Category: Blog

Purple Martins are returning! Follow their progress back. Visit Purple Martin Conservation Association Scout-Arrival Study

Are you thinking about becoming a Purple Martin Landlord? Please see the educational video by Texas Parks and Wildlife. Also, featured in the video is the Purple Martin pre-migratory roost in Austin, TX. 

March 2017

Dear friends,
First of all I like to thank all our PM landlords who answered my question about any early Martin arrival at their location. Appreciate your comments. Not too many reported having Martins and some had losses due to the cold and lack of food. Good news, I finally was greeted by several Purple Martins this morning at 7:30am. What a joy to hear their voices. I hope we are looking for better weather to come now. So I opened all my entrances on our 2 houses (only had 4 open) and I am going outside now to get the 12 S-Gourds ready and up the poles. This is a good morning to work on this project.  Now I encourage all to open their Martin housing and I wish for a good Purple Martin season this year.

Many regards from Gisela.

Hi, I hope you all are still enjoying this late summer weather to catch up on gardening and cleaning your Martin housing for the next season. This is good time for that. Also remember pine straw is needed for the next season and can be collected from Slash Pine trees in East Texas. It is good to bring some extras to share with other landlords.

Looking back, It sure had been a very turbulent spring with lots of rain followed by high temps for a long time.

Gisela

I know that many members will be interested in finding out about

“What triggers a Migration”.

I found out a little bit about it and like to share it with you.

After the Purple Martin breeding season and after the parents have taught their offsprings “how to survive” tips and “how to catch their own insects” they all go their separate ways or can still hang around together a little longer until they all join the large Purple Martin pre-migratory roost in our Metroplex the City of Garland, Texas. The word goes out that this is a good place to assemble for their nightly roost.

We can never say what day and time exactly they will begin their migration south but the birds must receive a certain combination of meteorological and seasonal prompts that triggers their migration response.

I feel that it is shorter day length plus cooler nights that might trigger the birds migration gene which in turn causes the Purple Martins to get ready for their grueling flight all the way to South America and their final destination of Brazil.

There are many obstacles to overcome en route and we also know that many birds unfortunately will not be able to make it.

But we are confidant that most of our Purple Martins will be coming back to us in the month of February next year.

So, at our Saturday, 8th of August 2015 Garland, TX huge Purple Martin pre-migratory roost visit we all watched our birds one more time and wished them a “SAFE JOURNEY”.
To all our devoted PMLNT Landlords I like to thank you for being so caring for our wonderful Purple Martins in the ongoing preservation and conservation efforts. And that is what we, the PMLNT organization, are all about.

God bless you all for doing a great job. THANK YOU !!!

Many regards,

Gisela,

A note from Gisela,
I have several PMLNT members asking me how to detect our Garland Purple Martin pre-migratory roost and think this link below would be of help.

When the page opens there today at 7:00AM sunrise time, a round dark spot is appearing at the roost location in Garland Shiloh road Cinemark movie theater parking lot.

Check out the radar at: http://radar.weather.gov/Conus/southplains_loop.php

Today it is still visible not as large as we have seen it (8 of August) but it is still there. So this means the roost has not gone yet. The dark spot will eventually fan out towards Lake Ray Hubbard and then dissipate while the Martins are fanning out to feed at the surrounding location. I hope this will be of help.

Gisela
PMLNT President

A note from Gisela,
We just had another World Migratory Bird Day event meeting and things are being worked out. Thanks go to Kathy who is my big helper at these meetings. There are lots of items to talk about and the WMBD event is shaping up very nicely. I think the event flyer is looking great, am getting some nice comments about it. Thanks. Come and check it out.

The weather is not too nice these days but at least our Martins can go and feed in between the rain. With strong winds I do lower my PM housing a little. Do some nest checking and keep tearing out 2 sparrow nests. Pine straw is very popular now as are the crushed eggshells.

Well, I like to wish you all a nice weekend. We will be busy every day.

Regards from Gisela

Gisela Fregoe
President PMLNT
972-641-2981
giselafregoe@gmail.com
www.PurpleMartinLandlordsOfNorthTexas.com