Hi Linda, and Tweets,
Just to be clear, I react to reports that fall outside what we
expect, not because I necessarily want to eliminate them from
becoming an erroneous record somewhere down the road, but more
importantly because they need to be double checked and strengthened,
to whatever extent possible, because they are extraordinary and
noteworthy. The birds Linda saw at Logboom could very well have been
martins. I thought so then, and I think moreso now, because
shortly after dropping that note to her, I was informed of reliable
reports of Purple Martins in BC at Ladysmith, the largest colony on
Vancouver Island on April 2 and again on April 5. We know quite a
lot about this species regionally, regarding breeding and dispersal,
because they are so accessible in so many artificial nest cavities.
But, we know next to nothing about their migration. It's
counterintuitive for martins to be showing up this far north, when no
sightings have been reported along the Columbia River, where people
who have been working with martins for years are actively looking for
first arrivals but have yet not seen any.

Stan Kostka
lynnandstan at earthlink.net
Arlington


Subject: Purple Martins at Logboom Park
From: "LINDA PHILLIPS" <linda_phillips1252 AT msn.com>
Date: Sat, 5 Apr 2008 17:19:43 -0700
Tweeters
On Thursday I reported seeing 4 Purple Martins at Logboom Park.
After reading my post Stan Kostka wrote me the following message.
This is the first report I've seen of martins in WA this season, and
only the second in the Pacific Northwest that I am aware of, the
first being on the southern Oregon coast at Lakeside on 24 March.
Martins were recently observed at a coastal Northern California
breeding site for the first time on April 1.
It is certainly possible for individuals or
small groups to break out far ahead of a general migration wave,
but since your report is ahead of any additional sightings in Oregon
or southern WA, along the Columbia River that has a large martin
population, I have to ask if you are certain the birds you saw were
Purple Martins.

I can not be absolutely sure it was Martins I saw.
I went back today, Sibley in hand to check . There were no birds near
the
gourds (except DC Cormorants) The birds I did see today were very
high and I couldn't get good looks.Violet Green Swallows were also
present both days and the bird in question was
definably not a VG. They flew slower and fanned their tails as they
flew.
Overall they were dark in color with somewhat lighter breasts
(undersides) that
blend into the darker plumage, not distinct dark and white pattern
like the
VG's. I'm sorry if I sent anyone on a wild goose chase. I'll be more
careful in the
future.


Linda Phillips
linda_phillips1252 AT msn.com
Kenmore 98028-2616_________