Fly With Purple Martins

New look from above as if you were flying with the Purple Martins. www.purplemart...
Fly from Larry Melcher's home colony to 3 more nearby public colonies to Bernheim Forest. Please consider joining the Purple Martin Conservation Association. Non Profit. Research. Education. Outreach.
I started my colony at home first in 1992. Bernheim colonies in 2005. My home colony was not at 100% occupancy but the Bernheim colonies gradually filled. The first colony we "fly" to is called Lake Nevin colony. This one is just fantastic for purple martins. No, it's not close to buildings or someone's home, but there is constant human presence daily. The wide open and lake front makes this a martin magnet.
The second public colony site, the Education Center was harder to attract martins. Although we started up the hill, very close to the building, we had to move the colony to it's 3rd location at the road/parking lot intersection. We wanted the colony at the building where many nature programs begin. This location has "the bowl effect". Not perfect, but tree swallows chose it first and, I think, helped lure purple martins down for a closer look. Tree Swallows should be discouraged at new sites, but this one was lucky with Tree Swallow presence.
The third site, the Research Center Colony, was relocated from just about dead center of the beautiful clover in the new Edible Garden area. As plans for the new Edible Garden became a reality, we moved the martin house by the pond. It houses our least number of Purple Martins, but still is attracting more each year.
Lake Nevin colony is at nearly 100% full, followed by about 70% at the Education Center and about 40% at the Research Center.
I'm very thankful to Bernheim Forest www.bernheim.org for letting me install and manage the martin colonies at this beautiful public site.