Submitted by Port of Olympia
Purple martins who turned up their beaks last year at the nesting boxes on Port of Olympia tidal lands might take a second look this spring. City of Olympia staff, Stream Team volunteers and the Port of Olympia Harbor Patrol recently replaced 24 crumbling old homes on the East Bay with clean and sturdy nesting boxes.
According to Michelle Stevie, City Water Resources Senior Program Specialist, “Purple martins are North America’s largest swallows and they are picky about where they nest. They have high site fidelity, which means they like to return to the same box every year. The new boxes are in the same locations as the old ones so we are hoping they continue nesting in these locations.”
Purple martins must also be protected against pest invasion. Stream Team volunteers constructed the houses to prevent starlings from taking over the purple martins’ homes. City of Olympia paid for the construction materials.
Stream Team volunteers also monitor the houses for purple martin activity. This helps
the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife track the purple martins which are classified as a “species of concern” due to a loss of nesting habitat. Typically, the birds had nested in the cavities of dead trees.
To learn more about volunteering with Stream Team visit them online here.
