Have YOU Reported Your Local Roost to PMCA?

Laverne · Fri Jul 15, 2005 9:41 am

I just went over to the Roost Map looking for the one in Louisiana. It isn't there!

If you know of a Premigratory Roost in your area, please report it to the PMCA. There are people who want to go see them - but, don't know where they are.

Thank you!

Guest · Fri Jul 15, 2005 10:02 am

In Wisconsin there used to be one by the public water works in Racine, WI....it is right on Lake Michigan's shoreline. I went there one day and the trees were loaded with martins. I didn't think I was seeing right because I had thought they didn't land in trees...this was about 19 years ago. The employees had martin houses up. Don't know if that is still happening. Anyone know?

Laverne · Fri Jul 15, 2005 2:06 pm

There should still be a roost around there somewhere.

Did you see this during the day or was it as darkness was falling?

Guest · Fri Jul 15, 2005 3:54 pm

It seemed like we had a mini-roost at our place. We went from about 7 martins on July 4th to approximately 40 martins gathered on the 12th - all of them perching on our dead oak tree. I had ordered my pole and gourds, hoping to get it up before they left, and wouldn't you know it, the equipment came yesterday, we sank the pole in concrete, and today they are all gone. What a deafening silence there is around our place. I was really getting used to hearing them first thing in the morning throught the day. Can't wait til they come back in the spring!

Laverne · Fri Jul 15, 2005 4:12 pm

You know what I think, jmotsinger? I think your dead oak tree was serving as a family assembly site for a colony close to you. For an indepth explanation of what may have been happening read Steve Kroenke's article on the subject. Here's a link to it:

http://www.purplemartin.org/forum/viewt ... highlight=

I am pointing this out for you and other landlords to emphasize the importance of what is usually considered a nuisance and a problem. Dead trees or live trees with dead limbs in them are utilized by PMs as a safe place for their fledglings.

Maybe there will be more before the season ends...

Guest · Fri Jul 15, 2005 10:03 pm

When I went to my home town this past weekend (Nederland, TX) my nephew and his wife mentioned there were a LOT of birds at Central Mall off of 365 and people in lawn chairs watching them. They are not very knowledgeable about martins so they didn't know what they were looking at. If anyone lives in the area they may want to check it out!!

Lisa

Guest · Sun Jul 17, 2005 8:07 pm

Laverne, thank you so much for the link to Steve's info about family assembly sites!

We raised our supergourds today - it was so exciting - in hopes of presenting an attractive site for martins who might pass by this way next spring. The past two days we have had no visitors. This evening at about 7:00 I heard them, went outside, and there were about a dozen back in the tree, and though I did not see any land on our housing, they certainly were seeing it and circling close by. Yahoo!

I think you're right, Laverne, I think we have had a family assembly site here. What I thought was "dog fighting" martins may very well have been adults feeding fledglings in midflight. amazing!

I can't wait to see if they're back tomorrow!

Thanks!
Jane

Laverne · Mon Jul 18, 2005 2:05 pm

What a rare treat that is, Jane!

I am touched by your sincere appreciation of these beautiful birds. Steve has posted just about all of his articles back on the Forum recently. The Forum crashed and all history was lost - so, he (so generously) reposted them for us to enjoy and learn from. I am saving all of them to read again on a rainy winters day when I'm missing my martins...

I hope the PMs recognize the potential for a great landlord in you. Best wishes to you for nesting Purple Martins in your gourd rack next season!

Laverne · Wed Jul 27, 2005 1:59 pm

babysdavid wrote:When I went to my home town this past weekend (Nederland, TX) my nephew and his wife mentioned there were a LOT of birds at Central Mall off of 365 and people in lawn chairs watching them. They are not very knowledgeable about martins so they didn't know what they were looking at. If anyone lives in the area they may want to check it out!!

Lisa

See, here's another premigratory roost near Beaumont, Texas that has not been reported. I have heard of this Nederland Roost before. I think it has been active for many years. The landlords from that area all know about it - maybe they don't want any visitors spoiling their private viewing of their roost... I can't say I blame them - the fewer people who know about it, the safer it is for the Purple Martins... and it is, after all, the PM's roost...

I was bringing this post back up to ask everyone to please report any roost they have seen. Whether, it moves from one spot to another or not; I believe the PMCA is still interested in keeping records of all roosts in the breeding range. I don't think they want us to report one we have just "heard" about - but, maybe if we can confirm it... I'll bet those Western Purple Martins gather in premigratory roosts, too.

I check the PMCA Roost Map periodically, and am still seeing 2004 dates on a lot of the reports that are there (and there's not that many). I see they have a feature for reporting roosts spotted by radar. And there are "none" of those.

I'm not having very good luck with the radar roost thing. Isn't it true that you could virtually check the entire country by radar if you had the time? That might be a fun project for somebody who is really good at it. Oh, and also, who has highspeed internet or something. My dial-up at home is so-o-o-o s-l-o-o-o-o-w. . . .

As always, IMHO!!!

Guest · Wed Jul 27, 2005 7:42 pm

Laverne
What about suspected roost locations?

Laverne · Thu Jul 28, 2005 12:52 pm

Hello Harold and Peg(the Wannabee PM Thieves!)

I don't think they are interested in "suspected" roost sites. Somebody needs to confirm these "suspected" roost sites are "active" roost sites before reporting them to the PMCA.

Why do you ask? Do you have a "suspected" roost site that you would like to "confirm"???!!!

Guest · Thu Jul 28, 2005 4:27 pm

Laverne,
I saw a donut on radar at Lake Ouchita and called the state park. They told me that the martins were on the lake. I don't have the time to go check it out . I didn't know whether or not if PMCA would be interested.

Guest · Thu Jul 28, 2005 4:59 pm

I didn't know we were supposed to report the roost, I could have reported a doozy at a SuperWalmart parking lot in Tallahassee, Florida. They were actually catching night flying insects attracted to the large parking lot lights. They had to be in the 1000's.