Good summer for purple martins at Umstead Bridge
2007 was a good summer for the thousands of purple martins that roost annually on the William B. Umstead Bridge, which is the “old bridge” connecting the north end of Roanoke Island and Manteo with the mainland at Manns Harbor near Mashoes.
100,000 or more purple martins roost at the bridge every year and in years past they have been killed in large numbers due to collisions with vehicular traffic crossing the span, with the most deaths occurring at dawn and dusk.
The bridge is a frequent haven on summer nights near sunset for birdwatchers and boaters who come to see the martins swooping in swarms.
Until the Virginia Dare Bridge was built several years ago, the Umstead Bridge was the only crossing from Roanoke Island (and thus the Outer Banks in general) to the mainland. Now the bridge is used primarily by locals, with the bulk of visitor traffic now using the “new bridge” which crosses the Croatan Sound near the Manteo/Wanchese intersection.
According to the Coastal Carolina Purple Martin Society (CCPMS), thanks to their efforts purple martin deaths this year at the bridge dropped by a whopping 90% as opposed to years past.
This summer, the bridge was outfitted with reduced speed signs, and flashing lights that operated at dawn and dusk to warn motorists to slow down and watch for the flocks of birds that swoop around the bridge.
For more than 30 years, the birds have roosted at the bridge during the summer and as winter approaches they fly to South America. Summer 2007 saw an estimated 150-200 purple martin deaths while the 2005 figures estimated between 1,300 and 1,800 killed by vehicular traffic.
The CCPMS experts say that the most deaths occur in the morning as the martins are leaving their roosts. The most the CCPMS counted this summer in any given morning was 14, and that was after bad weather.
The signs have been taken down for the winter but are planned to return next summer, along with the flashing lights.
Educational projects such as a kiosk at the western side of the bridge were used to aid awareness about the birds and their habits. The CCPMS would like to install a handicap-accessible observation tower with a parking area for more people to be able to view the spectacle and learn about the biology and habits of the martins.
The CCPMS is a non-profit, charitable organization. If you’d like to learn more, find out how you can help or make a donation to their worthy cause, e-mail them at: purplemartinroost@gmail.com or visit them on the web at: www.purplemartinroost.com.
Terry Rush Cremia
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