Scout report question

[~Ray~Gingerich]

Looking at the scout reports I see that Mississippi always lags behind it's surrounding states by several weeks, wondering why that is? Are there fewer landlords or maybe the landscape not as attractive to martins? I would think by location it would get some of the first reports.

[tonyg]

Good question Ray...I'm thinking its harder for them to spell Mississippi...

[~Ray~Gingerich]

LOL Tony....but be careful, we don't want to tick off the landlords down there, they might kidnap your martins when they pass through

[Bulldog1]

Well I put up my gourds yesterday, so I am sure I will be able to report very soon. Probably in a month but the welcome mat is out.

[Louise Chambers]

Just a guess here - martins follow certain routes or flyways, and the geolocator studies bear that out. I am just thinking that for whatever reason, no flyway directs martins to Mississippi at this time of year. Most martins depart from the Yucatan Peninsula and fly across Gulf to east or west, to to FL, AL, or LA and TX. Or maybe the 'toe' of LA catches martins before they reach Mississippi - wild speculation is always fun.

[James Strickland FL]

Louise is correct. We down here in South Fla do not see bird until late Jan or early Feb. Martins are in LA, AL, GA, and TX before we report.

[Louise Chambers]

James, not sure I understand your statement - martins appear in FL first,

Most martins depart from the Yucatan Peninsula and fly across Gulf to east or west, to to FL, AL, or LA and TX.

The usual sighting order is FL, then LA, TX - then AL, GA.

With the geolocator project expanding to FL this year, we will learn more about their migration route. They likely do not depart from the Yucatan.

[James Strickland FL]

Hey Louise, If you look at the map, Matins show up in on the West coast of Fl. Most of time in Ft. Meyers and if you draw a line from there up to Orlando is where most the Martins show up during the End of Dec to the mid of Jan. Sometime we get a report in Miami during those days, but it is raw. All you have to do is look at the town and you will see the line. Those of us in Broward and Dade start seeing our birds around the end of Jan or the beginning of Feb.

[Louise Chambers]

Got it - thanks. The geolocator project will bring some light to all this.

[Gobbler T]

Looking at the scout reports I see that Mississippi always lags behind it's surrounding states by several weeks, wondering why that is?

Been wondering that for 7 years myself. If ya'll figure it out, let me know!

WATCH IT TonyG!!!

[James Strickland FL]

I would love to have Geo locators put on some of the birds around me so I could look at the Data and see what the birds are doing.

[klcretired]

Just thinking , Maybe also it has to do with How Long a Colony has been established in Mississippi , i would think the older the colony the scouts would come back sooner

[~Ray~Gingerich]

Thinking about what Louise said about the Yucatan it all makes sense if you look at the migration map. It looks like some are crossing from Yucatan into FL or island hopping then spreading north and west. The rest crossing into Louisiana go west and north before moving east, it almost looks like 2 rings spreading out in all directions, one centered near Louisiana Tx border and the other in central FL with Mississippi in the middle between the 2 spreading rings.

[Pappy]

I live on the Mississippi gulf coast on the water, Bay St Louis to be exact. By the way the (crow) purple martin flies, about 35 miles ENE of New Orleans. I have posted the scout arrival for several years now, 1 house has nests for six years, two more for five years, and two more for four years and several other houses in neighbors yards for a few years. Martins usually arrive mid February, however the arrival seems to be creeping up a little earlier each year. As the result of the warm weather we have been having, hopefully my first bird will arrive in a week or so. I'll post as soon as one arrives.