In this article, Mary Hollen shares her experiences during the recent the Purple Martin nesting season–from insulating and modifying her next boxes last winter to watching the first fledglings launch on a blustery day this summer

The future is bright for Whidbey Island’s nesting population of Western Purple Martins! The Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife has taken an interest and is gathering data. Volunteers have installed a new “flock” of eight PVC nest boxes at Crockett Lake. And tyhe Crockett Lake Purple Martin colony is big enough to be monitored.