Autumn Glen HOA volunteers prepare for purple martins return

Back from Brazil – The Autumn Glen HOA in Stephens City begins their annual set up of 10 bird condominiums to make ready for the 60 purple martin nesting pairs returning after their 4,000 mile migration north from the Amazon Valley of Brazil. Martins prefer their nests in an open area with a minimum of 50 feet in diameter away from buildings, trees and other bird houses. The houses are placed 15 to 20 feet above the ground. Martins also need a fresh water source near the nesting site. Scouts are the earliest arrivals each year. They are the oldest members of the population and head north to claim the best nesting locations. Scouts can be either male or female birds. Look for scouts to arrive in northern Virginia in late March. Martins move north as the weather warms and insect populations start to increase.

Autumn Glen purple martin volunteers find the work joyful and invigorating. L to R: Herb Sturm, Mary Sturm, Phil Simpson, Guat Beckwith and Mike Crawford. Photos courtesy of Karen Kelly.

Autumn Glen homeowners truly support the colony and believe martins are great birds to have in the community and do all that they can to make them welcome here. Our bird lovers say there is nothing more exhilarating than sitting out on your porch, enjoying the raucous vocalizations and chatter of a colony of purple martins, being entertained at their antics throughout the many stages of their breeding cycle.

Despite their colorful name, these birds are not actually purple. Their plumage is a dark blue-black with an iridescent sheen. Depending on the light and angle, their color may appear bright blue, navy blue, rich deep purple, or even green.

The association between purple martins and humans began centuries ago. Native Americans hung gourds for the birds to nest in and deliberatively sought to attract martins to drive off crows and blackbirds at planting time and reduce insect damage to crops and drying meat.

Purple martin volunteers install double decker bird house to kick-off spring season.

The top flight speed of purple martins is greater than 40 miles per hour. These birds are agile hunters and can engage in complex aerial acrobatics, which they often do while chasing prey.