View Purple Martins at Pic-Wil on Saturday

Eagle Scouts' work helps protect Purple Martins from hawks

By Jodi Helman
Posted 6/22/17

Mark your calendars for this Saturday, June 24, when the Barrington Land Conservation Trust holds a guided bird walk at the Pic-Wil Nature Preserve. 

Hosted by the Barrington Recreation …

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View Purple Martins at Pic-Wil on Saturday

Eagle Scouts' work helps protect Purple Martins from hawks

Posted

Mark your calendars for this Saturday, June 24, when the Barrington Land Conservation Trust holds a guided bird walk at the Pic-Wil Nature Preserve. 

Hosted by the Barrington Recreation Department and the Barrington 300 Committee, the public is invited to attend what promises to be an exciting opportunity to view the local Purple Martin population.

Located on the Providence River, the 17-plus acre preserve is home to a variety of habitats, including deciduous forest, salt marsh and coastal dune. However, it is the open fields that many people notice when driving or biking down Washington Road. These fields are actually three distinct meadows that had at one time been the Deep Rock Water Company.  

In 1987, the land was donated to the Barrington Land Conservation Trust in memory of the families of Peter J. Picerelli and Clifford M. Wilson, former owners of the bottling plant. With the stipulation that the property must be kept as a conservation site, the Trust maintains the land as a Purple Martin sanctuary.

An important aspect of the donation was that the meadows must be kept in their original state so that the Martins would not become prey to their fiercest predators, the Coopers Hawk. The hawks build nests on the nearby branches to easily swoop in and kill the Martins. Therefore, any forest encroachment must be kept at bay. Three recent Eagle Scout projects involved over 120 hours of dedicated work to restore the meadows to their original environment from 30 years ago.

Purple Martins have been migrating to Barrington for centuries. After wintering in the Amazon jungle, these graceful birds head north to many parts of Rhode Island to mate and nest. Living in colonies, they usually return in early April and stay through Labor Day.

The distinctive white gourds make the perfect home for the Purple Martins. The Wampanoag first used the dried gourds to attract the Purple Martins to their fields. As natural insect eaters, the Martins would keep the pests away from the crops. Today, the Land Trust has Ray Marr to thank for keeping the Purple Martin colonies happy.

Mr. Marr spends a good deal of his free time at Pic-Wil taking care of the Martins. By lowering and raising the gourds via a pulley system attached to a pole, the birds fly in and out, feeding their hatchlings and taking off for more food. In return for his a hard work, Mr. Marr witnesses a lovely display of these graceful birds soaring through the evening sky.

Mr. Marr will explain his involvement with the Martin colonies in Barrington (there are six in total), and a history of the Pic-Wil Nature Preserve. Also included in the guided walk will be the discussion of a possible new habitat for the Spadefoot Toad.

Pic-Wil Nature Preserve guided walk

• When: Saturday, June 24

• Time: 10 a.m.

• Where: The Pic-Wi Nature Preserve is located on Washington Road across from Tallwood Drive. Please park on Tallwood, Spinnaker Drive or Lighthouse Lane. Meet at the gate across from Tallwood.

• Information: This will be a leisurely paced walk across gentle terrain appropriate for all ages. Dress for the day's weather. Insect repellent is recommended year round as a precaution against Lyme Disease. Because of the sensitive nature of this habitat, dogs are not permitted at this property or on this walk.

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