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.

Purple martins discovered the free lodgings and began to imprint new generations of birds on man-made birdhouses. "In the 1800s, Audubon described seeing many purple martin houses.

Spring officially starts March 20. For gardeners who love feathered friends, spring actually starts when the purple martin scouts arrive. In my recollection this date has been any time from March ...

Thousands of purple martins come in to roost in oak trees on their annual migration to South America across from Willowbrook Mall. Steve and Jane Stone and the family watch the birds.

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 ...

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.

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.

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 ...