August 4, 2019 - Purple Martins

On my way to our lake home this week, I stopped at Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge located just south of McGregor, Minnesota.

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The Refuge has a Purple Martin house at the visitor center, and it is visible as you drive by on Highway 65. Martins have a close association with humans. In the eastern United States, Martins breed almost exclusively in bird houses provided by people.

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At Rice Lake, there are still some adult Martins feeding young ones. I watched and took photos for about an hour as the adults made trip after trip with food. The juveniles’ begging calls were loud and persistent.

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This juvenile is more than ready for the return of the adult.

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This one looks angry that the adult is leaving.

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Dragonflies were on the menu for today.

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That’s quite a mouthful for the youngster. The eyes of both the adult and the juvenile look odd. Birds have a second eyelid, called a nictitating membrane, which can be closed when they want to protect their eyes. It’s somewhat transparent so they can see through it. I assume they are guarding against any eye damage that might occur in transferring the dragonfly.

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I got several shots showing a Martin as it was about to land

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In this photo, the wings are cupped to help the bird slow down. (The head is hidden under the front wing.) The tail is also in an interesting position, possibly acting as a rudder to help steer the bird to a safe landing.

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This Martin is carrying away a fecal sac. To prevent the nest from becoming fouled, baby birds neatly package their waste in mucous membranes. The adults carry these away and drop them some distance from the nest. Wouldn’t human parents be delighted with an arrangement like this instead of dealing with messy diapers?

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