Thanks to the generous donation of time, funds, and expertise by Friends member Mike Rewey, Cherokee Park (the neighborhood park on Burning Wood Way along Cherokee Lake) has a new purple martin house awaiting residents.

Purple martins are the largest member of the swallow family in Wisconsin. Adult males are a solid, shiny blue/black. The females are paler in color. Watch for purple martins in the evening, swooping and chirping as they feed on insects. (Contrary to popular belief, studies show that mosquitoes are only a small part of purple martins’ typical diet.)

Mike Rewey (left) installed the house with some help from Paul Noeldner.

The population of purple martins has declined due in part to competition for nest sites with non-native starlings and house sparrows. So martins can use some help from humans with their housing needs.

The birds nest in colonies and require clear flyways in and out of their nest holes. Because martins have been observed at Cherokee Lake, the shoreline at Cherokee Park was a natural choice to erect a house.

Besides location, the other key to providing housing for martins is to keep competitors out by closing most of the entrances until martins have been observed in the area in spring. It may take a year or more for the birds to nest in a new house though they might visit the house to “check it out” for future use. Friends members Ellen Barnard and Myrtle Wilhite have agreed to be stewards for the house and perform weekly checks.

Ellen says, “I wanted Martins in our park because they are such interesting birds to watch in their colonies. I have fond memories of watching the Martins at Tenney Park and listening to their distinctive call, and I’m excited to see if we can bring them to our park.”

A big thanks to Mike, Ellen, Myrtle, Craig Klinke at Madison Parks, and Alison Lindsay Mares from the Cherokee Park Neighborhood Association for helping to make this project happen.

Chimney swifts have been observed flying over the tower on Wheeler Rd.

We are also happy to report that chimney swifts have been observed this spring repeatedly flying over the chimney swift tower at the corner of Wheeler Rd and Comanche Way. We are hopeful that migrating swifts will use the tower for roosting and that a pair will choose to nest in the tower. See our Dec, 2015, newsletter for more about the swift tower project.