Stopped for a Visit…the End of Purple Martin Season

by Donna Lewis

All my Purple Martins have fledged. The last baby left the house on July 9th.  It’s a good thing because it is way too hot in the martin houses. I actually had a few deaths related to the extreme heat. I was happy and sad when they got out and up into the air where the breeze could cool them and lift them up.  It’s where they do their magic.

So, after they leave the nest, they visit their house occasionally. They will live in the trees now like other birds. This is when they learn to fly and catch their food in the air. Learning to drink on the fly is also a skill they will have to master.

Right now, they are honing all their new skills and getting stronger every day.

When it’s time, they will head South to Brazil. Only they know when it’s time. Some have never been there, but the older ones will return to the forests they know.

Then next February they will return here again and start breeding all over again.

A long trip with many dangers lies ahead.

But, what an adventure!!!

Goodbye my friends; I hope to see you next year.