Purple Martin Arrival Dates

Phil Davis (pdavis@ix.netcom.com)
Mon, 19 Jan 1998 11:15:02 -0500


Marvadelians and Ospreymundos -

Keith Kimmerle is asking for Purple Martins sighting reports ... spring
MUST be on the way.  His post from Birdchat follows ...

Phil

>Date:         Mon, 19 Jan 1998 05:53:54 -0600
>Reply-To: Keith Kimmerle <progne@EBICOM.NET>
>Sender: "National Birding Hotline Cooperative (Chat Line)"
>              <BIRDCHAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>
>From: Keith Kimmerle <progne@EBICOM.NET>
>Subject:      [BIRDCHAT] Purple Martin Arrival Dates
>To: BIRDCHAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
>
>Thank you Dotty for the "lead-in" post.
>
>Purple Martins (Progne subis) have long been considered as the harbingers of
>spring in the south.  When you consider that this Neotropical migrant
>actually begins arriving in the southern U.S. during early winter (late
>December to early January), the Purple Martin is often thought of as being
>the first (avian) sign that spring is just around the corner.
>
>On my study area (northeastern MS and northwestern AL), martins returned
>last year to a large colony in Lackey Mississippi, on the 21st of February.
> The current mild winter is setting a pattern somewhat like 1996, when I
>had four band returns by February 24th, and the martins were present at
>numerous colonies by the end of February as a result of the unseasonable
>warmth during the first two weeks of the month.  Whether the abnormally
>mild winter (here in the south) and persistence of a spring-like jet stream
>pattern produces a similar pattern this year, only time will tell.
>
>In 1997, Purple Martins were for the most part approx. 8 to 12 days behind
>arrival times for 1996.  For 1998, martins appear to be arriving about
>average, with the first known stateside report coming from Naples Florida
>on 06 Jan.  The first Texas report was reported from Dripping Springs Texas
>on 11 Jan.  I would like to ask that ANYONE who sees a Purple Martin,
>please send me an e-mail message no matter where you're at in the U.S.!  If
>you live in AL, TN, LA, or MS, please be on the lookout for color-banded
>martins, as over 2,000 have been color-banded in Alabama and Mississippi
>over the last five years, and several other large-scale banding projects
>are underway in Texas and other more northerly states.
>
>Please feel free to cross-post this message to other state bird-lists.
>
>Keith Kimmerle
>Dept. of Biological Sciences
>Mississippi State University
>mailto:progne@ebicom.net
>
>At 08:43 PM 1/18/98 -0500, you wrote:
>>Hi Chatters,
>>Today, Jan. 18 we saw the first Purple Martin of the year at our
>>martin house. Last year the first scouts arrived on Feb. 2 and the
>>year before they came on March 3, two days after erecting the house.
>>It was exciting to see the first martin of the season.
>>
>>____
>>Dotty Hull
>>Port St. Lucie, FL
>>Dotty_Hull@prodigy.com
>>FL Statewide RBA - new web address
>>http://www.audubon.org/chapter/fl/tas/flarba.html
>>
>
>


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Phil Davis

home:	PDavis@ix.netcom.com	Davidsonville, Maryland, USA
work:	PDavis@OAO.com		Greenbelt,     Maryland, USA
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