Purple Martins Of Leaser Lake ...

“In order to see birds it is necessary to become part of the silence.”

                     ~ Robert Wilson Lynd

                        ~ 1879 ~ 1949

           ~ Irish writer, editor of poetry, urbane literary essayist & strong Irish nationalist

A Purple Martin fledgling watches as its mama begins to fly off after bringing it food – likely to bring back more – on a beautiful mid-July day at Leaser Lake, in the shadow of the northern Blue Mountain Ridge, New Tripoli, Pennsylvania. Papa Purple Martin is perched above the nesting structure.

This gorgeous summer day was the first time I’ve ever spotted Purple Martins, and they were wonderful to see!

I created this image by blending my shot of the Purple Martins with one I took of the lake the same day, July 15, 2021.

Despite their name, Purple Martins are not truly purple. Their dark blackish-blue feathers have an iridescent sheen caused by the refraction of incident light giving them a bright blue to navy blue or deep purple appearance. In some light they may even appear green in color.

Leaser Lake’s namesake is Frederick Leaser, an American patriot who in September 1777 with his farm team hauled The Liberty Bell from Philadelphia to Allentown where it was concealed in Zion Reformed Church for protection during the Revolutionary War. His homestead is located one mile north of the lake.

Leaser Lake was built by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission for water-oriented recreation and opened for public use in 1971. Lehigh County leases this area from the state and operates and maintains the park. The land north of the lake was purchased by the county in the early 1970s. It is entirely wooded and is used for nature study and as an addition to the State Game Lands No. 217.

Information near the nesting structure at Leaser Lake provided by the Lehigh Valley Audubon Society, Leaser Lake Heritage Foundation and Lehigh County states: “The Purple Martin is the largest species in North America of a family of birds called “swallows.” The thing you’re looking at is a nesting structure built specifically for these birds.

Purple Martins are one of America’s iconic birds. They have an affinity to live near humans – so much so, that all of the Purple Martins east of the Rocky Mountains now rely on nesting structures like these, supplied by humans. For over a thousand years, Native Americans provided nesting gourds for these birds, recognizing their useful habit of eating insects like mosquitoes and crop pests.

But over time, Purple Martin populations started to decline. Why? The widespread use of pesticides has reduced the available insect food source of these birds. In addition, they have faced increasing competition for nesting habitat with invasive European Starlings and House Sparrows. Now, more than ever, the Purple Martin population needs out support.

Martins lay from two to seven eggs, which hatch in 16 days. Parents feed the chicks insects for about 30 days, after which all the birds begin their three thousand mile migration to Brazil. They return to Pennsylvania in April to begin their nesting cycle.”

 

The Sandpiper ...

“The fleeing sandpipers turn about suddenly and chase back the sea!”

   ~ J.W. Hackett

   ~ 1929 ~ 2015

 ~ James William Hackett was an American poet who is most notable for his work with haiku in English.

I spotted this Solitary Sandpiper, the first I’ve ever seen in Pennsylvania, peering into the Jordan Creek on a mid-May afternoon at Trexler Nature Preserve, Schnecksville in this sepia image. 

The Solitary Sandpiper is a shorebird with a prominent eye ring. Small white spots mark the back of this breeding adult.

The Solitary Sandpiper, a wading bird, foliages along the edges of shallow wetlands, muddy fields and small ponds.

  

It is solitary not just because the sandpiper is alone, but because it’s part of its name. The solitary sandpiper (Tringa solitaria) is a small shorebird. The genus name Tringa is the New Latin name given to the green sandpiper by Aldrovandus in 1599 based on Ancient Greek trungas, a thrush-sized, white-rumped, tail-bobbing wading bird mentioned by Aristotle. The specific solitaria is Latin for “solitary” from solus, “alone.”

 

Solitary Sandpiper has two subspecies, solitaria, which breeds and migrates east of the Rocky Mountains, and cinnamomea, which breeds and migrates west of the Rockies. The two subspecies winter in different parts of Central and South America.

 

The Sandpiper is also the name of the 1965 American drama film starring the wonderful Richard Burton & Elizabeth Taylor and directed by Vincente Minnelli.