Purple Martin Project Mandeville, Louisiana

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Purple Martin ProjectMandeville, Louisiana
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Meet the Martins
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National WildBird Refuge Carlyle Rogillio

• NWR History
• The Purple Martin
• 200,000 Purple Martins make the New Orleans area
  their spring and summer home. Six million Purple
  Martins that pass through this area twice a year
  on their great migratory adventure.

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Eco-Tourism

• An economic analysis by Jefferson Economic
  Development Commission estimated that a Sanctuary
  could attract 500,000 visitors each year. This
  could have a 100 million beneficial impact for
  the economy. It could create new jobs and
  increase local tax revenues.

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Purple Martin Migration Map
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Where is Mandeville, LA???

• Located on the North Shore of Lake Pontchartrain,
  24 miles north of New Orleans. The Lakefront is
  2 blocks east of the causeway bridge.

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Our Famous Roosts
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ABOUT PURPLE MARTINS

• Purple Martins are referred to as Americas most
  wanted bird.
• They display flying skills, acrobatics, and
  beauty in flight.
• Musical chirping and many vocalizations can be
  heard.
• Domesticated by native Americans, the Martins
  have developed affinity and trust being around
  people.
• They can even learn to catch insects flung in the
  air to them by people

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ABOUT PURPLE MARTINS

• Migratory and wintering roosts are critically
  important to the annual life cycle and ecology of
  Purple Martins.
• Martin roosts can be quite spectacular and can
  be seen at both ends of the Causeway during
  summer months as they gather at sunset to
  socialize before making their long trip back to
  Brazil.

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ABOUT PURPLE MARTINS

• Purple Martins depend on manmade housing and
  congregate in high density colonies.
• Martins display antics, playfulness, and
  fighting over mates and turf.
• They practice joint colony defense toward
  predators.
• Once a colony is started, the birds tend to be
  site loyal and return to the same site the next
  season.

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Getting StartedGarland Sims in Fairhope, AL
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Location of Purple Martin houses over water
or over land?

• Over water or land?
• Advantages
• Ground Predator free
• Clear open flight path
• No competition from Starlings or Sparrows
• Clear view of Bird Predators coming
• BUT
• Will chicks survive first flight? Will they fall
  into the water?

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Over water

• Placed Condos over the water at the end of each
  concrete jetty. C clamps attached martin poles
  to wooden boat piers.
• 27 Condo units spread over _at_2 miles lakefront.
• Condo units serviced by Walking the Wall.

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Condo Assembly
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Lake Assembly
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GPS?

• Martins return back to the same nest/box year
  after year.
• Each nest/box numbered.

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Bird House Maintenance
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Walking The Wall
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Hazards of Walking the Wall
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Ready for Arrival
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Are they coming???? Playing the dawn song
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DawnSong via Boom Box
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The Arrival first sighting March 2009
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And More Came
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And They Liked The Housing
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Youngsters fighting over Holes
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The Loser Gets Wet!!
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The Birds Start To Pair
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Nest Building Means Mud
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Mid Air Fighting Over Nesting
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Nest building
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Back off!!
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The Fortress of Mud and Straw
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The Prize
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1st Nest Check May 4, 2009

• 80 nests
• 44 eggs

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The perfect nest
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Chicks and Eggs
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ET or PM? 1-2 Day old
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Older and Bigger 7-10 Day
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Eating Machines
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10-12 Days Old
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Got an Eye on You, 16-18 Day
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Were going to JUMP! 22 Days
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But What if they Jump out?
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Final Nest Check 6/10/09

• Number of Pairs 59
• Number of fledges152
• Estimated SY-- Hundreds

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The Nursery
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Pre K
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Kindergarten
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Graduation
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(No Transcript)
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Starting with a run
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Afternoon Tea with PM Enthusiasts
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The Festival
Purple Martin Capital of Louisiana
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The FestivalWe had purple martinis, purple
snowballs and we had fun!
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Thank you, sponsors
Lakeview Medical Center
David Carambat . Industrial Objects
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It Takes a Village
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The New Family
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The Neighborhood
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The Boogeyman
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Hey now! The crow with his prize
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The Adults Get Away
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Social Hour
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Mother Nature
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Head For the Causeway
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They are Social Birds
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Dusk
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Dusk
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The Vortex
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Ring Around the Maypole
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Pre-Roost
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till next season