Hi David,

I'm not doing nearly the level of martin field work I've done in past years, but I did directly and indirectly collect data from 9 colonies in a core north Sound study area, that I've been doing since 1999.

We finished visiting sites and counting pairs on August 18, and found that overall the martins had an OK year. Of the 9 colonies monitored, 3 stayed the same, 3 increased slightly, and 3 decreased. We counted 35 pairs altogether, where there were 39 last year, so the total decreased by about 10%. The site that decreased the most has experienced vandalism, so if removed from the count, the decrease was only one pair. Reproduction was about average, three young per pair. Keep in mind that these same 9 sites supported 93 pairs back in 2006, before the disastrous weather of 2008. For whatever reason, the north Sound colonies seem to get hit harder by adverse spring weather than those to the south, and those in BC. I've heard reports from southern WA and BC, where the birds have done better.

The folks up in BC initiated a geolocator study last summer, and I understand they have at least one recovery, so it will be exciting to eventually see migratory info on a Pacific Northwest martin.

Stan Kostka
lynnandstan at earthlink.net
Arlington



Subject: Brief Notes on Purple Martins
From: David Hutchinson <flora.fauna AT live.com>
Date: Sun, 5 Sep 2010 11:07:38 -0700
On August 12, while visiting a friend on Bainbridge Island, he showed me some
Martin nest boxes, four of which were active, with two nestlings poking their
heads out of each box. Together with adults this would be an overall population
of 16. I believe the location was Point White Drive NE. Today, Sept 5th, while
surveying birds at the Capehart housing site in Discovery Park, it was exciting
to see what these days is a largish flock of Purple Martins. It was hard to
count as they were flying and perching together with flocks of several other
species, but I estimate 23-26 birds. They were very active and they should
migrate within a day or two.One assumes they came from the Shilshole Bay
group.Is anyone keeping track of total numbers and breeding success in Western
Washington?