This was posted by someone else.. I have not verified.
Last night Dr. Mark Schuyler and I staked out Old Town, hoping to find out where the purple martins would be roosting over the next few weeks.
They showed a lot of interest in the small line of trees where they'd been the past two summers, with a few thousand birds circling high overhead as we watched from the parking garage just west of the trees.
When they all disappeared right at dark we split up. Mark found them in the Bradford pear trees on the east side of the parking lot at Via Christi, near the railroad tracks.
Many will remember when the birds roosted there several consecutive years. While a great spot for viewing, and sometimes the parking lot was almost filled with spectators, the hospital is less than thrilled because of the mess and health concerns. Hospital staff had trimmed the trees way back a few years ago which discouraged roosting. Now, the trees have grown back enough to be attractive.
Mark's going to continue to scout the birds when he has time, which is normally three or four nights a week.
Hopefully the birds will be allowed to roost in peace. Let's also hope they don't start roosting in the scattered trees on the west side of the hospital, where it's more likely for guests and employees to track poo into the hospital. Three or four years ago we watched hospital staff smacking those trees with huge boards, after the birds had roosted for the night. No doubt some of the birds were injured or killed.
Hopefully they'll had back to Old Town, where businesses and city employees could be more tolerant. The last two years the city has done a good job of keeping things cleaned up under the roosts as best they could.
Wichita KS Martin Roost information...
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