If the students are back on campus, that must mean the Purple Martins are, too.
Each year about the same time students show up, tens of thousands of Purple Martins stop by campus for awhile en route to their winter hangout in South America.
Bird watchers have been known to throw blankets in grassy areas along 44th Street near Clarkson Tower or stand in the Don and Millie’s parking lot to view the birds as they hover over campus around dusk to feed on insects.
The video above was filmed Wednesday about 8:30 p.m.
Very Interesting. Thanks for doing this feature. I didn't how this happened here on campus and I've been here for over 30 yrs!
Actually the birds have been coming to this location since early June, albeit in much smaller numbers. A friend and I discovered the roost in 2008 and it seems to have become quite popular. I noted Purple Martins by the thousands coasting over Indian Creek Nursery in 2007 The Martins were no doubt using the roost years prior.