AÂ group of volunteers gathered on Canada Day to continue their mission of helping an endangered bird in Mitchell’s Bay.
Dave Smith, a member of the Mitchell’s Bay Area Association, said their purple martin project has been ongoing at the Bay for two years.
“Last year we fledged 57 birds. This year it should be over 100 birds,” Smith told the Sydenham Current.
Saturday was the first time the group banded the birds.
“Walpole Island’s Richard and Susan Carr are banders and the area they have to band encompasses Mitchell’s Bay,” Smith said.
“So they want to band the birds to identify and get more data. To be able to know where they go and you know if somebody spots a bird with a band on it, they can report that number and give you more data as to where they are disbursing to.”
Smith said the banding takes place once a year.
“Last year we didn’t band so this is the first year,” he said.
“They band their martins on Walpole Island and a couple of these people are from Holiday Beach around the Windsor area and they are training under Richard.”
Smith said the endangered purple martins only nest in man made houses.
“They have no natural nesting area in this area,” he said.
“So they strictly go by man made housing. Two years ago we put up theses houses. I learned about it through the Sydenham Field Naturalists in Wallaceburg. Richard and Susan did a presentation and I got (Chatham-Kent Secondary School) involved. They built a wooden house out on the trail. They actually had gourds, we used those gourds in the first year. This was all funded by the Mitchell’s Bay Area Association.”
Smith said he hopes people get interested in this project, with the hope of putting up more houses.
“Purple martins like water typically but not necessarily,” he said.
“There are places where there is no water and there are Purple Martins but typically around water so this is a good area for it.”
Here are some photos from Saturday:
I have 2 martin houses on my property on the islands as do several others there. I enjoy them. I am always sad when they leave in august because it becomes so quiet. I usually average 8 to 12 birds in each house every year. It is true they like to be near the water but in town my neighbour has a house in his back yard and I can hear them over there too, and we are no where near water. I did not know they were an endangered species. Keep up the good work. Susan