Pharr, TX staging area found - photos

Welcome to the internet's gathering place for Purple Martin enthusiasts
Post Reply
Veronica G
Posts: 338
Joined: Mon Jun 02, 2008 7:36 am
Location: Texas/Edinburg

A staging area for our local roost was found by my purple martin mentor, Frank Birkhead. It is in a residential area only about 2 miles away from the roost site. We got there at 6:30 pm, and the martins were already lining the power lines down two separate streets. A neighborhood resident informed us that the martins have been using the site for years. He looks forward to it every August. The numbers steadily increased, then around 8 pm the martins started leaving in mass for the roost.

Does anyone know why they gather at a staging area?

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image
I participate in Project Martin Watch!
Top
trisha
Posts: 427
Joined: Fri May 27, 2005 1:12 pm
Location: Texas/Burleson, south of Fort Worth

Great pictures! Thanks for sharing.
Trisha


PMCA member
2019, 36 pair
Top
Veronica G
Posts: 338
Joined: Mon Jun 02, 2008 7:36 am
Location: Texas/Edinburg

Thank you Trisha. It's nice to be able to see so many martins in daylight. By the time they head over to the roost, it's getting kind of dark, so they're harder to see. It's also easier to get nicer photos!

Veronica
I participate in Project Martin Watch!
Top
Emil Pampell-Tx
Posts: 6743
Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 1:26 pm
Location: Tx, Richmond (SW of Houston)
Martin Colony History: First started in Gretna, La in 1969 with a small homemade house, have had martins ever since at 2 different homes in Texas

Thanks for the remarkable photos....Thats a lot of martins
PMCA Member, 250 gourds, 6 poles, 2traps
Top
Stephen Thomas
Posts: 359
Joined: Wed Nov 19, 2003 8:24 am
Location: LeRoy/IL

Veronica,

Way to cool! :grin: My wife would only say that's disgusting. Maybe she will change her mind soon.

Again thanks for the pictures.
Steve Thomas (LeRoy,Il) trying since 2003, visitors 2006 & 2007 had 1 visitor.
2009 had 6 visitors, 3ASY & 3females(1 male serious)
2010 1ASY male & 1ASYfemale, May 9, 2010 I became a landlord
2011 They came back. Got cold .they left. Never came back. starting over.
2012 1 came by. 2013 (0)
Top
Linda Reynolds
Posts: 1308
Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 8:33 pm
Location: Adamsville, TN

Those are wonderful photos, Veronica. Thanks for posting them. Quite a show going on in that area. I hope some other landlords are enjoying the end of the season event.
Ever-Grateful,
Linda
Top
Courtney-NC
Posts: 592
Joined: Tue Jul 15, 2008 2:28 pm
Location: Holly Springs, NC
Martin Colony History: 2009-2015-Helped to manage Raleigh site, 36 cavities
2016- 33 pairs at Raleigh site, 1 pair at home site.
2017- 34 pairs at Raleigh site, 3 pairs + extra SYs at home site
2018- 33 pairs at Raleigh site, 5 pairs + extra SYs at home site
2019 - 32 pairs at Raleigh site, 7 pairs at home site, 2 pairs at new Holly Springs park site

I love these photos! I am trying to ID the SY females/males, HYs and ASY females. Of course I can only guess since I am a little inexperienced but it's fun anyway. ;)
-Courtney
-------------------
NC Purple Martin Society (PMCA affiliate)
http://www.ncpurplemartin.org
Top
~Ray~Gingerich
Posts: 2122
Joined: Mon Jan 05, 2004 10:24 pm
Location: Delaware/Dover

Nice pictures Veronica!
I think they just find a resting area before turning in for the night....socialize, preen feathers, wind down from the days activities.
~Ray~ Gingerich
1999 1pair, 2006 2 pair, 2008 2 pair,
2009 23 pair, 2010 39 pair, 2011 67 pair,
2012 115 pair, 2013 160 pair,
2014 152 pair, 2015 174 pair, 2016 178 pair
2017 187 pair, 2018 200 pair, 2019 171pair
2020 233 pair
Top
bobnjo
Posts: 107
Joined: Mon Jan 14, 2008 11:31 am
Location: Onawa, IA

Very nice! Amazing how they can land so close to each other.
Bob n Jo,
Check our web pages with pics and clips:
http://elwood.longlines.com/~jobob1/Sit ... olony.html
Top
Veronica G
Posts: 338
Joined: Mon Jun 02, 2008 7:36 am
Location: Texas/Edinburg

Thank you everyone for the kind replies. It is an amazing site I know all of you would appreciate. However, I haven't told too many people the exact location of the staging area as it is in a residential area and I'm sure some of the residents already consider the birds a nuisance. I didn't think they would appreciate a bunch of cars driving and parking on their street. I did, however, post the roost site on a Texas birding forum since it is in a public area and there's lots of parking in the next door mall parking lot. I have seen a handful of birders there the last few times I've visited. Hope to make it out there this weekend.

Veronica
I participate in Project Martin Watch!
Top
razman
Posts: 568
Joined: Sun May 09, 2004 3:14 pm
Location: wichita ks

GREAT pics! thanks a bunch for sharing. Do you know (or anyone else) how soon the martins will be heading south?
2004...notta
2005-2008 lookies
2009...lookies, and a SYM hanging around a bunch
2010...an ASY pair! 5 eggs, 5 babies fledged! yehawwwwwwwwww
2011....still only one nesting pair..extreme heat killed the babies
2012..ASY pair...fledged 4 babies!
2013 notta, few lookie lous
Top
Veronica G
Posts: 338
Joined: Mon Jun 02, 2008 7:36 am
Location: Texas/Edinburg

Razman,
Thanks! We were there Friday evening for a bit. We got there late, so we weren't sure how many martins were already in the trees, but it sounded like fewer than before. But then some idiot came by and started clapping and yelling under the trees, making pretty much all the birds scatter. There were a lot more in the trees than we thought. There are still thousands of martins roosting down here in deep south Texas. I've heard that the Austin roost, which is about a 5 hour drive north of here, is pretty much done. Just a handful of birds left. I guess they're making their way south. I don't imagine the martins will be around much longer. I seem to remember last year they disappeared in the first couple weeks of September.

Veronica
I participate in Project Martin Watch!
Top
Post Reply

Return to “Purple Martin Forum”