Lake Murray Purple Martin Tour...

The rain started an hour into our two-hour drive to Murray Lake. We were traveling to watch the Purple Martins roost. We called our host Captain Zak of the Carolina Safari Company to check in and ensure the cruise would occur. He accurately called it - we arrived and set out on the boat in very light drizzle that quickly cleared up. Five Master Naturalists settled in for the Purple Martin tour cruise across beautiful Lake Murray.

On the way to Bomb Island we observed an island with about 10 trees that Captain Zak has witnessed forming in his lifetime. This scrap of land was hosting a pair of Osprey raising their chick. We then went to a beautiful, quiet inlet to watch birds wading, see a family of raccoons and a few deer. Then it was off to see the main attraction. Thousands of birds.

Captain Zak advised that Purple Martins have adapted to exclusively nest in man-made bird houses. Some are shaped like large gourds. These are grouped together as the birds are social and prefer to nest in groups. Native Americans were the first to recognize the benefits of Purple Martins and constructed these gourd bird houses to attract them - this practice started the birds’ reliance on man made structures for nesting which is one hundred percent today. Captain Zak sailed past a group of nests that he has installed at his parent’s on the lake.

August is the time to see these huge numbers of Purple Martins as they ready themselves for the long flight back to the Amazon in South America and we were not disappointed. As we approached Bomb Island the Martins were joined by thousands of Common Grackles and Brown-headed Cowbirds that put on several spectacular displays of murmuration.

In the midst of all of this unique action there was a lone Blue Heron at the top of a tree in the middle of the island hoping to get lucky and have a bird for dinner. That Heron eat small birds was definitely new news for this author.

There is also a black snake currently residing on the island. The thought is that it must have swam more than a mile to get there. Captain Zak doesn’t believe that it eats enough to cause any problems on the Island.