Photos: Purple Martin Project
The Purple Martin Project is attempting to capture and attach trackers to nine purple martins from a colony north of Mammoth, Ariz., and learn about the birds' winter migration to Brazil.
Aya Pickett, with the Tucson Audubon Society, works to extract a brown crested flycatcher that flew into the nets the Purple Martin Project put up to catch purple martins in a colony outside, Mammoth, Ariz., July 31 2024. The PMP is attempting to catch and attach trackers to nine martins to learn more about the birds and their migration to Brazil for the winter. On this day the martins were few and scattered resulting in none being caught.
Aya Pickett, left, and Tori Wiley, from Northern Arizona University, stretch out the nets and poles to get their traps ready as the Purple Martin Project tries put trackers on purple martins in a colony outside, Mammoth, Ariz., July 31 2024.
Tori Wiley, from Northern Arizona University, adjusts one of the nets being put up to catch purple martins from a colony outside to attach trackers and help map their migration, Mammoth, Ariz., July 31 2024.
Tucson Audubon’s Jennie MacFarland joins the Purple Martin Project crew raising a series of nets to catch the birds for trackers, Mammoth, Ariz., July 31 2024.
Purple martins from a colony outside Mammoth, Ariz., hang out on a utility line near a pond that provides the water, and a significant portion of their food, just before sunset, July 3.
Tucson Audubon’s Jennie MacFarland keeps tabs on the birds during the effort from the Purple Martin Project to net and put trackers on a handful of purple martins from a colony outside, Mammoth, Ariz., July 31 2024.
A coot walk on water in a pond near the effort from the Purple Martin Project to put trackers on purple martins in a colony outside, Mammoth, Ariz., July 31 2024.
A brown crested flycatcher gets released after inadvertently getting snared in the nets put up by the Purple Martin Project to capture and put trackesr on martins in a colony outside, Mammoth, Ariz., July 31 2024.
Purple Martin Conservation Association president Joe Segrist helps strike the nets following an unsuccessful evening of trying to capture purple martins for trackers from a colony outside, Mammoth, Ariz., July 31 2024.
Kelly Presnell
Photojournalist
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