Hi Tully,

The pilings that support the Ballard boxes are in the intertidal zone,
the base at a tidal elevation of 0 feet; the boxes are up about 20-25
feet, and at high tide the water can reach up to about 13 feet.

Yesterday evening my friend Kris and I paddled out at high tide and
pulled a plug on the one box that was used as a martin nest last year.
Within just a few minutes one starling perched on an adjacent piling,
flying off as I approached it. Minutes later a pair of martins appeared,
and after briefly circling, they flew right into the box for the night.
I felt greatly relieved, at least for the time being. I hope that they
can carry on again this year.

It seems that right now the martins can be observed most readily around
dusk (7:30 these days), until they have eggs or young. Some evenings
they actually seem to just sit out and enjoy the sunset!

Thanks!

Kevin Li
Ballard USA

>----------
>From: Tully Hammill[SMTP:hammill at u.washington.edu]
>Sent: Wednesday, April 29, 1998 9:29 AM
>To: Kevin.Li at metrokc.gov
>Subject: Martin query
>
>Kevin,
>
>I'm curious -- are the martin boxes set in water? (I'd heard that that is
>important).
>
>For what it's worth, while kayaking I used to see 4-5 martins halfway
>between Bremerton and Gorst, about 100 yards out in the water from the big
>highway. They were on/in old pilings.
>
>-Tully
>
>
>