Date: 8/10/26 3:41 pm From: Steve Hampton via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Enjoying Purple Martins: AUGUST 10 IS National Purple Martin Conservation Day
Rainshadow Bird Alliance is tracking ~50 boxes around Port Townsend, Cape
George, down to Port Ludlow and Quilcene. Most were installed and are
overseen by various dedicated volunteers who preceded my involvement.
Occupancy is near 100% if you exclude some of the unused boxes within a
duplex of two boxes.
We worked with a local school group to build/rehab boxes, 12 of which are
here locally and the other 8 gifted to Crockett Lake on Whidbey Island.
On Mon, Aug 10, 2026 at 11:58 AM Elaine Chuang via Tweeters <
<tweeters...> wrote:
> 2026 marks the 20th year since the passing of Kevin Li, King County
> Environmental Scientist. As many of you know, through his efforts
> beginning in 1996, Kevin Li is acknowledged as the individual who
> essentially brought Purple Martins back to the Puget Sound area after their
> marked decline over the preceding decades. Many dedicated folks in the
> region have followed his example, working closely with WDFW to maintain
> housing at existing sites as well as installing new Purple Martin housing
> at newer locations.
>
> Today is National Purple Martin Conservation Day! Encouraged by the
> Purple Martin Conservation Association (https://www.purplemartin.org),
> U.S. legislators in 2024 passed a resolution that each year on August 10th,
> we would celebrate Purple Martins, and recognize the vital conservation
> work done on their behalf. Right now is prime time for enjoying the sound
> of purple as young birds fledge and the colonies in our region start
> setting their compasses for Brazil.
>
> Sites range from the long-standing collections of gourds that hang along
> Shilshole Bay and the Duwamish Waterway/Kellogg Island in Seattle, to
> smaller groups of gourds and wooden homes at sites such as Lake Sammamish,
> Union Bay Natural Area, Green Lake and the Myrtle Edwards / Centennial Park
> fishing pier as well as gourds on the Expedia Group property near Terminal
> 91 and others. Check in with the Olympic Peninsula Audubon and Whidbey
> Island Audubon Societies if you are in these areas. Be there early (best
> vocalization is their Dawn Song) and you might be lucky enough to enjoy the
> sound of purple at some of these locations!
>
> Elaine Chuang
> Seattle
> <elc...>
>
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