Today is World Migratory Bird Day, and Greenways Land Trust has some good news to celebrate as Purple Martins are making a local comeback.
The birds are North America’s largest swallow and have been displaced from many regions by invasive European starlings and house sparrows, which take over their nesting spots.
But locally, their numbers are on the rise in the Campbell River estuary, notably near the Myrt Thompson Trail in the Campbellton area, where nest poles have been set up for them and their growing colony.
Greenways staff help steward the colony under the guidance of Bruce Cousens from the Western Purple Martin Foundation.
There are currently 18 nesting boxes set up, they expect them to all be occupied soon by nesting pairs as they return from wintering grounds in South America.
