Get purple martin houses ready for birds' return By Gary Clark , Nature Columnist Jan 31, 2014 Purple Martin scouts began arriving in the Houston area in mid-January.

Harrison resident Ken Kostka has worked for years to revitalize the region’s colony of purple martins — the species of bird that vanished from Western Pennsylvania after Tropical Storm Agnes ...

This year, 34 people, some of them neighbors, have signed up for duty, which involves checking the houses daily to make sure they are primed for purple martin living.

Receive Daily Headlines FREE Sign up today! Purple martin houses are usually complexes that range from four to 24 apartments, although I have seen some that are 48 to 96 apartments.

In addition to visiting the purple martin colony, you can participate in these free walks in Clove Lakes Park to look for warblers and other migrants. Wednesday, 10 a.m. Meet Ed Johnson at the ...

Adding new houses to colony sites can help birders accommodate growing purple martin families. Speed: The top flight speed of purple martins is greater than 40 mph.