Hi Gene,

I pasted some martin information below, from the Cornell nest box website,
regarding identification of martins:

"The Purple Martin is the largest of the North American swallows. It takes
two years for both males and females to attain their adult plumage, but they
can and do breed as one year olds. Adult males that are two years old and
older have glossy, purple-black plumage. Adult females are less colorful,
with gray necks, foreheads, and underparts, but they can be nearly as purple
on their backs as adult males."

"Yearling males resemble adult females but can be distinguished by a few
distinct purple feathers on the chin, throat, breast, and flanks. Yearling
females are less colorful than yearling males and are white underneath."

"Juveniles are gray brown with grayish white underparts."

These young Ballard martins seem to have paired off, and I'm hoping they
manage to breed this year, despite this late date, and the house sparrows.

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

(206) 684-2344

Visit our Lakes website:
http://splash.metrokc.gov/wlr/waterres/lakes/index.htm

> ----------
> From: Eugene Hunn[SMTP:hunnhome at accessone.com]
> Sent: Friday, July 02, 1999 6:16 PM
> To: Li, Kevin
> Subject: RE: Purple Martins at Shilshole
>
> Kevin,
>
> Shows you sure can't trust the field guides! But there were sure six
> individuals, all very similar in plumage there at one time, occasionally
> calling.
>
> Gene.
>
>
> At 07:31 PM 7/1/99 -0700, you wrote:
> >Hi Gene,
> >
> >I think these are females and year old males; the NGS guide really
> doesn't
> >show them very well, in my opinion. The Stokes Guide and the Audubon
> Master
> >guide have photos, and also mention the grey nape and undersides that
> >females and immatures have. Two and three years ago I had pairs breeding
> >here, and upon fledging it suddenly became a real challenge for me to
> >distinguish females from their offspring. I wouldn't expect fledging to
> >happen around here until late July, especially with this cool weather.
> >
> >It seemed to me that some of these Ballard birds were slightly blotched
> on
> >their undersides and might be males from last summer, while others were
> >females that are a solid grey. Two birds had leg bands, and I assume
> these
> >were banded by WDFW last year. WDFW intends to start banding this season
> in
> >about 2 weeks.
> >
> >Uncertainty in their flight could be due to the fact that it's Ballard
> >(Ballard is famous for its uncertain drivers!).
> >
> >This morning I checked the inside of some of the boxes and found just a
> >trace of grass in some boxes, no twigs or clam shells like I've seen at
> >Woodard Bay; so I can't say they're very far along with nesting, if
> that's
> >what they're doing. Recently I checked on martins at Nisqually and at
> >Woodard Bay, and I also had an impression that they weren't very far
> along.
> >They were sitting out, or were out foraging, but didn't appear to be
> >incubating, nor feeding young.
> >
> >The tree swallows that were to the north end of the pilings appear to
> have
> >fledged. I removed one nest of House Sparrows from low box on the south
> end.
> >
> >I keep a close watch on these Ballard martins, so we'll see what happens;
> >last year they weren't present here after about June 1, but the previous
> two
> >years there were successes.
> >
> >Kevin Li
> >King County Environmental Lab
> >322 West Ewing St.
> >Seattle, WA 98119
> >
> >(206) 684-2344
> >
> >Visit our Lakes website:
> >http://splash.metrokc.gov/wlr/waterres/lakes/index.htm
> >
> >
> >> ----------
> >> From: Eugene Hunn[SMTP:hunnhome at accessone.com]
> >> Sent: Thursday, July 01, 1999 6:38 PM
> >> To: Li, Kevin
> >> Cc: tweeters at u.washington.edu
> >> Subject: RE: Purple Martins at Shilshole
> >>
> >> Kevin,
> >>
> >> So what do you think those buff-fronted, pale-collared dark-capped
> martins
> >> are, if not juveniles. They certainly don't look like immature (2nd
> >> summer)
> >> males nor females, judging by my NGS field guide. They certainly
> couldn't
> >> be
> >> pairs.
> >>
> >> Gene Hunn.
> >>
> >> At 09:17 AM 7/1/99 -0700, you wrote:
> >> >I've observed only one adult male visiting briefly here this season,
> the
> >> >rest have been females and sub-adult males. I'm not always comfortable
> in
> >> >making distinctions between females and sub-adult males unless I'm
> really
> >> >close. I've seen various numbers of martins here in the last 5 weeks
> or
> >> so,
> >> >but just in the last week or two they seem to be settling down
> >> consistently
> >> >into the same three boxes at dusk.
> >> >
> >> >Last night and other recent evenings I've seen what appear to be three
> >> >pairs; one or two individuals I think are banded (at least there were
> >> that
> >> >many seen last week, when I checked the boxes during one of my many
> house
> >> >sparrow evictions.)
> >> >
> >> >I can send jpgs to those interested and capable of handling them.
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >Kevin Li
> >> >King County Environmental Lab
> >> >322 West Ewing St.
> >> >Seattle, WA 98119
> >> >
> >> >(206) 684-2344
> >> >
> >> >Visit our Lakes website:
> >> >http://splash.metrokc.gov/wlr/waterres/lakes/index.htm
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >> ----------
> >> >> From: Eugene Hunn[SMTP:hunnhome at accessone.com]
> >> >> Reply To: hunnhome at accessone.com
> >> >> Sent: Wednesday, June 30, 1999 7:07 PM
> >> >> To: Kelly Mcallister
> >> >> Cc: tweeters at u.washington.edu
> >> >> Subject: Re: Purple Martins at Shilshole
> >> >>
> >> >> I judged them to be juveniles because they had a buffy white
> forehead
> >> and
> >> >> nape, giving a strong capped effect and seemed a bit unsure of their
> >> >> wings.
> >> >> Plus there were six all together and no immediate signs of adults.
> >> >>
> >> >> Gene.
> >> >>
> >> >> At 03:46 PM 6/29/99 -0700, you wrote:
> >> >> >
> >> >> >
> >> >> >On Sun, 27 Jun 1999, Eugene Hunn wrote:
> >> >> >
> >> >> >> Just ran out to Shilshole (West Seattle) to check for the martins
> >> and
> >> >> >> counted six juveniles perched on or near their boxes,
> occasionally
> >> >> >> chortling.
> >> >> >
> >> >> >Young-of-the-year Purple Martins already? Seems about 3 weeks
> early.
> >> >> >
> >> >> >Kelly McAllister
> >> >> >
> >> >> >
> >> >>
> >> >
> >>
> >
>