[obol] Purple Martins

[Pat Waldron]

Dear Folks,
    I have been concerned with the decrease in PURPLE MARTIN, PUMA, 
numbers on our ranch. In 2006, I had 10 nest boxes fledge young birds. 
This year, I have one nest box loaded. During the day, I have noticed 3 
PUMA, a male and 2 females. Sunday evening, August 5, I was out late in 
the veggie garden, and I counted 6 PUMA, flying around and hawking bugs. 
There was not a lot of attention paid to the PUMA nest box, but I did 
see TWO different females enter with food. I could hear young birds 
inside the box for the first time. PUMA practice polygyny... one male 
mating with more than one female, while the female mates with only one 
male... kind of like a harem. I did not know that the two females would 
use the same box. There are 11 nest boxes to choose from. I recall I 
checked all my PUMA nest boxes in June, to see if Starlings had killed 
any PUMA in their boxes. No,  but it was interesting that all the dry 
hay I had placed in their boxes was gone. Maybe all the Swallows took it 
out to add to their boxes.

    I have talked to other folks in the Scio/Stayton/Lyons area in Linn 
County, and they report more than half of their PUMA nest boxes are 
empty this year. So, what is going on... I hope that more people are 
putting up PUMA boxes and they are expanding to new areas, and it is not 
something going on in Argentina.
     I was happy to hear that Jeffs Harding and Fleischer saw some PUMA 
using snags on Snow Peak, Linn Co. which is not far from our ranch.
    I would be interested if others on this list have noticed an 
increase or decrease in PUMA numbers this year. In the past 5 years, 
when the PUMA fledge here later in August, I have heard reports of 
increased numbers at Fern Ridge near Eugene.

    I still have 2 nest boxes full of TREE SWALLOWS that are in full 
press mode to fledge so they can join others on telephone wires down the 
road.
    A very pleasant evening adrenaline trip is to have a large maturing 
family of MOUNTAIN QUAIL flush in an explosion from a bush next to your 
garden path.

    Pat Waldron
    East of Scio