19th ANNUAL PURPLE MARTIN FIELD DAY

Date: Saturday, June 22, 2013
Main presentation begins at 10:00 a.m.
Please try to arrive before 10:00a.m.
Scheduled activities end by 2:00p.m.

Location: Louisa County, VA
(between Richmond and Charlottesville)

The 2012 event was a huge success with 130 attendees from six states!
Photo by Kathy Laine
Photo by Kathy Laine

This Field Day will be held at the farm of Mrs. Merle Wood and her son, Mr. Lance Wood. Establishing and maintaining a healthy Purple Martin colony can be difficult; see the most effective techniques and equipment available for successful martin attraction and management, and learn how to increase the size of an existing colony. The Wood family has expanded their colony from four pairs of Purple Martins in 1992 to more than 130 nesting pairs!


The 10:00am lecture by featured speaker Mr. Lance Wood will cover these topics:
  • How to establish and increase a colony of Purple Martins
  • Advantages and disadvantages of different types of martin housing
  • Protecting martins from snakes, owls, raccoons, House Sparrows, Starlings, wind damage, lightning, etc.
  • Adding starling-resistant entrance holes to martin gourds and houses
Following the 10:00am lecture:
  • Mr. Lance Wood will lecture on how to grow and process natural gourds for Purple Martin nesting
  • Mr. Ron Kingston will lead a nestbox trail tour to view bluebirds, tree swallows, kestrels, and barn owls

Predator Deterrence Display at 2010 Field Day; photo by Kathy Laine

See video of the birds at their gourd nests.

Enjoy watching hundreds of these beautiful birds soaring and feeding their young while the instructor teaches!

No registration. Event is FREE, but donations will be appreciated to help cover expenses.

Bring: Lawn chairs, binoculars, notepad, camera, lunch (feel free to eat on the grounds). Drinks and snacks provided. The hosts request that guests do not bring pets.

For more information, contact (434) 962-8232 or kingston@cstone.net

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT PURPLE MARTINS see: www.PurpleMartin.org

For other bird, wildlife and nature resources visit our links page.