Hi Wallis,

Yes, I can see that this may be an insurmountable problem, and I may end
up doing just what you suggested. Another site may be in order, one that
is less inundated with martin competitors.

What drives me? I guess I'm driven by the thought that I might be able
to retain Seattle within the breeding range of this species, which is
sharply on the decline. Thousands of martins nested in Seattle just a
couple of decades ago. The past two years there has been just one single
pair. Following the advice of Jack Davis, who established a colony of 60
martin nests in Olympia, I hope to get the species nesting here again.
Jack made it work in Olympia for the time being, and I hope others can
carry on with his work.

Just last night I was out on a boat in Woodard Bay, helping with a
project Jack had initiated; three of us cleaned out 60 nest boxes and
installed 10 more. People got that site going over 10 years ago, and
almost all the boxes have been active with martins. It's the largest
martin colony anywhere in the Puget Sound area, thanks to Jack's
volunteer efforts. Woodard Bay is located on the west side of Henderson
Inlet, maybe 15 minutes from the Nisqually NWR. The success of this
colony is another source of motivation for me.

Dave Fouts of Portland is another martin advocate who has a nest box
program that provides 450 martin pairs with suitable nests, stretching
along the Columbia Gorge and the lower river.

I've also had direct support from dozens of other volunteers, so it's
not just me and Kris out there.
Thanks!

Kevin

>----------
>From: Wallis Bolz[SMTP:wallitra at nwrain.com]
>Sent: Monday, April 27, 1998 7:22 PM
>To: Kevin.Li at metrokc.gov; tweeters at u.washington.edu
>Subject: Re: Ballard Purple Martin nesting crisis
>
>Dear Kris and Kevin,
>
>OK. I'm going to suggest you open the boxes and park your kayaks on the
>beach. Your heroic effort on behalf of the martins is fast becoming a
>catastrophe. Can you not see this? What god impulse drives you?
>
>"When the martins finally showed up at sunset they were frustrated by the
>closure, although had we not sealed them, the boxes would have been
>occupied by starlings."
>
>Wallis B.
>
>----------
>> From: Li, Kevin <Kevin.Li at metrokc.gov>
>> To: 'Tweeters (postings)' <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
>> Cc: 'Paulson, Dennis' <dpaulson at mail.ups.edu>; 'Tirhi, Michelle'
><tirhimjt at dfw.wa.gov>
>> Subject: Ballard Purple Martin nesting crisis
>> Date: Monday, April 27, 1998 9:33 AM
>>
>> Kris Baker and I observed the Ballard purple martins (1 pair) on Sunday
>> evening just before sunset, after having failed to spot them several
>> times earlier in the day. During those earlier periods we saw house
>> sparrows and starlings all over the site, so we chased them out and
>> sealed up all but one box (which was beyond the reach of our ladder).
>>
>> When the martins finally showed up at sunset they were frustrated by the
>> closure, although had we not sealed them, the boxes would have been
>> occupied by starlings. For now it seems the martins are absent much of
>> the day, and return at dusk; sparrows and starling seem to have all day
>> to get established in the boxes, if available. We may try leaving the
>> boxes closed during the day and then open them at dusk, but the tide
>> often makes access a problem. We hope to devise a system of opening and
>> closing boxes from our kayaks, but we realize this to be a solution of
>> desperation.
>>
>> This alien competition has created quite a dilemma for us and the
>> martins, and we'll be checking with authorities on management options.
>>
>> Anyone out there in tweeterland have any suggestions?
>