Purple Martins in the Upper Fraser Valley

[Deleted]

Kiyoshi said it all. "Nothing" ... "Dead."

Disappointment for sure. But next there's always next year. I'm very encouraged that there was any activity at all this far inland the first time around.

Stan

[Gord]

Very sad. The little ones appeared to have died about a week after they were checked. There was also an unhatched egg in the nest.

Im also eager for next year! Kiyoshi is confident we will see them back, and in more numbers as well. Like you said Stan, the first time boxes were put up we had nesting activity sure says something. I managed to find a suitable area at Cheam Lake to put a batch up as well recently. One was seen there before in 2002 if I remember correctly. I wonder if not more come through our area each spring but dont stay for lack of nesting. We'll watch carefully next year. Maybe the Eagle Point ones will have martins there again as well.

[Deleted]

Well, I saw the outcome from the bank yesterday morning. Very disappointing.

I did notice a Cooper's Hawk twice hanging around my vantage point while waiting for you guys to arrive. I would not think a Coop would be much of a threat to a PUMA after hatch year, but I'm only guessing. Perhaps a recent fledgling might be vulnerable, but presumably no young reached fledging from this nestbox.

And when I walked the dyke on the east side of the slough Aug 13, I saw two kestrels harrassing a Red-tail about 1.5 km down, but would kestrels be able to prey on PUMA?

When I think about it, a pair of inexperienced first-time parents with no adult role models would more likely be at risk of nesting failure, so maybe it's not so surprising, and maybe next year if the same birds return they will be able to do better. Let's hope so.

I'm curious. Several other sites were mentioned as possible locations for putting up nest boxes, including the Stave River at Ruskin. Chilliwack was also mentioned as a site with volunteers already in place. Perhaps by this she meant you, Gord. Do you know whether any other sites out here in the valley actually had boxed installed? Given that the birds already found the Dewdney site so soon, I think it would be great if other sites could be started also.

Stan

[Deleted]

Oops, I thought my posting from yesterday didn't go through, but I just realized it is on page 2 of the thread, along with my second attempt.

I'm sure that Charlene mentioned three possible locations closer to the coast than Chilliwack, so if boxes can be put up at some of them as well as the places you mention, maybe we will have a real invasion of PUMA out here next spring!

[Gord]

Hi Stan, I looked for you at the boat launch after, but we couldnt stay long and I had to take off.

I wouldnt think a COHA could our even would try to take down a highly mobile species such as swallows unless they could get in close and do their trademark surprise attack on a perched bird.

I think the kestrels took more of a beating from the martins than vice versa as I saw them putting the run on them several times. I dont think they would take a large bird like a martin although they probably could if they wanted to.

It does make sense that first year breeding birds that got a late start would be at higher risk of nest failure. Im hoping they come back next year and bring a few friends. Im confident as well that they'll do better a second time around.

She probably did mean myself when she talked about the Chillwack area. We currently have four areas with boxes in place. These are Eagle Point in the Chehalis River estuary (martin seen there this year at the boxes briefly), off Kilby boat launch, Cheam Lake Wetlands (sighting record from a few years ago) and, of course, the Nicomen Slough boxes. Im not able to monitor the boxes as much as Id like, so anyone else who wishes to do so are most welcome to become as involved as they wish. Any ideas for new locations to place boxes would be great as well.

In reply to your post above about locations closer to the coast, I think that's a great idea and hope it works out.

[Deleted]

Oh, sorry, Gord, I assumed you were heading back to the boat launch in Chilliwack as I understood your earlier post. I left heading south on River Rd but turned west on McKamie Rd to take a quick look at parts of that area I hadn't checked out for years, but I needed to head home. There's a turf farm there that I hoped might have some shorebirds, but I didn't have time to really check it out properly.

Of course. Those should all be good locations in the Chilliwack area. I didn't realize you had boxes at all of them. That's great! Good possibilities, all of them.