72 Microseasons of the Pacific Northwest

In the second week of August, Purple Martin (Progne subis) colonies at their Pacific Northwest nest sites reach the fledging climax — weeks of noisy activity around pilings and nest boxes culminate in young birds launching on their first flights over the water, then gradually mastering the long, gliding, bat-like wing beats that distinguish this largest of North American swallows. In the West, Purple Martins declined dramatically through the 20th century and persist in Washington largely because of intensive nest-structure programs — the birds here nest almost exclusively in human-provided boxes or hollow pilings over marine waters, not in the gourd and multi-unit house colonies familiar in the eastern US. Known colony sites in Washington include the Duwamish River in Seattle, Shilshole Bay Marina (Seattle), Vashon Island, Port Townsend's boat basin, Camano Island, the Tacoma waterfront, and several sites in Commencement Bay. On these pilings and dock structures, the breeding activity in July gives way to fledging activity in August — youngsters tumble out of nest holes and are met by swooping adults who feed them in mid-air and coach them toward flight. The birds' rich, gurgling song — a liquid rolling chatter quite unlike any other PNW swallow — fills the marina and waterfront air on warm August mornings. After fledging, family groups begin staging for migration. By late August most Washington martins have departed, making this brief fledging window a genuinely time-limited spectacle. With fewer than a few hundred nesting pairs in the state, the Purple Martin is Washington's rarest swallow and a conservation success story in progress. Observers with binoculars watching from waterfront parks near active colony sites in early-to-mid August — particularly near the Port Townsend waterfront or Vashon Island's northern shore — have excellent chances of seeing this drama unfold. The Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society and WDFW maintain and monitor many of these nest structures.