Thousands of birds migrate to Lake Murray in South Carolina to form a nightly ritual.
At first, a few purple martins flew by and I wondered what the fuss was all about. Then a small group emerged as the sun slipped below the horizon on Lake Murray, just outside Columbia, South Carolina. When dusk arrived, the birds increased in number and suddenly there was a mob swirling above the lake’s Bomb Island.
Boats were anchored around the protected island inside the reservoir, so it was strictly a feast for the eyes. Cameras clicked widely as the birds flew in, some gathered on the island’s shore, the majority circling overhead as they headed back to their nests.
Called the Purple Martin Phenomenon, the migrating martins on Lake Murray head off en masse at daybreak to look for food, then travel home at dusk to feed their young and call it a day. The birds arrive from Brazil in this midland section of South Carolina in late February and early March, then return to South America in mid-August, said Captain Ben Stickney of Pilot Cove Ventures, who graciously sailed my group out to the island to watch the bird extravaganza.
“All this is is a truck stop,” Stickney told us of the birds’ visit to South Carolina. “All this is is a Buc-ees.”
Purple martins nest all over North America, in the wilds and within purple martin “houses,” which appear akin to a bird condominium. But in this Southern corner, it’s more like a massive commune, one that’s so popular, the birds make the long voyage to the South Carolina lake year after year.
“Once they’re here, they come back every year,” Stickney said. “Hopefully in greater numbers.”
The best way to view this daily occurrence until the birds head south for the winter is to rent a boat or motor your own to the island. You can find information on boat rentals here. Just please be respectful of the birds.
Weird, Wacky & Wild South is written by Cheré Coen, who's always game for both a sail and a bird watch, especially one featuring thousands of birds.
