After a month in Arizona and Alaska, Barbara and I checked out several spots near home today. In West Seattle we went to Jack Block Park and Port of Seattle Duwamish sites T-105 and T-107 on West Marginal Way. We were interested especially in Purple Martins at Jack Block Park, which at least one recent posting said were missing.

At Jack Block we found nesting activity very much underway. All 5 gourds below the north viewing bridge were taken, with males perched above them, and females setting up housekeeping. To the east one distant gourd seemed taken, and the four northernmost gourds on the long row to the west were also inhabited, it appeared the female might already be on eggs in one of them. Two gourds toward the south end were being inspected by two pairs of martins, and the remainder of the gourds seemed empty. It was a bit unsettling to find 3 immature starlings standing about on the beam above the gourds, suggesting that starlings may be using or may have used some of the gourds, but we didn't see actual nesting activity by starlings. House Sparrows are nesting in gaps in the structure that the gourds hang from, but we didn't see them using gourds, either. Altogether, we estimate the number of Purple Martins at Jack Block at about 24 birds.

At T-105 we observed apparent nesting at 7 sites, so we estimate 14 birds there, and at T-107 3 sites seemed in use, so we add another 6 birds.

Altogether, the West Seattle Purple Martins number around 44. We did some extended observation of the PUMAs twice last summer at T-105, and the birds we saw at T-105 today were a handful fewer than last summer.

Paul Webster
Seattle
paul.websterATcomcast.net