The message below should have posted on the 25th, but apparently didn’t.
There are a few remaining birds still using this roost
August 25
After the original roost in downtown Nashville was destroyed by road
construction, the 60,000 Purple Martins moved 2.8 miles away to Great Circle
Rd. Sometime between August 15th and 18th the number of birds dropped from
~60,000 to ~15,000. On the 23rd the number was closer to 3,000 but they weren’t
roosting at the new site. When it became apparent the birds had moved, 3 teams
fanned out to try and find them. After dark, young birders Elizabeth and Cody
Cook found a huge roost of birds in a row of Bradford Pear trees in the parking
lot behind 200 Athen’s Way, 0.7 miles away.
Last night shortly after sunset I went to that parking lot and in addition to
the martins there were many thousands or grackles, starlings and robins. The
martins circled around in what appeared to be disarray after the other birds
had gone to roost. Finally they settled into about 3 trees at the end of the
row among the other birds!
I suppose if there’s safety in numbers it might not matter so much who your
roost-mates are.
Melinda Welton
Elizabeth and Cory Cook
Nashville, TN
