Steigerwald

I took a trip to Steigerwald Lake NWR to see what the Purple Martins were up to.

They were busy being birds.

I love listening to them chatter. Wonder what they’re saying?…

I was a bit confused by their plumage. In fact, while taking these photos, another birder on the path asked me what kind of birds they were and I wasn’t positive they were all martins.

A little Googling reveals that, like some birds, Purple Martins have “delayed plumage maturation” and it takes two years for their adult plumage to come in. So, some of these could be subadult males. That explains their plumage.

But what explains their attitude?

More obvious males were visible at the nesting “gourds“.

Purple Martins, the largest North American swallows, migrate from South America (Brazil, Argentina, Peru) and feed on large insects like dragonflies. 40 nesting gourds are maintained at Steigerwald that had a successful 90% occupancy rate in 2014 according to USFWS. Nice to know they have a place to nest here.

Other species seen on this trip:

Tweets and chirps,

Audrey