First purple martin of the season spotted in West Virginia

FAIRDALE, W.Va. — In a sure sign that spring is not far behind, the first purple martins of the year have been spotted in West Virginia.

The birds were seen on March 10 in Fairdale, West Virginia, by a purple martin enthusiast — one of many throughout the eastern and central United States who track and report on the birds’ annual migration on behalf of the Purple Martin Conservation Association. The migration of these unique birds can be reported and tracked through a community science project called the Scout-Arrival Study.