The End of the Season
The Purple Martin housing has grown quiet, signaling the close of our season with these extraordinary birds. With their annual migration underway, our local Martins are preparing for their journey south.
Gathering for Migration
Prior to departing for South America, Purple Martins gather at communal roosts, most likely Bomb Island on Lake Murray. Here, thousands of birds assemble, readying themselves for migration together.
Our First Year
This year marked a successful beginning for our nesting site—an achievement, as Purple Martins can take years to accept a new nesting location. We observed two active, successful nests on Seabrook Island. The project began in February when the housing was first established. Not long after, an Eastern Bluebird quickly discovered the gourds and built a nest, which delayed progress. We hope to provide dedicated bluebird boxes before next season. Volunteers interested in helping with construction or installation of bluebird boxes are encouraged to reach out.
Anticipating the Martins
Weekly monitoring for Purple Martins (PUMA) began in late February and continued through March, April, and early May. There was genuine suspense over whether they would find our site. On May 13, 2025, Jennifer Tyrrell of Audubon gave an inspiring presentation about Purple Martins to Seabrook Island Birders. Miraculously, just three days later, on May 16, 2025, our first Purple Martins arrived to establish a small colony. Their lively chatter brought great delight to all observers.
Pretty soon they were starting to bring nesting materials into the gourds, particularly gourds 1 and # 2. On May 30 we documented our first eggs, in 2 of the gourds!!! On June 17 we had 5 newly hatched chicks with more to come the following week. On Tuesday July 8 Seabrook’s first native PUMA fledged! We named it Violet. Gina was lucky enough to see our little celebrity fly out and away from the gourd, luckily, she had her camera and was able to get some great video. There continued to be activity around the gourds with 4 more fledglings and by July 29 all action around the housing had disappeared. We had a couple of losses, but all in all it was an amazing first season. Looking forward to next February to start it all again. This time with a little more experience and bluebird houses in place!
Volunteer Contributions
Our progress was possible thanks to a dedicated team of volunteers. Bob and Eileen Mercer managed the bluebird situation, while Rob and Melanie Jerome, along with Gina and Jeff Sanders, adjusted housing height for easier access. With the Martins nesting, the team—Joleen Ardaiolo, Judy and Dean Morr, Deanna Forsythe, Melanie Jerome, and myself—monitored and recorded weekly developments until the young birds fledged. Dean Morr and Gina Sanders, Deanna Forsythe, and I shared videos and photos throughout the season.
Critical support also came from the Seabrook Island Equestrian Center, the Seabrook Island Club, and the Town of Seabrook Island. We appreciate the team effort that made this project possible!
Submitted by Jennifer Jerome
Feature Photo by Dean Morr