[va-richmond-general] Purple martin roost, Shockoe Bottom 7/29 and 7/30/09--GROWING

Last night a sizeable flock went into the trees, but they were already
entering before observers arrived and numbers could not be estimated.
Tonight they had been entering since at least 7:40 and I arrived after 8,
but the birds aloft then were easily in the 2500-3000 range.  The roost
appears to be increasing in size, and they appear to be entering more often
in the classic wave formation that we had grown accustomed to in 2008.  It
is hard for me to find time to get there at the moment, but anyone can go
and report what they see both morning and night.  There was plenty of
chatter in the trees after dark tonight and lots of stuff on the cars and
sidewalks.  Last night the last birds went in at 8:30, tonight it was 8:25.
They may start entering as early as 7:30.  

 

Jimmy Fitzgerald saw a raptor go into the trees before I got there and was
pretty sure it was not a buteo.  After sunset a peregrine did depart the
area, but it was unclear where it had come from.  It could have been
ambushing in the trees.  There was an incident last year where a peregrine
was seen to enter about 10 or 10:30 and take a bird to a light post to eat
it.

 

 

Jan

Richmond

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