Activity at the Erie, PA roost
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bwenger
- Posts: 1059
- Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2005 7:24 pm
- Location: Pennsylvania/Espyville/Pymatuning Reservoir Area
- Martin Colony History: Taking care of 11 active public colonies and trying to start two more in northwestern PA. Also attempting to restart another one in southwestern PA, in Collier Township's Hilltop Park. In 2017, not sure what happened but the ASY male returned and then a couple of weeks later he was gone. It could have been weather related. No other birds showed up. I had a starling nesting at the Public site that I had trouble getting rid of.
In 2018, we fledged 629 martins at all of the sites.
Several of us, Adam Troyer, Jeff Hunt and myself were at the Erie Roost last night. We spent about an hour at Beach 11 on Presque Isle and were able to pull down some birds to the power lines there where they have been staging for years. The most we were able to pull down at one time was 14 birds. Several years ago you would have been able to pull 100's, and at times possibly 1,000 or so before the roost left the reed beds at the beginning of Presque Isle and now appear to be split between the South Pier and Long Point, Ontario, just across the lake from Erie. We then moved to the South Pier for about an hour before sunset and approximately 1,000-1,500 birds came into roost last night. They were settling in a tall tree on the other side of the pond there and then whether a hawk went through or what but they all left the tree and slowly settled into the cattails that line the pond. Not bad for August 6th, but the numbers should be climbing each day until around the 20th or so when they may start to decline.
Bill Wenger
Building the Purple Martin population one bird at a time!
Building the Purple Martin population one bird at a time!
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Dave Reynolds
- Posts: 2445
- Joined: Mon Jan 31, 2011 4:35 pm
- Location: Little Hocking, Oh.
- Martin Colony History: Satellite Site “Oxbow Golf Course”..
2018 - 15 Pair, 36 Fledged
2019 - 26 Pair, 97 Fledged
2020 - 30 Pair, 137 Fledged
2021 - 30 Pair, 144 Fledged
2022 - 27 Pair, 125 Fledged
2023 - 31 Pair, 130 Fledged
2024 - 41 Pair, 198 Fledged
2025 - 44 Pair, 168 Fledged
2026 - 41 Pair, 182 Fledged
Home Site "Little Hocking, Ohio".
2019 - 1 Pair, 5 Fledged
2020 - 1 Pair, 4 Fledged
2021 - 8 Pair, 36 Fledged
2022 - 13 Pair, 46 Fledged
2023 - 16 Pair, 84 Fledged
2024 - 22 Pair, 104 Fledged
2025 - 28 Pair, 83 Fledged
2026 - 28 Pair. 116 Fledged
... When you say "Pull Down" does that mean with a Purple Martins call on a CD or tape.. Dawn Song or Day time chatter..? Just wondering
Dave
Dave
PMCA Member
Little Hocking, Ohio
Little Hocking, Ohio
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bwenger
- Posts: 1059
- Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2005 7:24 pm
- Location: Pennsylvania/Espyville/Pymatuning Reservoir Area
- Martin Colony History: Taking care of 11 active public colonies and trying to start two more in northwestern PA. Also attempting to restart another one in southwestern PA, in Collier Township's Hilltop Park. In 2017, not sure what happened but the ASY male returned and then a couple of weeks later he was gone. It could have been weather related. No other birds showed up. I had a starling nesting at the Public site that I had trouble getting rid of.
In 2018, we fledged 629 martins at all of the sites.
Yes Dave, I had a Songbird Magnet that I was playing from my truck and Adam had a Caller that was mimicking a martin colony.
Bill Wenger
Building the Purple Martin population one bird at a time!
Building the Purple Martin population one bird at a time!
-
bwenger
- Posts: 1059
- Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2005 7:24 pm
- Location: Pennsylvania/Espyville/Pymatuning Reservoir Area
- Martin Colony History: Taking care of 11 active public colonies and trying to start two more in northwestern PA. Also attempting to restart another one in southwestern PA, in Collier Township's Hilltop Park. In 2017, not sure what happened but the ASY male returned and then a couple of weeks later he was gone. It could have been weather related. No other birds showed up. I had a starling nesting at the Public site that I had trouble getting rid of.
In 2018, we fledged 629 martins at all of the sites.
Is there any update on the status of the Erie Roost? How are the numbers at this time?
Bill Wenger
Building the Purple Martin population one bird at a time!
Building the Purple Martin population one bird at a time!
-
bwenger
- Posts: 1059
- Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2005 7:24 pm
- Location: Pennsylvania/Espyville/Pymatuning Reservoir Area
- Martin Colony History: Taking care of 11 active public colonies and trying to start two more in northwestern PA. Also attempting to restart another one in southwestern PA, in Collier Township's Hilltop Park. In 2017, not sure what happened but the ASY male returned and then a couple of weeks later he was gone. It could have been weather related. No other birds showed up. I had a starling nesting at the Public site that I had trouble getting rid of.
In 2018, we fledged 629 martins at all of the sites.
Andrew and Marcus Troyer and I were at Beach 11 on Wednesday evening trying to read bands on the wires there. We only had 15-20 birds flying around there and only a few of them landed. We then went to the north pier for a DCNR seminar on the Purple Martin Roost. At the most, we only saw 100-200 birds, disappointingly. I believe we saw more birds because Andrew brought his bird caller and the martins were definitely attracted to that. We are not sure if the small roost is already on the downside, but it may be. We did see multiple bald eagles and ospreys, so that was good. What a change in a roost from seeing 20-40,000 birds 4-5 years ago, and some years even up to 50 or 60,000 birds.
Bill Wenger
Building the Purple Martin population one bird at a time!
Building the Purple Martin population one bird at a time!
-
Dave Reynolds
- Posts: 2445
- Joined: Mon Jan 31, 2011 4:35 pm
- Location: Little Hocking, Oh.
- Martin Colony History: Satellite Site “Oxbow Golf Course”..
2018 - 15 Pair, 36 Fledged
2019 - 26 Pair, 97 Fledged
2020 - 30 Pair, 137 Fledged
2021 - 30 Pair, 144 Fledged
2022 - 27 Pair, 125 Fledged
2023 - 31 Pair, 130 Fledged
2024 - 41 Pair, 198 Fledged
2025 - 44 Pair, 168 Fledged
2026 - 41 Pair, 182 Fledged
Home Site "Little Hocking, Ohio".
2019 - 1 Pair, 5 Fledged
2020 - 1 Pair, 4 Fledged
2021 - 8 Pair, 36 Fledged
2022 - 13 Pair, 46 Fledged
2023 - 16 Pair, 84 Fledged
2024 - 22 Pair, 104 Fledged
2025 - 28 Pair, 83 Fledged
2026 - 28 Pair. 116 Fledged
..
.
Thanks for the reply blender... I thought that is what you meant.. but I just wasn’t sure...
Dave
PMCA Member
Little Hocking, Ohio
Little Hocking, Ohio
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bwenger
- Posts: 1059
- Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2005 7:24 pm
- Location: Pennsylvania/Espyville/Pymatuning Reservoir Area
- Martin Colony History: Taking care of 11 active public colonies and trying to start two more in northwestern PA. Also attempting to restart another one in southwestern PA, in Collier Township's Hilltop Park. In 2017, not sure what happened but the ASY male returned and then a couple of weeks later he was gone. It could have been weather related. No other birds showed up. I had a starling nesting at the Public site that I had trouble getting rid of.
In 2018, we fledged 629 martins at all of the sites.
I heard about this article concerning the Erie Roost. It was in the Erie Paper on September 1st.
Have we mentioned that Purple Martins are unpredictable? Our local roost here by PMCA HQ in Erie, PA isn't so "local" anymore. Our birds have moved their roost up the coast of Lake Erie 25 miles or so to rural New York. The roost is currently on private property making it impossible to host roost watching events this year. (It's impossible to see from public roads so please do not trespass in an attempt to see them). The full article should be below as well as a Doppler Radar view of this new location in Westfield, NY as well as the roost that is across Lake Erie at Long Point, Ontario.
https://www.yourerie.com/news/local-new ... UOybidh5Ps
Fingers crossed that they realize how much they miss us and move back home to Erie next year!
Have we mentioned that Purple Martins are unpredictable? Our local roost here by PMCA HQ in Erie, PA isn't so "local" anymore. Our birds have moved their roost up the coast of Lake Erie 25 miles or so to rural New York. The roost is currently on private property making it impossible to host roost watching events this year. (It's impossible to see from public roads so please do not trespass in an attempt to see them). The full article should be below as well as a Doppler Radar view of this new location in Westfield, NY as well as the roost that is across Lake Erie at Long Point, Ontario.
https://www.yourerie.com/news/local-new ... UOybidh5Ps
Fingers crossed that they realize how much they miss us and move back home to Erie next year!
Bill Wenger
Building the Purple Martin population one bird at a time!
Building the Purple Martin population one bird at a time!