Wow, I saw my first ever purple martin today on my patio. There are at least a pair of them flitting around my house, and they seem to like my roof for some reason. For the past couple weeks, I'd see them dart out of the corner of my eye, but they wouldn't hold still long enough for me to identify. When the male landed on the patio, I finally realized what it was. I've seen many a purple martin house, but never a purple martin.
I know this might not seem like such a big deal, but it kind of IS a big deal. They are becoming scarce, apparently. Whole flocks will migrate to Brazil for the winter and not return. They're suspected of being poisoned, or somehow killed when they overwinter because fewer and fewer are returning each year.
