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Wednesday, April 13, 2022
Vol. 65, Issue No. 15
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Purple martins find allies Republican Candidate for Fulton County Sheriff
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%\ '$9,' +$=/(',1( 6WDII :ULWHU Robins are all too often the bird species symbolizing the coming of spring in Indiana, when in fact many robins are year-round residents. A more appropriate herald of springtime are purple martins. And in the past week this colorful bird, known for its strident singing and graceful, swooping flying patterns, has returned to Fulton County. However, this spring return is largely due to the efforts of bird )5,(1'6 2) 7+( 3853/( 0$57,1 ³ *UHJ lovers like Greg Mellinger and Jim 0HOOLQJHU OHIW DQG -LP 6WUDHWHU HUHFWHG WZR UDFNV Straeter of Rochester, who have KROGLQJ FDYLWLHV HDFK IRU WKH QHVWLQJ RI SXUSOH erected over 300 nesting cavities PDUWLQV LQ IURQW RI :RRGODZQ +RVSLWDO LQ DQG around Rochester, including two $OWKRXJK WKH\ DUH D QDWLYH VRQJELUG SXUSOH 24-house racks in front of WoodPDUWLQV QRZ GHSHQG RQ KXPDQV IRU QHVWLQJ HDVW RI lawn Hospital, which were placed WKH 5RFN\ 0RXQWDLQV EHFDXVH RI KDELWDW ORVV DQG in 2017 and 2019 respectively. LQYDVLYH VSHFLHV SDUWLFXODUO\ FRPPRQ VSDUURZV “The first one was so successful we DQG (XURSHDQ VWDUOLQJV 3KRWR E\ 'DYLG +D]OHGLQH put the second one up,” recalled Straeter. A s Mellinger noted, purple martins, nesting cavity for a number of reasons, starting the largest members of the swallow family, are entirely with the fact they are “durable and less expendependent on humans for habitation east of the sive than houses,” said Mellinger. And with martins it is important to rememRocky Mountains. The problem is purple martins have been ber, “the more the merrier.” It is also important to monitor the houses and displaced by the invasive species of common sparrows and European starlings. “Martins are trap sparrows if they take over. It is not hard to no match for starlings and sparrows. Neither tell when this has happened, as sparrows will are bluebirds and other native songbirds. Loss stuff the enclosure until nearly full with nestof habitat and pressure from these competitors ing material, whereas martins need more room. is the reason for a decline in population of our Once you see sparrows entering a house, you can bet it’s time to trap them. This can be done with a beautiful native songbirds,” said Mellinger. Part of the joy of starting one’s own martin simple metal mechanism fitted on the gourd that colony is the knowledge these birds often fre- is sprung when the sparrow enters, trapping it quent the same sites year after year, returning inside. In the event a desirable bird is captured, this from a 10,000-mile migration that takes them as live trap allows the owner to release it back into far south as Brazil in South America. Martins are also very vocal — “gossipy,” the wild. For these reasons, owners need to be able to Straeter remarked — constantly chittering and singing. When not in the nest, martins can be reach their martin houses from the ground. A martin nest produces four to six hatchlings, seen in flight, where these aerial foragers do all of their feeding, even scooping up mouthfuls of half of which will survive the long migration. The water while on the wing. “It’s fun to watch them survivors will likely nest in a different area, but and hear them communicate. They are a beauti- older adults may return year after year. Mellinger opined there are currently more ful part of nature.” The secret to a successful martin colony martins in the area than housing to take care of starts with the house. Gourds make the perfect them and encourages others to become involved
in the struggle for survival
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/$.( +286(6 ³ $OWKRXJK LW ZDV D FKLOO\ GHJUHHV RQ $SULO SXUSOH PDUWLQV FRXOG EH VHHQ Á\LQJ LQ DQG RXW RI QHVWLQJ FDYLWLHV DW :RRGODZQ +RVSLWDO 7KH\ DUH JHQHUDOO\ LQDFWLYH LQ FROG ZHDWKHU KRZHYHU WKH\ FDQ RQO\ JR D IHZ GD\V ZLWKRXW IRRG 7KH KRXVHV FDQ EH UDLVHG DQG ORZHUHG IRU PDLQWHQDQFH 3KRWR E\ 'DYLG +D]OHGLQH in purple martin nesting management. For more information on purple martins and how to start your own colony, visit the Purple Martin Conservation Association website at www.purplemartin.org.
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