I decided to check on the Pokegama Lake site this evening.   I just had a hunch... sure enough - there was an ASY male trying to lure down a female!   The male zipped right into a compartment and called for the female.   She landed several times, peered into the compartment.   She nearly entered several times but never went all the way in.   She took off and the male continued to sit on the porch.  He is perched on the lower porch of the right side of the T-14!  Several Tree Swallows harassed the female a bit, she didn't seem the least worried about them.  It sure would be nice to have this site activated its first year!

There are now 3 adult males and 1 adult female Purple Martins at the new Rush Lake site!  All four of the birds were interested in the T-14; they didn't pay much attention to the gourds.  They were easily able to enter and exit the WDC entrances with ease.  It appears there is a pair of tree swallows interested in the gourd rack.  One of the male martins dive bombed the tree swallows. 

This evening I  decided to check out the Rush Lake Site - a new site for 2008.   I couldn't believe my eyes - an ASY male was sticking his head out of one of the compartments (top compartment facing the picture) and an ASY female popped out of the lower compartment as I pulled up.  It was getting dark and I only saw the two birds.   They both took off when I approached and circled over head.  Hopefully this new site will have its first committed ASY pair!!!!!

I visited all of the sites today.  The Memory Lake, ECE, and Snake River colonies are doing great; the males are busy defending cavities and attracting females.  The three new sites, Rush Lake, Plastech Corp. and Pokegama Lake, remain without martins, but are all ready to go.  These sites will most likely attract SY pairs, which should begin to return within a few weeks.  I checked each site today to ensure all compartments had dried White Pine needles.  I also trapped a bull House Sparrow from the Pokegama Lake site using a nest insert trap.  The three new sites are now free from European Starings and House Sparrows, which is of utmost importance when starting new colonies!

Several ASY martin pairs seem to have claimed their gourd on the new gourd rack at the ECE Colony in Braham, MN.