[mou] purple martin harrassment

[Jim Williams]

An interesting note about Purple Martins being injured and killed at a roost
in Louisiana. The telephone number of the medical center involved is
318-681-5000. Ask for the administrator.

Jim Williams
Across the river in Wayzata, Minnesota

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----- Original Message -----
From: Charlie Lyon To:
LABIRD-L@lnxpd06.ocs.LSU.EDU Sent: Saturday, August 02, 2003 6:50 PM
Subject: [LABIRD-L] Purple Martin HARASSMENT in Shreveport, LA

LA-birders,

Over the last several years a post-breeding nocturnal Purple Martin roost
has been present on the grounds of Christus Schumpert Medical Center in
Shreveport, LA. Over the years I have made periodic posts to LABIRD in
regards to this impressive massive gathering of martins. Last year I did an
interview with Mary Jimenez in regards to this and she wrote an article that
appeared in the Shreveport Times. We included the Schumpert administration
in the article and Sally Croom, the media relations director was gracious
enough to meet with Mary, and some her comments were included in the
article. Prior to doing the article, I met with Christus Schumpert's top two
administrators, so as to educate them on some of the biology and life cycle
dynamics of this federally protected migratory bird species. Please refer to
the article which can be found at:
http://www.shreveporttimes.com/html/C55BE74C-B73B-44CE-8309-EB5B06EE1D58.sht
ml

Sally Croom states in the article, "We wanted to do what was environmentally
right for the birds". At that time Christus Schumpert invested in a service
to clean up the morning bird droppings and decided to tolerate the six week
visit made by the Purple Martins that were staging for their migration to
Amazonian Brazil. Times change and so do attitudes. Misinformation can
correlate with a change in attitude as well.

Before I proceed further please now refer to an article that appeared in the
Shreveport Times today 8-2-03. This article can be found at:
http://www.shreveporttimes.com/html/7996AE2A-5C90-4323-A4B4-C7A14B291EFA.sht
ml

You'll note the title of the first article is "Hospital Welcomes Summer
Visitors". The title of today's article is "Texas company hired to scare
away starlings in Highland" Read the article and then allow me to translate
the misinformation. The Purple Martins have now transformed into
"starlings". Highland is the neighborhood where Christus Schumpert is
located, and Christus Schumpert is the location of the transient Purple
Martin roost that appears to be no longer welcomed. There are perhaps a
hundred or so European Starlings as well as House Sparrows present that are
permanent residents, but rest of the approximate 125,000 to 150,000 birds
present are PURPLE MARTINS.

Christus Schumpert now has apparently decided that they need to harass these
roosting martins in an attempt to force them to leave the hospital grounds.
These birds started to form the roost in late June, and numbers built to
approximately 150,000 last week, but now they are about to begin their
migration. This is the worst time I can imagine to start harassing these
birds. This is a critical point in which they are building fat stores so as
to have the energy capabilities to embark upon a dangerous migration. One
third or more martins die in the migration process, and if they are stressed
now prior to their migration, they will certainly sustain a greater
mortality rate as they try to migrate. The majority of these birds will
depart within the next 10 days, and a few hundred stragglers may persist
until the end of August. Last year the bulk of the flock departed on August
7th. They left without human harassment, and on the basis of their own
biological urges.

I did an emergency surgical case at Christus Schumpert last night, and I was
shocked by what I saw as I drove into the physicians emergency parking lot.
A crew from Avian Flyaway Inc. out of somewhere in Texas was in the process
of not only harassing but injuring Purple Martins that certainly will die of
their injuries. These people were using air cannons, fireworks, spot lights,
and air horns so as to harass the birds. One man was using a cane pole so as
to beat trees, forcing martins to fly off their roost. One bystander and his
wife picked up five injured PURPLE MARTINS (these were not starlings, and
all can be assured I know the difference), and another nurse almost in tears
picked up another injured PURPLE MARTIN. When I left the hospital through
the emergency entrance after finishing surgery around 11 pm, I noted two
dying PURPLE MARTINS in the ER entrance area. I've got video evidence of a
good bit of this.

I've contacted the Christus Schumpert Administrator on call today, as well
as several city officials, and I hope that this activity will cease. The
Purple Martins are about to depart, so why harass them now? Cut or trim the
trees before the martins arrive next year, and they will hopefully find
another roost site that will be safe and free of harassing humans. Anyone
interested in Purple Martin conservation, please spread this post around. I
certainly will do the best I can to disseminate an accurate account of what
is happening here. I'll get the Purple Martin Society as well as the Purple
Martin Conservation Association involved in this. Were any federal laws
violated??

Charlie Lyon Shreveport, LA (A place I wish was safe for Purple Martins)