Someone asked me yesterday, "How did you even know about Purple Martins?" Way back in 2004, while working as a Physical Therapist, I had a recurring patient who would come in and say "the purple martins are back" and the first time he said that, I had no idea about their existence. He would tell me all about them and I found his enthusiasm about these "birds" fascinating. I don't think I thought about them again until 2021, when I was approaching retirement, and thought "I need to look into these Purple Martins that this patient would so enthusiastically talk about" and thought it would be a fun hobby to begin. I have loved it every year since, looking forward to their arrival each year. Still anxiously awaiting their arrival for this year.
It makes me smile when I look at the Scout Arrival Study and see this person's name on the report, from so many years ago. I believe it goes back to the beginning of the documented study. Grateful to this person for informing me about these incredible birds.
Purple Martin Forum
The internet's gathering place for Purple Martin enthusiasts!