Martin roost at the OKC Memorial

[AvianStewardess]

I went through the memorial's website, as well as the fund-raising marathons. Here is a list of website pages as a "contact us" (email if it was given on the page). Perhaps these companies should know that the public is not pleased with their association with an organization that would do such harm to native birds:


Sandridge
http://www.sandridgeenergy.com/Contact.aspx


Devon
http://www.dvn.com/Newsroom/Pages/newsroom.aspx ([email protected])

Chesapeake Energy
http://www.chk.com/Media/Pages/Default.aspx
([email protected])

Cox Media
http://www.coxmedia.com/contact.jsp?navigation=7

Opubco
http://www.opubco.com/contact/

Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau
http://www.visitokc.com/contact-us/
([email protected])

7-Eleven
http://corp.7-eleven.com/ContactUs/tabi ... fault.aspx
([email protected])

teleflora
http://www.teleflora.com/media.asp
([email protected])

Farmers Insurance
https://www.farmers.com/contact_us.html#email_form

The Oklahoman
http://newsok.com/home/staff

Carl's Jr
http://www.carlsjr.com/contact/contact_form

[Louise Chambers]

Here's a report from the Memorial roost last night: things are getting better!

I have just returned from the Memorial. It has been my third night out there, and each night the treatment of the purple martins improves and the length of time spent discouraging the birds decreases. Tonight the fire hoses were not brought out at all and only wood clappers were used to flush the few birds which flew near the trees. The birds have moved to the Bank of Oklahoma auto-bank at the SE corner of the Memorial (NW 4th and Robinson). It would be a good idea to educate BOK on their new tenants. If anyone knows of a good BOK contact, I could pass it on to the Purple Martin Conservation Association.

[Louise Chambers]

No hoses again last night, and roost watch group enjoyed the martins coming into trees around autobank very much. At the Memorial, clackers were used to run off any martins that tried to roost there. The injured martin found at the Memorial Friday night had to be euthanized due to a spine injury. Rondi Large of WildCare shared a photo and the news,

I am so sorry to report that the one injured purple martin in WildCare's care had a broken back. We sent the little one to heaven today. May she soar above where fire hoses can't reach!

[jeffwilliams72]

Will there be any charges filed for killing a protected species???

[Louise Chambers]

That will be determined by US FWS law enforcement - they are doing the investigation and then a decision will be made about any charges, fines, etc.

[tonyg]

Hopefully they will do something. If they are like our court system when it pertains to Fish&Game here in Ks, it will be a slap on the wrist and have a nice day. People fish without licences, poach deer/game birds, get arrested and get off with maybe a small fine and then they are right back out doing it again. Fish&Game Commision officers aren't real happy here in Ks..

[Louise Chambers]

Last night a company that said they were hired by OKC used air horns to discourage the martins from roosting at the Bank of OK autobank location, which is about 2 blocks south of the Memorial.

We are hoping to talk to someone at BOK and share some information about martin roosts. On the plus side, air horns (they only used them 3 times) are not going to knock martins down or physically injure them, unlike the fire hoses. On the down side, where are the martins going to go next? I hope not back to the Memorial - but if the city is going to continue to use the bird relocation firm and air horns, the martins will either find a roost site where they don't bother as many people, or keep shifting their location.

[TammyBears]

This is crazy I'm a first year landlord, so I'm new with purple martins, but has something like this happened before? In OKC?