The Dixie County Advocate Thursday January 31, 2008


www. dcadvocate. net


ome


 PURPLE
 MARTINS ARRIVE
 IN FLORIDA

 Scout Reports Logged Online

 In the birding world, few
 species generate more excite-
'ment than does the "Purple
Martin," a swallow that is ar-
riving now throughout Flori-


da, with reports of "scouts"
logged almost daily
online.Purple martins, the
largest of the swallows in
North America, are totally
dependent on man-made
housing and faithfully re-
turn to the same locations
each year, so it's understand-.
able that human "landlords"
anxiously await the return of
"their" birds from wintering
grounds in South America.
The earliest arrivals to the


 26287 SE 19 Hwy sp
*. P.O. Box 1087
 Old Town, FL 32680 "
 Office: (352) 542-9038
 FAX: (352) 542-9570


Mon. Sat.
8:00 5:00


 Dale, Josie, Shawn
Brandy, Phillip, Dale Jr.


eastern U.S. occur in Florida
and dates/locations are
watched by martin enthusi-
asts nationally on an online
data base at www.purple-
martin.org -- maintained by
the Purple Martin Conserva-
tion Association (PMCA), a
nonprofit conservation orga-
nization. The earliest arriv-
ing martin in Florida this
season occurred Dec. 22 in
Naples, followed on Dec. 23
in Punta Gorda and Jan. 2 in
Pembroke Pines.
 While the southern-most
locations tend to get the ear-
liest arrivals, purple martins
begin arriving in central and
northern Florida after about
January 15, according to a
PMCA migration map. Mi-
gration is especially drawn
out in Florida, with arrivals
continuing into May.
Purple martins nest in


 SPRINGHOUSE
 QUILTER'S NEWS ... .

Springhouse mem-
bers met with Bar-
bara Parks last Tues-
iay and began work
rn a house quilt that
zould be considered
an "I Spy" quilt. Nes-
bled in each house
block is a picture of a
small pet or animal.
he pictures used
were cut from fabric
nd laced in each house block. This project could be modi-
Fied to use a picture of a person or a special animal.

.pproximately 10 members attended the workshop and
worked very hard to get their projects constructed.
thanks goes to Barbara Parks for conducting the workshop.

rhe daytime beginner classes of Springhouse got off to a big
start last Thursday with the night group of classes begin-
aing this Tuesday. There were approximately 15 day and 6
aight new members in attendance. The classes are designed
:or 8 to 10 weeks of beginning quilting.

E'or information about Springhouse Quilters, call or contact
Lois Scott, 463-2207.


A TO Z NEW & USED


CONSIGNMENT SHOP
 Half Price Wednesday on
 Humane Society Items!
 25867 SE HWY 19 -- Old Town


P -----I


 Bring in this I
 Coupon for $5.00
 off any $20.00 daily
I purchase! I
I I


 10A.M. -6 P.M. Monday- Saturday' __I

 Call (352) 542-7730 for appointments

 to bring in your consignments.
 We provide tax deduction certifications for the Dixie County
 Humane Society & the American Cancer Society.





 Pump Repair & Well Drilling
 "We Drill the Best & Service the Rest"
 SALES, SERVICE, AND INSTALLATION
 IRON REMOVAL SYSTEM

CHIEFLAND 352-490-7877 OLD TOWN 352-542-7877
 24 HOUR SERVICE
 1-866-542-7877
 FINANCING AVAILABLE JAMIE STOREY
 -Seving the Tri-Comuny Area-- LIC.#2664


Page 15


 DIXIE. COUNTy HUMANE
 SOCIETY I T OF E WEEK
Dude is an eleven to twelve-month old, male Cur. He is a
quiet, good-natured, personable lap-baby. Dude likes sitting
in your lap and will happily fall asleep there. He is good in
the house and has a gentle personality as well as being a
good watchdog. He gets along well with other dogs and kids.
Dude is
just an all
around
good boy
and would
make a
great addi-
tion to
some
lucky per-



We will be
returning
to CITGO
gas sta-
tion in
Old Town
this coming Saturday from 12:30 to 4:00 p.m. for our pet
adoptions.

Dixie County Humane Society, Po Box 192, Old Town, FL
32680 Pamela Swanson 542-1081


"i-ome is where you can say anything you ease, be-
 cause nobodyyays any attention to you anyway"
 --Joe 'Moore--


 ROCK SINK BAPTIST CHURCH
 HOMECOMING
 FEBRUARY 17, 2008

Homecoming at Rock Sink Baptist Church is set for February
17th during the morning worship service 'oFrmer members'
and friends 'ill be afforded the opportunityto get to know All
the new members during the noon meal.

Something new for this year! Services will begin at 10:00 in
the sanctuary for fellowship and special music. Part of the
music will be old favorites selected by you. There will also be
music by our own Rock Bottom Singers (Doreen Ganus Lamb,
Cherie Bush Norton, Freddie Fletcher, and Terry Cranford).
Place your food in the fellowship hall and come join us in the
sanctuary If you wait until 11:00 to arrive, you will miss
much of the fellowship, music, and fun.

Come join in the excitement as our Pastor, Brother Terry
Cranford, bring's Gods message into our lives. You will truly
receive a blessing. If you do not have a Church home, we wel-
come you to join our family




D o tW it
 It doesn't have to be a special occasion for
 you to tell someone how much they mean
 to you. And the best way to show you care is
 with flowers.
 Le:t us help you put your feelings
 on display with a bouquet, floral arrangement
 or plant that colorfully shows your love and
 affection.
 Let your feelings out
 with flowers from us.

 Tuxedo Rentals
 Cross City Florist 2.


I_ _


colonies in gourds hung from
large racks and in multi-
compartment bird houses
placed in open
areas in yards.
Colonies have
returned to
housing each
year at golf
courses at Walt
Disney World
for over a
decade.
 Adult
male purple
martins are
glossy blue-
black in color,
which they ob-
tain at two
years of age.
Females are a
bit drab, with a gray breast.
One-year-old martins so
called "sub adults" -- begin
arriving 10 to 12 weeks later


than the older birds in the
South. These younger birds
are more easily attracted to
 new hous-
 ^p =y"^:;^ ^ing loca-
 tions.
 The





 Te the ePMCA.
 liest ar-
 rivals are
 simply ex-
 periencedm
 o nmaturer c
 martins
 that have
 made the
journey before and are eager
to reclaim their housing.
 The PMCA recently
analyzed long-term data
from the North American
Breeding Bird Survey (BBS)
and found that thanks to
devoted men and women who

purple martin populations
overall are holding steady in
North America.
 However, there are
declines in some regions, in-
cluding much of Florida.
The BBS surveys find that
the species has been return-
ing in slightly fewer num-
bers for many years through-
out the state; perhaps as the
tradition of erecting housing
wanes but martins are still
fairly common in the state.
where housing is main-
tained.
 While generations of
Americans have hosted pur-
ple martins the custom
adopted from Native Ameri-
cans who hung out nesting


gourds specific techniques
to help a colony thrive
emerged in the past decade,
based on research conducted
by the PMCA and landlords
in the field.
 Among innovations
are deeper compartments to
better protect nestlings from
rain and from predators, and
specially-shaped entrance
holes designed to admit mar-
tins while restricting Euro-
pean starlings, an invasive,
non-native species. The
PMCA also recommends that
landlords actively manage
colony sites, including moni-
toring of nests for progress
or problems.
 Because purple mar-
tins are birds of the open
sky -- catching insects on the
fly -- the PMCA's number
one tip: place housing in the
most open space available,
but where the colony can be
enjoyed and monitored.
 More information
about purple martins can be
obtained from the Purple
Martin Conservation Associ-
ation which is focused on
aiding martins and landlords
-- including a products cata-
log and information booklet,
with advice on attracting
and managing a colony, and
data sheets to participate in
"Project MartinWatch" a na-
tional effort in which partici-
pants monitor nests and mail
information to the PMCA at
season's end.
 To obtain the booklet,
contact the PMCA at 814-833-
7656 or online at purple-
martin.org.


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