As August slips into September, teachers are welcoming students. Just a few weeks earlier, a few landlords were looking to the skies, listening for the calls, knowing that the children in each household had grown up, graduated from flight school, tasted the finest of bugs and sadly left home for a new chapter in life. A greater call, a beckoning to a distant continent, through treacherous skies and landscapes whispered its timeless song. The other half of the cycle had happened in August. In an instant it seems.
In visiting Gerry Evans at the end of August, on a beautiful Thursday morning, we found out that Gerry's “extended family of purple martins, had left in mid-August, with the final families heading south this past Sunday. Both an eager student and an insightful teacher, Gerry reflected on the martin season experienced in Kinniburgh. Details in the data show that 139 eggs were laid, with 94 hatching, and 85 fledging to make that long trip to South America.
With the condo units emptied, the essential task of cleaning every unit was the priority. After removing any materials left in the nest boxes, a ten percent bleach-water mix was applied to the inside surfaces, an effective way to shorten the life of any minute parasites. Only four condos had critters of interest, with two hosting blow flies, one supporting moth larvae and bird mites finding accommodation in the fourth.
Reflecting on the success and challenges this martin season, Gerry was amazed by one mating couple, laying eggs three times. Sparrows had consistently gone into the condo unit and destroyed the eggs. For the first time some inter-bird conflict occurred. Juvenile male martins were displaying amorous interest in some of the females, leading to feathered scraps between martins. In years previous, Gerry noted that two older males were truly the watch-birds of the complex, ensuring both safety and a sense of order in the condo community. Without the “old-timers” around, a little chaos in the forms of sparrows, scraps and potential predators would be a concern. For the first time Gerry observed the adult martins picking up roasted egg shell pieces he placed out for them to feed to the young. Egg shell bits aid in the digestion of insect exoskeletons and add needed calcium for any martins well-being. Gerry noted that passers-by were amazed at how clean purple martins were, espeically when compared to other species.
In calling Bruce Herzog, living north of Olds, another purple martin condo holder, it was a successful year with twenty-three of twenty-four units housing martins, and a pair of sparrows sneaking into the last unit. Bruce's martins left home about a week ago, likely joining with other flocks of martins. Ron Forth, also had success right in Chestermere, with his condo abodes, Just south of McElroy Slough, we enjoyed watching a sizable flock of martins sharing perches on the powerline, preparing to leave their condos, comfortably placed on a nearby acreage. The acreage owner, Rick, is considering building a new condo unit as is Bruce for 2027.
Elaine and I celebrate the efforts of each and every condo landlord from north of Olds to Trennen Pond to Kinniburgh. Your passion and commitment to support the growth of the incredible purple martin, coupled with the satisifaction of success, tells us all rents were paid in full.