This purple martin habitat is located on Lake Higgins. If you notice, the gourd-like nests have slats, specifically designed to only allow entrance for the purple martins. At the 10:00 position, a martin is in position to squeeze into its nest. This nest design is important because, otherwise,  European sparrows invade the nests. The purple martin population has suffered severely over the past century, almost completely diminished by the 1980s. Thanks to great conservation efforts, these birds are making a come-back.

The above cluster of nests is maintained by Don and Trent Taylor, who are members of the Purple Martin Conservation Association. This bird, a member of the swallow family, depends almost exclusively on humans for housing. They spend their winters as far south as Ecuador.

They are renowned for the large quantity of bugs they can eat in a day. No need for mosquito repellent when you have purple martins!