Purple Martin Fieldtrip – 8/19/2011
Date: Friday, August 19, 2011
Time: 6pm-?
Cost:$10/members, $12/nonmembers
Instructor: John Tautin, Executive Director of the Purple Martin Conservation Association (PMCA)
Audubon Staff: Pat Spicer
Details: Meet at Beach 11 on Presque Isle. Bring a spotting scope and/or binoculars, a lawn chair, insect repellent.
By late August, Purple Martins are ready to head south. From many miles away, they gather into HUGE flocks before taking off all together. The cattail marsh at Presque Isle is one of their pre-migration staging areas.
A representative of the PMCA will play recordings of Purple Martin calls to attract the birds to a wire near the parking lot. You will get a good close look at the birds through spotting scopes and binoculars and learn how citizen scientists actually read out band numbers they observe. As dusk approaches, we’ll caravan over to the roosting site to watch tens of thousands of birds gathering. You’ll watch humans’ jaws drop and hear them say things like, “Unbelievable.”
Maps:
To Make Reservations:
- Stop by the Audubon Center, or
- Give us call at (716) 569-2345, or
- E-mail info@jamestownaudubon.org, or
- Fill out and submit the form below
