The last remaining nest is on the numbered gourd rack. Gourd #6 has 5 nestlings that I have neglected terribly. I had watched the ASY male and SY female feeding vigorously  3days ago. Yesterday I saw no feeding but the racks have been covered with purple martins for the entire morning and well into the afternoon. I was sure that I just missed them. Today I saw two little heads poking out of the front of the Troyer horizontal gourd. I was sure that the nest had been hijacked by a lazy fledgling as the two heads looked so vastly different in ages. So I lowered the rack.

When I opened the gourd I noticed it was pretty dirty, but I had seen worse. I proceeded to take everyone out and put them in the 5 gallon bucket to do a nest change. When I looked at the nestling however, I noticed that 4 of the nestlings looked to be about 20+ days old and the one runt seemed to be lagging way behind. He had the feathering on his body and head of a 16 day old but his flight feathers were about the same length as his nest mates.

On further exam, I found all of them to be underweight. The runt, worse of all and another nestling not to much better. All had an easily palpable keel bone. What is a keel bone? It is the bone in the center of the birds chest that should be surrounded by breast meat. The runts keel bone stuck out like a razor, skin flaky and dry. He proceeded to poop on me but then I saw his large hard abdomen. And when I say hard, I mean hard like a rock. And unless something is made of bone (or cartilage) there is nothing on a living body-human or animal that should be that hard. I kept him out of the nest and replaced the others. A Bot fly? A partial blockage? A tumor? I do not know what his problem is but I am vigorously re-hydrating the poor fellow.

Observing the nest is difficult with 2 young boys getting into everything but I tried to watch for mom and dad martin to no avail. The entire time I was checking the nests, changing, etc, there were no concerned parents flying about. I am beginning to think that an Owl has attacked and flushed the parents out. The nestlings being to young stayed safe in the dark far reaches of the Troyer gourd but without mom and dads care, they will soon expire.

Since Folke Peterson Wildlife Center is closing soon I placed a call to Busch Wildlife Center in Jupiter, Florida. I spoke to the director and if the nestling is still alive in the morning I will take him there. I will try to observe the nest to make sure that the parent/s are feeding. If not, I will remove them all and take them to the rehabber. It can be a case of late nest syndrome (I just made that name up) but all that means is that in very late nests it is not uncommon for one (or both) of the parents to loose interest in the process and slack off.

My first purple martin pair was a ASY male and a SY female. She worked her tail off and he would come by a few times a week. He would sleep in the gourd on occasion but basically left the entire raising of the clutch to her. She successfully fledged her 2 nestlings-all alone- after all the martins were gone.

But as for this nest, I am concerned.

I have never really thought of myself as a birder. I mean, geez, growing up in South Florida in a basically urban environment, there were not many opportunities for me to feed my hidden bird loving tendencies.  House Sparrows and Rock Pigeons were the basic “bird de jour” in my backyard. The mockingbird and doves would make a token visit and the glimpse of a Blue Jay or red-bellied woodpecker was enough to send me flying to my diary. As a young girl all ‘black’ birds were the same, but even in this un-exotic location I was observant enough to see that there was a big bird world out there. Beyond my 80 x 100 backyard, I knew there were birds I only saw pictured in books. So it went until I moved to the semi rural area I now call home.

Every morning I look out my bedroom window and look out back. A quick glance at the Purple Martins to assure myself that they are in fact still there. I often find myself accidentally birding. Like the time I saw my first Pileated Woodpecker out on the Purple Martins favorite slash pine. Or the Red-Headed Woodpecker that I only see a few times per year, the Flickers, the Eastern Phoebes, the Blue-Gray GnatCatchers, the Bronze-Headed Cowbirds and of course the plethora of Ibis, Egrets, Herons, and other marsh birds that frequent the area.

Today was no different. I was amazed by a simple visit to the Purple Martin Gourd rack by a Red-Winged Blackbird. The Martins were all up in arms about the Turkey Vultures that were swooping way to close for comfort. The Vultures, though not a threat were quite annoying to the Martins who were up and back in frantic bursts. To be quite honest, I don’t think I have ever seen the vultures flying so low to the ground.

Then of course my attention turns, as it always does to the purple gems singing in my backyard. Dozens of them. Now with several younger SY birds looking the rack over in search of an open compartment. No shyness with me. No coyness, no attempts to duck and cover from me. Their casual disregard to my approach is as comical as my look; outside, just rolled out of bed, hair in disarray, coffee in hand and a big dumb smile on my face. My transient children that come home to partner with me in raising their young. My Purple Martins.

The Purple Martin season, here in South Florida, started early but is slow to pick up. My 2 pairs are faithful companions to the gourd rack but no newcomers have arrived as yet. I suspect within the next few weeks the other ASY”S will join. Of course the Live Streaming web/bird cam is available for viewing HERE.

Last week I went to see the new gourd rack and house that Green Cay Nature Center & Wetlands purchased from PurpleMartins-R-Us. I was thrilled, honored and VERY impressed with what I saw. Not only is the center sure to become a top notch birding and wildlife destination, its staff, location and facilities are all world class.

I met up with Donald Campbell, the manager of the center, who took me to see the Purple Martin housing. On one side of the boardwalk stand 2 Trio “Grandpa’s” unconverted but well used by all reports. The distance to the new housing is far enough away that the birds in the Trios will probably not switch over, even though the housing is far superior. A testament to the Purple Martins site fidelity. As the season progresses however, I believe that the new housing will surpass its older housing options in popularity.

 The new Sunset Inn house and Economy 12 Gourd Rack are on the opposite side of the boardwalk in the same location that 2 wooden houses stood. The fate of the 2 wooden houses is proof of the downside of putting up a wooden house in South Florida. Without seasonal maintenance and upkeep (repainting) the wood is quick to rot.

Green Cay is over 100 acres of constructed wetlands that filters waste water from the water treatment plant across the street. The wetlands area naturally filters this water and allows it to recycle into the environment by evaporation and percolating into the water table. For those that live in South Florida and know of our recent drought, it is obvious the great benefit that this facility provides. In addition as the site matures and as birders and naturalists come to know of this center, the park will bring a source of tourism and revenue for Boynton Beach. The 1 1/2 miles of boardwalk are a slice of heaven in an otherwise bustling area of subdivisions, cars and strip malls. Almost as if a piece of the Everglades was magically transported to this spot and forgotten about in the mad rush to develop the surrounding area.

Many thanks to Mr.Campbell. I can tell his passion for this facility is heartfelt and it reflects in the smiles I saw from both staff and visitors who obviously reveled in the beauty of the surroundings. As I talked with Mr. Campbell, several Purple Martins flew over head. I really can’t wait to go back!

Blog & Photos Copyrighted 2009: S.Halpin/ PurpleMartins-R-Us.com

by: Susan Halpin

I have been thinking a lot lately of the latest fad of “going green”. It seems like using environmentally friendly products has become all the rage. Reducing ones carbon footprint has become the quest of many. But with all these acts of conservationism none is as humble and beautiful as what a Purple Martin Landlord does for his birds.
Not many people are aware of the plight of the Purple Martin. Besides the fact that most people have NO idea what a Purple Martin is, the act of putting up a house or a gourd for a Purple Martin to live in is becoming a remnant of a bygone era. Much like families sitting together for dinner-SANS Television, putting up housing is something more of us should do but not many of us actually do.
What is so compelling about this bird anyway? It’s about 8 inches long and so are a lot of other birds. The males are a steely blue-ish black…OK. The females not as fancy looking…alright. What is the big deal? Since these birds will never visit your backyard bird feeder most people will never get to find out. But if you are blessed enough to witness them, you will be taken in by their beautiful song, unquestionable grace in the air and apparent joy of flight.

So why am I writing this? You wanted to help the environment. You want to make a difference in the world. Feel free to donate money to save the Whales. Don’t let me stop you from recycling the newspaper. But other than a change in your routine and giving up a Starbucks Latte twice a week, what do you want to do? Do you want to make a difference right in your own backyard?
Many people want to help nature but they just don’t know how. We go to our local “Mart” super store and spend 20 bucks on a nest box and complain that no birds ever nest in it. So, what can YOU do to make a difference? CAN you even make a difference? ABSOLUTELY! It’s not easy and sometimes it’s not pretty either. But the joy you will experience, the pride you will feel, the sense of accomplishment will be amazing!
Back in the 40’s and 50’s, when putting up a house for Purple Martins was popular, you could drive down a road and see birdhouse after birdhouse. Heck, there was a time when parks and public areas would put up housing for Purple Martins. Then something happened. Somewhere along the line, we forgot about those that were so completely dependant on us for their continued survival.
So what happened? We may have many opinions on that but one thing is certain. Literally, only individuals, like you, hold the key to this birds survival.
That’s right, You-by putting up Purple Martin housing- can be personally responsible for bringing Purple Martins into the world. You can be single-handedly, the most important factor in those birds life. For what purpose does any life have? Only to be born and die, and hopefully adding some offspring to the mix. As long as more are added to the population than die, we will slowly and surely fill the skies with Purple Martins. But your help is needed. Your actions are vital. Join fellow Landlords and raise up a Purple Martin house and enjoy the song and grace and joy that you will have added to the world.

For more info on Purple Martins go to: www.PurpleMartins-R-Us.com
Or check out some of the links on the right.

Blog & Photos Copyrighted 2008: S.Halpin/ PurpleMartins-R-Us.com