This type of gourd, appropriately known as a martin gourd,
is grown specifically to be used as nesting sites for the
colonial Purple Martin, a migratory swallow. Attracting
martins is said to be a cultural trait brought from Africa
by slaves in the long, long ago. Others have it that Native
Americans hollowed out gourds for the use of martins. The
martins are desirable because they consume large numbers
of insects on a daily basis, and, perhaps more importantly,
they will drive hawks that may prey on domestic fowl from the
area. Purple martin populations severely crashed in the 1980's,
largely related to the introduction and spread of the European
starling. The building in the background is a pigeon cote or
dovecote, a home for domestic pigeons. The flesh of the young
pigeon, known as squab, was once a rural delicacy.

This image scanned from tri-x film exposed in 1975 and
given the appearance of an aged print.

Image ID 1975-137