Thanks for sharing, John!
A lot of birds are migrating into South Texas right now. For several weeks we have watched kettles of hawks and kites flying overhead. Those raptors do not cross the Gulf, but rely on heat thermals to carry them from South America to places farther North, utilizing as little wing movement as possible.
Late yesterday afternoon I did a nest check on my martin systems. Looking overhead, I saw several large kettles of Mississippi Kites migrating northward-several hundred for sure in 3-4 kettles.
Later, as darkness approached, I saw some of my older birds leave the
housing and fly up to intercept groups of incoming migrant purple
martins. Most likely the newcomers are SY (sub-adult) birds. From my small slice of
earth along the Texas coast, I estimate that the number of SY arrivals
was between 150-200. They literally filled my view of the sky, and
returning ASY birds were typically followed to our systems by 10-12 new
arrivals.
Tonight with the arrival of strong north winds, the late evening show repeated itself. Several hundred new arrivals filled the sky--most targeting our systems as a stopping point. With nesting in progress local birds will try to lead most of these arrivals to a nearby tree to roost or a vacant housing system to settle down near (looks like about 20 chose the oak tree adjoining my property).
I mentor at least a dozen landlords in this area--all are capable of attracting to their sites what I have witnessed tonight. The same is true for contacts I know up the Texas coast and in to LA. What I have observed signifies a large General Arrival, with a high percentage of the SY population entering the USA in advance of, and with the occurrence of the passing frontal system.
This is the heaviest arrival of SY birds I have witnessed to date, indicating that general migration is still running about two weeks behind, and with the opportunity to extend huge arrivals into the USA for the next two weeks, before migration begins to taper off.
Still lots of time left for those seeking martins. I would say when these birds arrive mid continent in 3-5 days, *Halftime* will have been reached in Missouri.
Via Mrs. Barrow on the PMCA forum:
Neat video taken today on the Texas coast - these birds were in the road due to cold temps which left the asphalt the warmest place to be. The martins look so huge next to the smaller Cliff or Cave Swallows! Hopefully any traffic took it slow. Here in Corpus Christi some of our martins were in the street this AM, overnight temp was in high 50s, and daytime temps got into 70s, providing some good feeding weather for our friends. It was doubtless cooler up the coast at location of video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJ1EGgZhFSs&feature=share
Do I have the coolest friends, or what?
Tonight with the arrival of strong north winds, the late evening show repeated itself. Several hundred new arrivals filled the sky--most targeting our systems as a stopping point. With nesting in progress local birds will try to lead most of these arrivals to a nearby tree to roost or a vacant housing system to settle down near (looks like about 20 chose the oak tree adjoining my property).
I mentor at least a dozen landlords in this area--all are capable of attracting to their sites what I have witnessed tonight. The same is true for contacts I know up the Texas coast and in to LA. What I have observed signifies a large General Arrival, with a high percentage of the SY population entering the USA in advance of, and with the occurrence of the passing frontal system.
This is the heaviest arrival of SY birds I have witnessed to date, indicating that general migration is still running about two weeks behind, and with the opportunity to extend huge arrivals into the USA for the next two weeks, before migration begins to taper off.
Still lots of time left for those seeking martins. I would say when these birds arrive mid continent in 3-5 days, *Halftime* will have been reached in Missouri.
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| John Barrow - his signature reads, "TEAMED WITH A MARTIN GODDESS". Methinks Mrs. Barrow is a very fortunate lady. |
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| Mr. Barrow's colony in Texas |
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| Purple martins on the Texas coast. One of these could start your colony. |
Via Mrs. Barrow on the PMCA forum:
Neat video taken today on the Texas coast - these birds were in the road due to cold temps which left the asphalt the warmest place to be. The martins look so huge next to the smaller Cliff or Cave Swallows! Hopefully any traffic took it slow. Here in Corpus Christi some of our martins were in the street this AM, overnight temp was in high 50s, and daytime temps got into 70s, providing some good feeding weather for our friends. It was doubtless cooler up the coast at location of video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJ1EGgZhFSs&feature=share
Do I have the coolest friends, or what?
