A cadre of committed volunteers has taken on the work to enhance the colony of Purple Martins that nest on the pilings of Boston Harbor Marina at the north end of Budd Inlet in Olympia (see Jan. 2019 Echo article). Nest box designs were obtained from a successful project in Vancouver, BC. Six boxes were produced here and installed in time for breeding season last spring. From monitoring during the summer of 2019 and inspection at the season end, we could see that birds nested in five of the six boxes. Based on the success we are seeing, we would like to increase the colony size over time by adding more boxes, not only at Boston Harbor but at other sites along the shoreline of Budd Inlet. The success of this effort is due to the generosity of property owners, Boston Harbor neighbors, and BHAS members. Thanks to all!.
Further reading on Purple Martin recovery in our state.
“HOME TWEET HOME FOR PURPLE MARTINS” by Gene Bullock, Winter 2019, Salish Magazine.