Thanks to Kim Stark, Ed Newbold, Rich Siegrist, and Kris Baker for braving
the cold winds on the Duwamish River yesterday and assisting with the
installation of four new purple martin boxes on the pilings at the south end
of this Port of Seattle public access area at Terminal 105. Our hopes are to
establish relatively self sustaining purple martin nesting colonies in
Seattle, following the success of the late Jack Davis and others in the
Puget Sound area.

Purple martins have disappeared rapidly in the Seattle area since the mid
seventies, and many folks are surprised to learn that this area is even
within the purple martin geographic distribution. House sparrow and starling
competition for nest space is the likely problem, and suitable martin nest
boxes might allow these swallows another chance. Restoration programs have
been undertaken in communities all around Puget Sound and the Columbia Gorge
and southern BC, and success depends in part on nestbox monitoring and
stewardship.

Martins used nest boxes in Ballard in two of the past three years. Rich
Siegrist has done especially well on Vashon Island, with 28 martin pairs
from his 38 nestboxes last year. Rich will soon be putting new boxes on
Kellogg Island, just upstream of Terminal 105.

With the recent report of a purple martin in downtown Seattle, we rushed to
get these boxes up in what we hope is suitable habitat. The date of spring
arrival is usually in mid April, so this one is rather early. Another former
nesting site which I hope to restore is at the north end of Lake Sammamish.

Reports of Puget Sound area martin observations would be greatly
appreciated! Reports of starlings or house sparrows within martin boxes
would be bad news, but we would like to hear those reports as well.

Thanks,

Kevin Li
King County Environmental Lab
322 West Ewing St.
Seattle, WA 98119

(206) 684-2344

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