On this gorgeous, sunny late Fall day, Nov 7, 2020, our WCG Purple Martin Team cleaned out, washed the house interiors & blocked them (hopefully) from European House Sparrow & Starling intrusions. (Trying Mike Blaha’s suggestion to stuff bags into the interiors!)
We’ll be back the end of February /early March as soon as the 1st PM Scouts return to WCG from S. America. We’ll then add a tad Garden DE, topped with sticks, pine straw & crushed eggshells. Then we will reattach the PM decoys.
Due to our Spring 2020 compartment expansions, addition of Starling-excluder Entry doors & ventilated closed apartment doors & the addition of the realistic PM decoys, our Martins enjoyed their best WCG summer ever: increased numbers & no fatalities from Hawks & European Sparrow takeovers/killing Martin chicks. There will be a 2021 project to get house sparrows (HOSP) gone.
Pictured l-R: Kat Elder, Dawn Asher, Ross Asher & Becky Stemper (John Donovan, Mike Blaha, Franco Posa & Wayne Slaikeu departed or busy elsewhere before the photo).
Thank you all!!!!
Kat Elder
Purple Bird Mama