On the quiet, sunlit Sunday morning of Sept 19th the Purple Martin Crew took advantage of the last daylight, low-enough tide to collect nest boxes. As we sloshed our way out though shallow water toward the off shore pilings, we carefully avoided soft mudflat areas that threatened to suck the boots right off our feet. Cries of thousands of gulls…Glaucous-winged, Ring-billed…punctuated the air.

We got right down to business. The first task was to loosen and detach the taut wires securing the nest boxes to the pilings. Then a specialized telescoping pole was carefully directed through metal bands on the boxes. With an upward tug, they were lifted from their hanging position on large nails and carefully lowered. This nifty setup has evolved following years of modifications, and has become quick and efficient.

Now, the nest boxes will be individually checked for evidence of nesting success. This information will be added to data collected earlier in the season to figure out the number of eggs laid vs. the number of chicks that successfully fledged. The nest boxes will be cleaned out and sterilized in preparation for placement next spring, and the arrival of Purple Martins.

Handling nest boxes can pose some health hazards to handlers, as fleas and feather lice were later found on clothing. Bacterial contamination is always suspect, so antibacterial wipes were liberally applied to any skin surfaces coming in contact.

All in all a beautiful day!