Female Purple Martin - Photo by Chris Perry

PURPLE MARTIN NEST BOX PROJECT UPDATE

By Ken Wiersema

While observing and working within COVID-19 constraints, we’ve managed to support our seasonal Purple Martin (PUMA) colonies at 3 Crabs and on Protection Island NWR. Through special authorization obtained by Shelly Ament, WDFW biologist, we entered COVID-19 closed WDFW land at 3 Crabs. For an hour, on April 10th we installed our 22 PUMA nest boxes on the steel pilings in the tide flats and on root wads around the tidal estuary. On April 27th, by Special arrangement with Lorenz Sollmann, Deputy Project Leader WMNWRC, we provided him with 7 cleaned and repaired boxes to install on the Protection Island piers for an urgent trip he made to the island. During both of these box installations, the PUMAs were on and in the boxes within 5 minutes of hanging the boxes. Lorenz reported that birds were in the boxes on PI before he had the anchor wires secured. Amazing!

In addition to these 2 established colonies, we have built 8 new boxes this spring and installed 4 on pilings in the Port Angeles Yacht Basin and 4 on an island at the mouth of the Dungeness River on Dungeness Farms property. Carolyn Wilcox led and organized the project  for the Port Angeles site. Carolyn obtained the support of the Port Angeles Yacht Club, and appeared before the Port of Port Angeles Commission to obtain authorization for the new PUMA boxes on Port pilings. Matt Heins, property manager of Dungeness Farms, in consultation with Shelly Ament, obtained support from the Dungeness Farms owners to do an installation on their lands. Matt walked the Dungeness Farms land with us and designated some potential sites. We selected 2 sites. OPAS members should thank these folks for their commitment to bird habitat conservation and support. It takes the cooperation and persistence of many folks and organizations to make things happen.

OPAS folks should be aware of 3 other sites. At Diamond Point, Wallace Teal has installed 20 PUMA gourds on private property, and has reported birds on them this spring. At the mouth of Morse Creek, Anita McMillian has 3 PUMA boxes near her home; she also reports 2020 bird arrivals. In addition, Tom Butler and Dave Rasmussen installed 2 refurbished boxes from my barn on North Olympic Land Trust property west of Joyce.

Needless to say, we can’t get our projects done but for the tireless, skilled, and dedicated work of our OPAS volunteer team. These are folks I have called at strange hours, and on numerous times for counsel and an abundance of scut work. Our team is the best: Dow Lambert – photos & video, pipe jointer, ladder scaler; Bob Boekelheide – laborer, box cleaner, gate opener; Laura Davis – photographer, painter, data compiler; Dan Wilson – skilled craftsman, tree scrambler, wood donor; Jason Bausher – lead Sherpa, digging specialist;  Steve Lambert – (Dow talked him into it!); Tom Butler, artist & craftsman, tree planter; Alan Smith – ladder designer. Our thanks to each. Well done!

[To learn more about this project, visit our Community Science Purple Martin Nest Box Project page]