STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A multi-generational work party was busy Monday getting the Purple Martin Colony of Lemon Creek ready for "opening day."
Purple martins are large, insect eating swallows. "Opening day" is when the first inky, iridescent birds arrive from as far away as Brazil to establish residency in the gourds and apartment like bird houses that are perched high up on poles for their use.
Purple martin colonies are a unique arrangement between humans and birds east of the Mississippi. It began when the Native Americans provided hollowed out gourds for the birds to nest in, and they became dependent on humans to provide shelter every spring.
Maintaining the colony takes a concerted effort by human caretakers. Detritus from other birds, such as starlings and house sparrows that move in during the winter, must be cleaned out. Weeds where cats and other predators can take cover also have to be cleared out.
"House sparrows will aggressively defend their territory and won't let the martins nest," said Will Lenihan, director of science with the Staten Island Museum which has maintained the colony for over 50 years. Sure enough, as Cliff Hagen cleaned out a massive amount of nesting material, some house sparrows chattered angrily nearby.
Breezy and sunny, Spring Break's Monday provided the perfect opportunity for retirees, students, teachers, parents and children to undertake in the manual labor, involving ladders, shovels, pitchforks and wheelbarrows. Organized by the Staten Island Museum the effort is supported by the Parks Department and the Princess Bay Boatmen's Association. Jeff Stetson, a landscaper, contributes weed whacking services to get the area beneath the houses ready for mulching.
Community service credit was the goal of some of the youngest workers. Sisters Kate, 12, and Erin Hagen, 9; and Elody Burko, 11, all of Eltingville, and Kyle Mackey, 11, of Tottenville joined forces in a cleanup patrol. It was pretty yucky.
"Lots of cat food and beer bottles with mystery liquids," said Erin, a PS 55 student in Eltingville.
Trees and vines are kept clear so raccoons and opossums do not have access to the eggs. Feral cats that roam the area are a major threat to fledgling birds who often land on the ground before they master flight. If an adult bird is killed, it can also cost the survival of a baby bird that is still dependent for feeding.
The hardships of survival were evident as cleaning out the bird houses yielded at least four dead martins, three of them baby birds.
Among human returnees to the colony were Ray Matarrazo and Ed Johnson, both retired from the Staten Island Museum.
John Stonick, one of the Island's stalwart birders has been pitching in for 50 years. He was one of the original caretakers along with Howard Cleaves, a wildlife photographer, who started the colony in 1953.
Others were there for the first time. Tottenville High School senior Julianna Seddio of Eltingville convinced her friend and classmate Dominick Pietropinto of Pleasant Plains that it would be a good thing to do. "Very interested in ornithology," she is headed for a major in environmental science.
John Jay College student Christopher Morella Jr. "knows nothing about birds," but his community spirit motivated him to volunteer.
"I know a lot of people are quick to push us out into the ocean, but I love Staten Island," said the 21-year-old West Brighton resident whose family has lived here since the late 19th century.
"It's great to uphold this tradition. The museum has been involved since the early '50s. It was the only purple martin colony in the city for a long time," said Lenihan, climbing ladders at his first cleanup.