Purple Martins on nesting boxes at Budd Inlet
Olympia, WA
May 21, 2014
Approximately 2 dozen nesting boxes have been placed on pilings in Budd Inlet, one of five inlets at the southern end of Puget Sound. Purple Martins arrive in Olympia each Spring to nest in the boxes.
Volunteers with Thurston County Stream Team monitor the boxes multiple hours each week throughout the breeding season, recording population, breeding activities and other aspects of Purple Martin behavior. The data is part of a state-wide survey of our largest summer resident swallow.
The nesting site is located near Olympia's Hands On Children's Museum and is along a popular pedestrian corridor, making it an active part of the hubbub of life in the city.
