Spring 2020 was unusual for many reasons, and Michigan Audubon is very grateful for the continued efforts of our volunteers on individualized projects based near their homes (staying home to stay safe during the initial stages of the Covid-19 pandemic). Julia Spalding, a volunteer who lives very close to the Purple Martin colonies at Lake Lansing, was able to monitor and manage the colonies this spring and summer. Cool and wet spring weather put a damper on our hopes for growth in our colonies this year, as did invasive House Sparrows. Yet Julia pressed on and was able to observe one successful fledged set of Purple Martins from the colony on Delta Township property on Mack Avenue at Lake Lansing. Here, Julia writes about her observations this summer.
Purple Martin at Lake Lansing by Julia Spalding
Lake Lansing Purple Martins 2020
This was my second year volunteering as a Purple Martin monitor at two of the three sites at Lake Lansing. One was at the public boat launch and the other was at a small park on the north side of the lake on Mack Ave.
The martins returned around April 7. There have been three old-style Purple Martin houses on the lake for probably 40 years that have been well used by the Purple Martins. The person who takes care of this site on his own property was very relieved to report that he believed all the many Purple Martins survived the three days of unusual and very cold weather we had early in the nesting season.
This year quite a few people put up new Purple Martin houses by the lake which is wonderful. One of those had eight gourds and seven were used by Purple Martins in its first year!!
I became much more confident in identifying the martins from the numerous swallows this year. I even saw a few Chimney Swifts that I could clearly identify. Frequently throughout the summer, I would hear martins flying high overhead with their distinctive call and I had not previously noticed how often Purple Martins would fly around my willow tree. This part was so fun for me!
By June 1, there was one nest with five eggs at the park and by June 4 there was one nest with five eggs at the boat launch site. I removed well over 30 House Sparrow nests between the two sites. They are fast at rebuilding those big messy nests, that is for sure. Joyously, all the eggs hatched at the appropriate time and there appeared to be five healthy babies at each site. Sadly, I found one hatchling a day dead at the boat launch until they were all gone. It’s not clear what happened to them. Happily, all five fledged from the second site.
On Aug. 4, while kayaking on the lake, I counted 48 Purple Martins roosting on a large dead branch of a tree over the lake. Hopefully, they all will return next year and even more people will put up Purple Martin houses and the numbers will continue to grow. It was exciting to observe this year’s successes.
~ By Julia Spalding, August 19, 2020