new construction for Purple Martins!

High school student Domi Lauko of Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin decided he wanted to do something different for his Eagle Scout project. He met with us and made plans to provide us with several new houses. At the time, I did not realize that he really meant "several"! He then enlisted the aid of his fellow scouts to build a number of new martin houses (the photo shows a few of them stacked up in storage at the Urban Ecology Center in Milwaukee). We're finding sites for them and will install them this spring at various locations in southeastern Wisconsin. Thanks to Domi for a job well done. New martin colonies are hopefully not far off!

In 2010, if you would like to help our group install new martin houses and gourds; or collect, repair and refurbish older used houses (in good condition, only, please), contact me at iltlawas@earthlink.net

autumn martin news

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Over the coming months, we'll be working away at some equipment for next year's housing efforts. It will be months until we see a martin again here in Wisconsin, but although things have shifted gears, the Purple Martin Partners in southeastern Wisconsin will continue moving forward. If you would like to join us, contact Bill Mueller at iltlawas@earthlink.net at any time. We are gathering used martin houses or gourds in good condition when they are donated to us, and we have 5 new houses ready to go in spring of 2010!

since we're not seeing any martins now...

You might enjoy reading this fine article about martins in migration.

martin action in MN

See what an active Purple Martin group in Minnesota is up to here, at the East Central Minnesota Purple Martin Recovery organization. They're working hard on behalf of martins there!

donated housing

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Another excellent donated Purple Martin house came to us from Marilyn Bontly by way of the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center. This huge multi-apartment house (too big to fit in my car!) has not been used for some years, and will eventually go in one of the Milwaukee County parks with others we are currently refurbishing. Thanks much to Paul Andre who helped with a truck to move this one, and recent donations toward our martin housing effort from Pat Wilborn and others. We still need help with work on these houses, and the erection of new houses yet this year. Contact me if you would like to help: Bill Mueller, Conservation Chair, Wisconsin Society for Ornithology, e-mail iltlawas@earthlink.net

martins on the move

Have you seen any martin roosts in your area? This is the time of year to note the sites and spectacular behavior of roosting Purple Martins. See for example this link which tells about a roost having more than 125,000 martins within the last week.

The famous Causeway roost at Lake Pontchartrain often has more than 200,000 birds. Many of these birds have already departed, while our "northern" birds arrive in the southern U.S. (and then depart for their wintering areas) at a later date.

I just checked the Wisconsin eBird site for this past week, and only small numbers of Purple Martins (4-6) were reported from any locations in this state. Let me know if you're seeing larger concentrations, e-mail me at: iltlawas@earthlink.net

refurbishing used martin houses, and a good martin news story

These used houses have not had martins in them for some years. They are in the process of being refurbished and returned to service. Some scraping and painting, a little metalwork, and new poles will make them useful again. If you have used martin housing or gourds that you'd like to donate, let us know (414-698-9108).

My friend and colleague Kim Grveles of WDNR-ER sent me this story today, which she got from Andy Paulios some time ago: on a 1200-acre property in northeastern Adams County, a man has 150 pairs of martins which produced over 700 young in 2007, probably that many again in 2008, and an unknown number this year. He has 10 poles (160 houses) with ultimate plans for at least two additional poles and more houses. He started attracting martins in 1993. Obviously, hard work pays off!