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 >> > > ------------------------------------------------------------ Phil Davis home: PDavis@ix.netcom.com Davidsonville, Maryland, USA work: PDavis@OAO.com Greenbelt, Maryland, USA ------------------------------------------------------------