. I recently looked at the observational data through Bird View and saw there have been several random sightings in the mountain areas over the years, but perhaps most relevant is Lynn Scarlett's 2025 report of one PuMa near the Figueroa Mountain summit. So it seems they have been active in the area at least two years in a row, so we can be hopeful they'll return next year.
My overall sense is that the mountain has recovered well from the 2024 Lake Fire, and that there was a greater number and diversity of birds present this year. Of course, much of the summit was spared from the worst of the fire, so perhaps it makes sense that this would be an area of more concentrated bird activity. Earlier this year, in addition to the PuMa's, I saw a group of about 16 Lawrence's Goldfinch, a trio of Northern Pygmy Owls, and what seemed to me to be greater numbers of Purple Finch, Western Wood Pewee, Mountain Quail, Ash Throated Flycatchers and Steller's Jay. I am curious to hear others thoughts about this.
