WRAL's Tarheel Traveler Features OUR ROOST!

To see WRAL's Scott Mason (CBS affiliate in Raliegh, NC) covering our wonderful roost during his 5 minute segment of Tarheel Traveler coverage copy the following into your browser window:

http://www.wral.com/lifestyles/travel/video/5834985/

Birds Have Flown....Migration begins!

Tonight my family and some friends went out on canoes and kayaks to see the 130,000 birds roosting, one last time before the end of August. Normally this peak population of birds encompasses 70+ spans of the bridge. Tonight, while we did see one large impressive swarm (that wowed us all), we were surprised to find just 14 spans of bridge filled up! Thats a mere 28,000 birds present at this time! And they all roosted very quickly, all the way near the center rise, which seems to be a pattern when fewer and fewer birds are present--this also made for a very long boat-paddling excursion. I imagine most people from shore saw nothing much at all.

There are still great numbers flying in which are in danger of being hit by passing vehicles, so please do continue driving slowly across the bridge until NCDOT takes down the signs and flashing lights, but if you are planning to see the birds this year, your opportunity may have passed.

This must have been a banner year for insect production, because these pre-migratory bird's mission-in-life is to fatten up for the long journey ahead. Mission apparently accomplished! The nesting adults have come here, to North America, for a reason: to raise thier broods successfully and fill the skies with the future generation. Now with thier work done, and their bellies full, they are on thier way south again, to thier home country of Brazil.

Thank you to all who visited the birds this year! Lets all wish for them a safe flight, a gentle overwintering, and another safe return to us in 2010.

All's Quiet...

I crossed over the bridge at 11:45 PM Friday night, August 8, 2009. It's Manns Harbor, a sleepy little community, and everyone's sleeping (no motorists about!) so I can safely stop my vehicle on the bridge. The martins are quiet so I can't find them by ear, but I knew which area along the bridge they roosted because I watched them fly in on a kayak trip. I exit my van, camera firmly strapped to my wrist, go to the concrete railing and lean -- but not to far!-- over the edge for a quick shutter-flash.

Here's what my camera collected for your viewing pleasure:



Martins perched along the green outermost exposed I-beam.
Underneath is a row of birds snoozing along a cable.

Look at them with their little beaks tucked away under thier wings for the night.


ZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzz..............

A Day at the Beach

Not the Outer Banks beaches, but out here in Tyrrell County. You know...the Inner Banks.

My family and I have a little "secret spot" along the northern shores of Albemarle Sound near the Alligator River; we like to spend lazy days adventuring along the sound's narrow stumpy beaches. It has been apparent to me during past visits to the Sound in the late summer, that martins must travel the sound from west to east as a sort of navigational corridor. Now, I can't say that this is absolutely true for all martins traveling to the bridge but it's my theory. And today, sure as the sky is blue, right at around 5:30 PM martins start getting pretty thick, traveling to the east along the shores and open skies of this waterway. They are high up in swirls of 50 or more, or flying in small slow-moving bird-tornadoes, picking off high flying insects as their aerial gatherings push eastward. Some seem to be traveling alone, or loosely along with others who are just gliding along the shore in a more focused no-nonsense way. Others still, in groups of 10-20 come whizzing past low to the surface of the sound, chattering loudly, flitting off-course to grab a belly-full, or dipping thier breast feathers in water for a cooling off. I was swimming at this time and was paying a lot of attention to the martins behavior, grouping and flight, feeling a funny sort of kinship with them, and a wonderment at knowing full well what was on thier avian minds, understanding what thier feathered plan of action was.

I watched as a group of them stopped to rest on a familiar snag which we call "the eagle tree" because we have watched this tree serve as a sturdy and high lookout for eagles and ospreys on the hunt for jumping mullet. Tonight, it was loaded full of purple martins. As I approached to take a few photos, more and more quietly sailed in, alighting for a quick social and wing stretch before traveling onward--40 or so miles more--to their bridge before nightfall.

The Albemarle Sound is all a-chatter in the evening hours as purple martins travels it's shores to reach thier roost.

The Albemarle Sound and martin rest-stop tree: full of wing-stretching martins en route to Old Manns Harbor Bridge on August 9.

Second Chance for Injured Martin!

After paddling with OBX Paddlers on August 7, I crossed the bridge on my search for the fallen. As our organization is charged with protecting this roost, it is our responsibility whenever possible to assess mortality after roost events. The upside: we did not find 40 dead birds as would have been common before the speed change. The downside, we did find 3 dead....Oh, another upside: one bird was found injured, which means he had potential for a second chance at life.

Collected off the bridge surface, he reacted as if stunned, and attempted to flee, but was unable to fly. Now off the roadway, he would be safe inside a box, kept warm, quiet and dark to rest and recuperate (something he would be used to, considering he was a mere fledgling and probably hadn't spent more than a couple of weeks outside his nest compartment). Tucked away softly on a towel, he spent the night, undisturbed, and the next morning I checked him for damages. Thankfully, no broken bones and a healthy sounding scolding cry as well as a feisty little snap to his beak. I suspected he was well enough to fly, as he flapped his wings easily, so I called my husband to give me a hand; we closed the door to our bedroom, turned off the fan, and held him open-palmed. Poor bird had obviously never been inside a person's bedroom before and looked around rather confusedly. Eventually, realizing he could attempt flight, he lifted off my hand and fluttered around the room. Thank goodness! He could be released.

My family and I had a day at the beach planned, on the Albemarle Sound, so we took him along. We frequently see purple martins overhead while at this beach (they use this waterway to travel to the bridge), so my plan was to set him free when we heard the first martin chattering overhead.

It wasn't long before we heard one of his roost-mates. Quickly, we removed him from his box, held him open palmed so he'd feel unrestrained and able to lift at his own will. He sat a minute, surveying his surroundings, a glint in his eye at the sight of bright sky overhead.....and up he went, traveling off with others of his kind who knew the way, and went off together, foraging the air for insects, before darkness fell on another day.

Flying off again....

PADDLER REPORT: Aug 7, 2009

I joined OBX Paddlers Club on Friday for an "almost full moon" paddle to see the roost. We had such a lovely time! We put in at the old marina, rounded the bend to a nice beach, stopped for a snack (at which time I shared what I know about the birds behavior, migration, roost, in a short Q&A presentation). Then, all eleven of us got back into our kayaks and paddled out together, staying in a loose sort of raft watching in awe of these birds so gracefully gliding in, in multi-layers, and all around, and talking to each other and seemingly to us...just absolutely breath-taking. I have to say, having been on all kinds of boats to see the birds from the water--canoes, speed boats, 65-foot headboat--the best way to do it is paddling (provided it's a calm night). So peaceful and gentle, just magical...

A report from fellow paddler, Barbara Springfield:

Last night with others from the OBX Paddle Club we put in at the old Mann's Harbour Marina. The water was very choppy and since this was my second time in the sound, I felt a little apprehensive. We paddled under the Mann's Harbour bridge to a slice of beach to have a snack. We munched on our snacks, and listened to Alisa Esposito give us a quick overview of purple martins and their habits. We boarded our kayaks when the sun was starting to set and purple martins were lining up in the hedgerows waiting to descend on the bridge for the night. We paddled out and suddenly the sky was filled with purple martins. We paddled with the martins as they flew towards the bridge. What an amazing sight! By this time I was enjoying the dip of the waves and the slap of the water against my kayak. I leaned back in my boat and enjoyed the show. We waited until we could see little rows of purple martins lining up on the bridge,(and what a chatter they made) and then we switched on our lights and paddled back to our put out.
The glorious night and the expectation of the full moon's arrival made me want to just be rocked to sleep in my little boat.

OBX paddlers, happy...full of the bliss-bird experience...

The Dead and the Injured

After a full-moon boat trip to see the roost on August 5, I got into my car and crossed the bridge, as I always do after a roosting event, to assess how many birds might have been hit by vehicles that evening (or morning). I found 2 dead, and one injured. The injured bird I picked up (making sure no other vehicles were present during my stop & exit), placed into my travel bag nestled into a towel, and took him home, hopeful that he may have been only stunned and after a few days rest, would possibly be able to fly again in time to be released for migration.
Tucked safely away while en route from the bridge.

He had no bone fractures, and I have had a number of birds with bad bruising which, after recieving a few days force feeding and gentle handling, have been able to be released to join the roost flock again. I thought, "if he survives the night, it will be a good sign he will have the strength to make it through." I woke the next morning and checked on him. He was kept warm, quiet and dark, stress-free, all night, and he did survive til daybreak. Sadly, a few hours passed and he died, apparently from internal injuries no amount of cage rest could have repaired. I feel positive that at least he did not suffer in the pouring rain which fell that night, cars whizzing coldly by him. At least he felt safe in the end.

Although I have found in previous years, an average of 40 birds killed in one evening, I still can't help but feeling sad when I find even one dead bird these days. As I cross the bridge, blinkers flashing, I am ever hopeful that we will find not a single body to report. (I did make one blog entry so far heralding such a success! Thank you again Manns Harbor motorists!) Typically, nowadays in the "post-speed zone reduction" era, we typically find about 3-8 birds perished. I can almost point out the vehicle(s) responsible, because again, all it takes is one motorist choosing to drive along at 50 mph to kill 20-30 birds at once. Really, just one. As one Manns Harbor resident pointed out to me, "what's the hurry, where do you have to get so fast in Manns Harbor?" It's a sleepy little community, right? It's always nice to slow down and take it easy.....




Sadly, this one did not make it.