This month we are excited to introduce Kelly Eastwood for our August Landlord Spotlight.
My name is Kelly Eastwood. I live in Kansas, and I am a 17-year-old teenage landlord. My great grandfather was a Purple Martin landlord and my dad put up a house in 2012 to try and attract martins. Due to nest competitors the martins never successfully nested. In April 2015, a pair was flying around our Trendsetter 12 room, and I, just nine years old at the time, was watching them soar. The House Sparrow flew into the ASY male, and I could hear the impact. I went inside and asked my dad what I could do to help the pair stay. He replied with “You go out there every day and take the House Sparrows nest out.” Four fledged that year and I was enthralled that I had made a difference, even though it was small. That winter I started researching Purple Martins and found the PMCA. Eight seasons later, I had 170 fledge in 2021 year and 125 this past summer.
I have learned so much from Purple Martins and it is always a joy to see them. The way they fly is mesmerizing and their chirps, chatters, and songs are so beautiful. They are my ‘starter bird’ as many say. I am planning to go into wildlife biology and become an ornithologist and hopefully work in conservation because of Purple Martins.
I have been working on a public colony with my Missouri Young Birders Group. While it is still in the planning stages, it has been going smoothly. I am excited to get other kids involved with Purple Martins. I hope to create more spaces for Purple Martins and people, so many can see these and learn about these amazing birds.
Here is a rundown of fledgling numbers over the years:
- 2015 – 4 fledged
- 2016 – 15 fledged
- 2017 – 50 fledged
- 2018 – 82 fledged
- 2019 – 116 fledged
- 2020 – 175 fledged
- 2021 – 170 fledged
- 2022 -125 fledged
My colony includes:
- 1-12 room Trendsetter
- 1-18 gourd rack
- 1-28 room Trendsetter house
-Kelly Eastwood