2026 Migration flock?

[Laurence Paul]

From the Sarasota, FL, area. 9:30 a.m. 2/16/26. In our back yard this morning doing our daily Martin inventory, my wife and I saw several dozen -- she estimated hundreds -- of Martins circling, swooping and gliding very high over our neighborhood. I have never seen so many Martins at once. Hundreds seems extreme to me, but her eyes are better than mine.

Our resident flock was in full alarm mode, defending their territory. After a usual very early first scout (Jan. 5), our Martin's have been quite late this year. Only in the past week have our numbers suddenly grown from a handful to a full house.

I do not know enough about Martin migration to say if what we witnessed was a northward-bound flock passing through or veterans of SW Florida looking for 2026 housing. But suffice to say it was a dramatic sighting and should give hope to Martin landlords to the north that friends are on the way.

[SSMartin]

Sounds more like tree swallows. Are you sure they were martins?

[flyin-lowe]

I am further north so we get a ton of tree swallows but have never seen them in large "flocks" like martins do. Maybe further south on their migration you see it, but I have never seen them grouped up in my area.