The March 27 meeting of the Clarkston-Area Backyards Birders Club will feature one of Michigan’s most graceful and interesting birds, the Purple Martin.
Naturalist Penny Briscoe and her husband, Rick, have been Purple Martin “landlords” for 34 years. During that time they have hosted the same long-standing colony on Barton Lake just south of Vicksburg in Southwest Michigan.
Over those years, they’ve made many changes to the colony in order to increase the success rate of nesting pairs.
Penny is a Purple Martin mentor for the nationwide Purple Martin Conservation Association. She has earned Master Naturalist designation through the Michigan Conservation Stewards Program, MSU Extension Services. A retired public high school educator, Penny assists others with their Purple Martin colonies.
“In addition to Penny’s presentation on Purple Martins, we’ll talk about very unusual sightings reported recently, and answer questions about the behavior of birds at the feeders in the unusual weather in our area this winter,” said club President Bob McGowan.
The meetings are on the last Wednesday of the month, 7 p.m., at The Gateway, 7150 N. Main Street. Meetings are free and knowledge about birds is not required.