Purple Martin Nesting Season 2021

Male Purple Martin Sitting on Eggs

Five Eggs in Nest Lined with Green Pepper Tree Leaves

We’ve had a great year for purple martins! Nesting season is now coming to an end, with only a couple of nests remaining with babies. Here in Florida the season starts in January and ends in June. The total colony count this year was 176 birds including 28 nests (56 adults) containing 120 babies. Very soon the flock will leave, gather with others into roosts, and then migrate back to South America for the rest of the year.

Purple martins are so nice and cheery to have around. We miss them when they are gone!

This 4 1/2 minute video includes camera footage taken from inside one of the nesting gourds. We had never realized that purple martins collect green pepper tree leaves for the nest to act as a natural insect repellent. I have no idea how such tiny babies eat such big dragonflies!

Florida: Pink Baby Spoonbills!

Group of Birds Onshore

Spoonbill Family

Spoonbill’s Pink “Angel” Wings

Spoonbill and Baby

Roseate spoonbills are one of our favorite birds in Florida.  The babies are born with pink skin, which Is quickly covered with fluffy down.  We recently saw groups of the babies leaving their nests and feeding along the shore at Goodwin Waterfowl Management Area (Stick Marsh Critical Wildlife Area) near Fellsmere, Florida.  What a treat!