Subject: Duwamish T105 purple martin nestboxes
Date: Apr 6 10:10:34 1999
From: Andy Stepniewski - steppie at wolfenet.com


Nancy from Kingston writes of Purple Martin nest box efforts around Puget
Sound:

> Hi Kevin and all:

> Kitsap Audubon last year started a project for Purple Martins here on the

> Peninusular and had some sucess with it. I know that at one location
when
> they were putting up the houses they were "buzzed" by a purple martin
wanting
> a looksee. We used two styles of housing, wood and PVC, and both had
martins
> fledge from them.
>
> I built some wood ones and was not in the group that was installing them,
but
> I did hear that some of the locations were too close to the water line at

> high tide and they were going to move them up this year. It was very
> rewarding to have a picture of baby Purple Martins looking out of a home
that
> you built for for them.

> Nancy

I am really excited by all the western Washington birders and Audubon
groups engaged in the drive to "Bring back our Purple Martins." Look at the
success in increasing Western Bluebirds in the southern Puget Trough region
(especially Ft. Lewis). Eastern Washington birdlovers have also had
gratifying success in increasing both Mountain and Western Bluebirds and
other species (Wood Ducks and Western Screech-Owls come to mind) Now we
see success is not all that difficult for the martin. To those who have
experienced the pleasure of watching martins in eastern North America, I
will predict the campaign to increase martins in the Pacific Northwest will
be a rallying event which will increase participation and membership in
Audubon chapters and general awareness of birds and our environment.

So, all Audubon chapters in suitable martin habitat on the westside, how
about it? "Which chapter will host the most Purple Martins." It could be a
friendly competition.

Then, the next step in the conservation efforts for all these threatened
cavity dependent species will be meaningful efforts to bring back natural
nesting holes and reduce starling numbers! Think about it, if there were
natural cavities (snags) in abundance and no starlings, would there be a
problem out there for these species? And, what will happen to these species
when our resolve to maintain boxes fades?

Andy Stepniewski
Wapato WA