Purple Martin Chatter

Transcription

1 Purple Martin Chatter A Publication of the Wisconsin Purple Martin Association Volume 3, Issue 3 April 2014 A Message from Tom Rank, President, WPMA: After a seemingly endless winter we're finally starting to see signs of spring as temperatures start to moderate, and not a moment too soon! Late March has seen the arrival of purple martin scouts in northern Illinois, so ready or not Wisconsin, here they come! Wisconsinites can expect to see the first submitted scout reports of the year very soon. If you are interested in following the martins northern migration check out the purple martin scout report at: It's a great tracking tool! Personally, I hope the purple martin northern migration is delayed for a while longer because we could use a series of consecutive sunny days with temperatures reaching into the 50's to help jump start the growing season. Many of the lakes in the state are still ice covered and a considerable amount of snow still covers the ground in our northern-most counties. I NSIDE T HIS I SSUE: 1 Message from Tom Rank, President EWPMA Season Meeting Information 3 WPMA Mentor News 4 5 Did You Know? WPMA Seminar Photos continued on page 2 Don t forget to check our website periodically for updates, pictures, videos, and other helpful Purple Martin information. If you d like to see something on our website, please Tom or Nicki. The website is: **We now have WPMA t-shirts available for sale in sizes S-XXL in gray or black. Check the website or Nicki to order. Colors are black or gray, sizes S-XXL Mission Statement of the Wisconsin Purple Martin Association (WPMA): To restore and preserve the Purple Martin population throughout Wisconsin with an educational emphasis on attracting, managing, and maintaining Purple Martin colonies for current and future generations. continued from page 1 Purple Martin Chatter 1

2 If you stop and think about it, weather is a driving force of nature that influences nearly every living thing. Purple Martins belong to a group of birds known as "aerial insectivores, that is, birds that feed primarily on flying insects. When unfavorable weather exists and those conditions prevent insects from flying, aerial insectivores are inevitably impacted. A purple martin will usually succumb to starvation in a matter of days if not fed. Bad weather kills more martins than all other sources of fatalities combined. The WPMA- Educational Seminar held at Maywood on March 22 nd is now history. A special "Thank You" to all who attended the seminar. Our hope is that some of you were inspired to become Purple Martin Landlords! Special thanks to the Ellwood H. May Environmental Park for hosting this event and to the WPMA staff, spouses and our keynote speaker, Dick Nikolai, for all their hard work that went into making this program possible. See a few pictures from the seminar on page 5. You can follow the WPMA at: We also have an active Facebook page at: Thanks, and good birding to everyone! Happy Birding, Tom Rank ATTENTION PURPLE MARTIN MENTORS, LANDLORDS, AND ENTHUSIASTS: We want to hear from you! If you have a story, an experience, or anything else you think others can benefit from, please submit your information to Nicki at nnjrs@tds.net to be published in our next newsletter Public Meeting and Seminar Information: April 17, 2014 Generations Plymouth, WI General Meeting (public welcome) Agenda items: Cold weather strategies Supplemental feeding Quality housing Styrofoam nest trays Pine Straw Air-activated hand warmers : May 15, 2014 Location TBD Tour a Purple Martin Colony (public welcome) June 19, 2014 Location TBD Tour a Purple Martin Colony (public welcome) July 12, 2014 Wisconsin Purple Martin Association Martinfest (public welcome) The Lienau Residence, hosted by Larry and Monica Lienau W1757 Garton Road Sheboygan, WI (920) :00 p.m. -? Purple Martin Chatter 2

3 WPMA Mentor News Another Wisconsin Purple Martin Colony is Established The lake might still be frozen, but MuirLand Bird Club member Brian Thays was out Saturday morning, March 29 th, getting the Purple Martin house at Apuckawa Park in Marquette County ready for the coming nesting season. Martin scouts could show up as early as next week. Upgrades to the house include Starlingproof entryways and gourd attachments to the bottom for additional nesting capacity. Daryl Christensen Brian Thays is seen here adding clean white pine straw to each compartment, which is a plus for attracting Purple Martins. This T-14 model fledged 27 martins in the first year it was installed on Lake Puckaway. Photo credit: Daryl Christensen Purple Martin Chatter 3

4 WPMA board member Ike Kumrow was very busy in his workshop this winter. He recently completed building this12 unit North Star house, which is headed to the Ozaukee County, WI Parks Department. Upcoming Presentation: The WPMA will deliver a presentation to the Sheboygan County Conservation Association (SCCA) delegates which consists of 27 area clubs on Wednesday, April 16, 2014 at 7:00 p.m. at Sherman Station (old Hill's Hall), 622 Main Street, Adell, WI Did You Know? The constant, several-thousand-pound pull of an over-tightened winch and cable on a metal eyebolt can cause the metal in the eyebolt to fatigue and fail over time. Adding porch dividers to a martin house that has a continuous porch will reduce male porch domination, increase occupancy rate and keep nestlings safe from wandering into different nests. Only 44% of martin nestlings in parasite-infested nests survive to fledging age, compared to 84% in parasitefree nests. Another good reason to conduct nest checks and replacements. It takes an average of 7 years to successfully attract and maintain martins to your yard. Don t get discouraged, and keep up the persistence and tenacity if you re not successful. They will come. If you need help, advice, or assistance, please feel free to contact any one of our officers or board members. What works for someone else might just work for you! Purple Martin Chatter 4

5 WPMA Purple Martin Seminar Saturday, March 22 nd, 2014 Ellwood H. May Environmental Park Sheboygan, WI Purple Martin Chatter 5