Jane and David are expecting.
The Purple Martins are predicted to start hatching Wednesday and you can watch it on the Erie-based Purple Martin Conservation Association’s live nestcam via YouTube.
The PMCA has one camera showing inside the plastic gourd holding the nest and another camera outside showing the aluminum rack with multiple gourds hanging from it at Presque Isle State Park’s Tom Ridge Environmental Center.
How do I watch the nestcam?
The internal nestcam went live June 5.
The live external camera view can be found here.
Who are Jane and David?
Named for Jane Goodall and Sir David Attenborough, the female and her mate are an unbanded pair of purple martins, which are native songbirds and the largest member of the swallow family in North America. Purple martins winter in South America and breed in North America.
Jane laid one egg each day from June 5 to 9 and she’s the one you’ll mostly see sitting on them, although David might briefly take over when she’s out feeding.
If you’re not sure who is in the nest, look at the plumage, especially the chest. Males like David are blue/purple with a brown/black tail while females like Jane only have purple on their heads and back and their chest is brown/gray with a grayish neck collar.
