PROGNE SUBIS Traditional Cache
purplemartinlandlord: This one has had a good run, unfortunately, no one has found it in a long time. Good by.
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(small)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
This is a 0.5L, official Geocaching lock and lock container that has been lightly camoed. It contains the usual log book, travel bug and small items.
PROGNE SUBIS is the scientific name for America's most wanted songbird, the Purple Martin. They are the largest member of the Swallow family of birds. They weigh 2 ounces and have 12-14 inch wingspans. They spend the winter in South America, migrate 3500 miles to the eastern USA and Canada arriving here in April and May to nest, raise their young, party in August and then gather in roosts at wetlands to fatten up for the September migration. They eat only flying insects. Only the above second year (ASY) males develop the all over, irridescent purple color.
Since their introduction in 1850 and 1875, the very agressive, non-native European House Sparrow and European Starlings have taken over most of the natural (Woodpecker holes in trees, etc.) nesting cavities. Because of this, the number of native American cavity nesting birds (Wrens, Bluebirds, Swallows etc.) has been reduced by about 90%. Purple Martins have become entirely dependent on special birdhouses set up by human Landlords for their survival. The huge flocks of black birds seen in late fall and winter are NOT Purple Martins, rather they are the evil European Starlings.
After geocaching in this wonderful Audobon Society Plainsboro Preserve, be sure to stop at the visitor center. Walk out the rear door toward the lake and see the recently donated purple martin houses there. Hopefully some Purple Martins
will find them and move in next spring.
You too can become a purplemartin landlord if you have a suitable location and have a comittment to actively manage your site to prevent it from being taken over by the evil House sparrows and Starlings. There is a wealth of information available from the non profit Purple Martin Conservation Association, especially at their FAQ's and the landlord Forum. You can even grow your own birdhouse gourds but beware that when gourd vines get going in the heat of summer, they can grow like something from a science fiction movie and spread out more than 50 feet!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
1) Guvf angher cerfreir ebpxf!
2) Jnyx fbsgyl naq qb abg njnxra gur qrnq.
Treasures
You'll collect a digital Treasure from one of these collections when you find and log this geocache:
Loading Treasures