2-B-76 -- PURPLE MARTIN

Additional comments / information:

______________________________________________

FROM
Shirley Sturts
27 May 2007

Committee,

Cliff is right. The Purple Martin report was taken from a letter that contained two other sightings that Tom Fulton had sent me. I can scan the other two pages of the letter that contains Tom's signature (let me know if you think I should). He just signs it Tom. This wasn't a formal report just a letter about 3 sightings Tom had told me about. We met, I believe, during an Indian Mountain CBC that we both participated in, although on different teams. Tom and his brother came up from Moscow or Spokane to do the Heyburn State Park section of the count. However, the address I have for Tom is a Boise address, so he either moved or was visiting in Moscow or Spokane when doing the CBC back in the '70's. The slides were all taken by Tom Fulton, all were from Mica Bay, and all dated 14 July 1974.

I have a note that copies of these slides were to the Purple Martin Conservation Assoc. % James R. Hill, III, Edenboro Univ. of Penn, Edinboro Penn.. One of slides appeared in an article in 'Purple Martin Update" Vol. 6(1), Spring 1995. The article "Purple Martins in the Inland Northwest" is by Roger D. Woodruff from Spokane. I've scanned the article and attached it. It is in the original size so you will have to use a viewer to read it. We use Windows Picture and Fax Viewer.

If you can't read it maybe Stacy could enlarge it and put with the rest of the record. I'm on dial up so I have to be careful on the size of the files I send out. Sorry about not including all this information for the 1st round of voting. I didn't remember the article until today. While looking up the original letter and slides, I came across notes to myself which led me to remembering the magazine I had with the article.

Shirley Sturts
Coeur d'Alene, ID

----- Original Message -----

From: "Cliff and Lisa Weisse"
To: "IBRC"
Sent: Sunday, May 27, 2007 1:06 PM
Subject: Purple Martin #2-B-76

Regarding Dave's comments from the 1st round I think he makes good points. I overlooked the fact that the report (actually appears to be a letter to Shirley) was not signed. From the content of that letter it appears that Shirley is acquainted with the author? Also it seems possible that the signature was missed when the letter was scanned, possibly because it includes info on other sightings(?). If Shirley can verify that the letter was signed I'm comfortable with it as stands. The other issue is the photos. A "slide", singular, is mentioned in the letter. There are 4 photos included with the record. If one of the photos that shows the cavity is from the "slide" (the one that's underexposed maybe?), it's easy to see that you are looking at the same cavity on all three of the photos in which it is visible. I would also like to know that they were received the same year, preferably with the letter/report mentioned above. In other words I'd like to be sure that they are not of a prior or subsequent nesting attempt at the same cavity. Regardless of who took the photos they're of the same nest and could serve to verify the record. I would also submit that if the bottom photo, that's underexposed, is from the slide mentioned in the report I would feel comfortable accepting the record based only on that one photo for identification. Bill size and tail shape eliminate other cavity nesting swallows.

As always I'd love to hear what everyone else thinks. Is mention of the photo (slide in this case) in the letter enough to confirm that the photo was taken at the location described therein?

Cliff

-- Cliff and Lisa Weisse
October Setters Island Park, Idaho
CliffandLisa@OctoberSetters.com