Columbia, SC (WLTX) - The sunsets over Lake Murray are surely a sight to see, but during the summer months there's another spectacle to behold.
It's the season of the Purple Martins, and they've come here to roost on a 12-acre plot of clay in the middle of the lake known as Bomb Island, aka Doolittle Island or Lunch Island.
"Right now we're just kind of at the peak of the season," says Zack Steinhauser, the naturalist at Wingard's Market who gives private pontoon boat tours to the island. "They are coming to Bomb Island to sleep or to rest. They're not nesting there. A lot of people think that, but actually Purple Martins only nest in bird houses in South Carolina."
And they come by the hundreds of thousands.
"When scientists first got here, they were stating conservative estimates of half a million. Some would go even as far as to say 3/4 of a million. And we're kind of at that peak time of the summer where they're reaching those numbers," says Steinhauser.
The choice to roost on Bomb Island is strategic for the Martins, because there's a mile of open water in any direction, which is it's primary protection.
Steinhauser says, "A land-based predator like a snake or a raccoon aren't gonna try to swim out there, and if they do, probably won't make it."
When it comes to flying predators, the birds have strength in numbers.
"If a hawk or an owl were to fly out there and be spotted, so many Martins would gather up and go beat that bird up until it left the vicinity of the island," he explains.
In the mornings, Purple Martins venture out in a mass so large it can easily be spotted on radar. In the evening they return — some here, some there.
These social birds pack into the treetops on the little island. When they erupt off of one of those trees, Steinhauser refers to it as the "black sky," because the birds all but black out the sky.
Steinhauser says, "First timers are always blown away. That's my favorite part, just watching their reaction, cause they just have no idea what to think or how to process what they're watching.
Upwards of half a million Purple Martins taking flight simultaneously, and it's remarkable to witness!
"It just feels good to be that close to something that unusual and natural," says Roger Gildersleeve, who was on the tour this night.
Lilian Peake was also on the tour. She says, "It's so spectacular to see the formation that they make. I just haven't seen anything like that."
Bomb Island is North America's first officially designated Purple Martin sanctuary.
Steinhauser explains, "What they're doing is just feeding and practicing for their migration. [They're] just flying around in long flights to prep themselves to make that 5,000 mile journey back to their winter grounds in South America."
The purple martins are going be out on Bomb Island until around the end of August, so there is plenty of time to call Wingards 1403 N. Lake Drive in Lexington and make your reservation.
The price is $25 for kids and $35 for adults, with a maximum occupancy of sixth passengers per night. For more information, call 803-359-9091.