Thanks Cliff, I've been tracking the purple martins very regularly again
this season, and any additional observations are much appreciated.
In a few weeks I doubt if the martins will tolerate the nearby
kingfisher. It appears by her behavior that the female is incubating
eggs, according to Dave Fouts of Portland (we just spoke by phone).
House sparrows have been a problem here this season, and we've had to
terminate quite a few nests in the boxes. If more martins show up this
season, we'll be unplugging the remaining boxes as demand dictates. Dave
tells me that he's seen new martins arrive at his Oregon sites as late
as the 4th of July, so there's still hope of getting more nesting pairs
this season. He tends to 450 nestboxes along the Columbia River!
Last year a pair at the Shilshole pilings had 3 young, fledging in early
August.
I am told that Bainbridge Island has quite a number of martins, about
100 or so, but I have yet to check them out.
This nestbox project has been a joint effort by a growing volunteer
group that includes Ken Jacobsen, Jack Davis, Hydroproducts, Nat Gove,
Shirley Rybock / Villa Academy, many people from the King County Dept.
of Natural Resources, and an Everett Cub Scout troop.

Kevin Li
King County Environmental Lab (206) 684-2344
322 W. Ewing St. (206) 684-2395 fax
Seattle, WA 98119-1507

kevin.li at metrokc.gov

Check out our web page!
http://waterquality.metrokc.gov/waterres/lakes/index.htm


>----------
>From: birder at juno.com[SMTP:birder at juno.com]
>Sent: Saturday, June 28, 1997 12:03PM
>To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
>Subject: Purple Martins at Shilshole
>
>Just in case anyone is keeping track of them I saw a pair of Purple
>Martins at the Nest boxes at Shilshole (Ballard, Seattle) One (sex
>unknown, ) flew into the third box from the right, and the other (M)
>kept
>circling. Also, there was a female Belted Kingfisher sitting on the
>far
>right box and I shared the small beach with 43 Adult Canada Geese, 1
>white domestic goose (?), and 2 goslings.
>=================
>Cliff Drake
>Seattle, (Ballard) WA
>Birder at Juno.com
>