Nature Done Wright

My column for The Record and other USA Today newspapers in New Jersey is all about Purple Martins — and where you can see these wonderful birds this summer — from Bergen County to Cape May.

You can read it here:

By Jim Wright

Special to The Record

     When I visited my three favorite birding spots down the Shore recently, I couldn’t help but notice all the purple martins zipping in and out of their avian condo units.

   First at Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, then the following day at South Cape May Meadows and Cape May Point, I watched these shiny fliers darting all over the place.  The martins nest in colonies, and they love hanging out at their housing developments — dozens at a time. 

     Alas, there are not many martin colonies in northern New Jersey. Martins are nesting in the Great Swamp for sure, and a pair has been attempting to nest in Overpeck. In my hometown (Allendale) and DeKorte Park in Lyndhurst, purple martin nesting units attracted all sorts of tenants — such as tree swallows — but not purple martins.

    Enticing these birds to nest, it turns out, takes a bit of doing. Purple martin expert Allen Jackson, co-founder and current president of the NJ Bluebird Society, says a proper nesting set-up may cost over $600. It should have protection from predators and nest competitors, beginning with starling-resistant entrance holes instead of round holes. And you need to find a good location and monitor it regularly “so you know what’s going on in the units.”

   To further discourage predators, the location should be no closer than 10 yards from a building and no farther away than 50 yards, with no tree taller than the martins’ avian condos within 15 yards.    

    The good news is you can watch purple martins live on YouTube. The Nature Conservancy is live-streaming a nest cam at its South Cape May Meadows here. 

Last I checked, the nest cam showed five eggs. The babies should be hatching just about now.

   If you really want to see purple martins, go to Mauricetown on the Maurice River in Cumberland County in August, home to the largest roosting site on the East Coast

    Purple martin expert Allen Jackson, co-founder and current president of the NJ Bluebird Society, says that if you go to the roosting area at its peak time, you can see upwards of 1,250,000 martins:  “Mother Nature at her best!” (See sidebar.)  You read that right — 1,250,000 martins.

     The Bird Watcher column appears every other Thursday. Email Jim at celeryfarm@gmail.com.

Purple Martin-Palooza

     Citizens United Maurice River is holding its annual Purple Martin Spectacular August 11-14,  with Aug. 15 as the alternate date in case of thunderstorms.  Allen Jackson and other Citizen United naturalists will host a three-hour cruise to witness the purple martins gather in a staging area to prepare for their long migration to South America. 

    The cruise costs $40 per person with a 70-person limit per cruise. We will serve light refreshments. This event is rain or shine. The boat leaves promptly at 6:15 p.m. For more information, contact the group’s office: (856) 300-5331.