HI Friends :
Want to respond to your postings and tell you about the housing and gourds at my site. I offer Super Gourds with Round Holes, Big-Bo 11 Gourds with Round OR Crescent Holes ( Using Round Holes Now), Big-Bo Gourds with Round OR Crescent Holes (Using Round Holes Now), Horizontal Gourds with Excruder Entrances, Double Gourds with Crescent Entrances, T-14 House with Crescent Holes, Styrofoam 18 Compartment House with Crescent Entrances ( I MADE IT ! ) and Trio Houses with Rounds Holes. I have a total of 6 racks ! 2 Racks are completely empty and are now being used for only perching racks. I have perching racks mounted on top of every rack also. I also have a mounted tray for egg shell and nesting material, if needed. The only gourd that I do NOT offer at my site is the Brown Natural Gourd that has been mentioned.
Several landlords in the area are using much of the same housing and gourds at their sites. I have a good variety and now all I need are the martins !!!
" Beggin4Birds "
TOO MUCH HOUSING ?
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birdy girl
- Posts: 1179
- Joined: Wed Apr 19, 2006 9:09 am
- Location: Mississippi/Dumas
It sounds as if you are totally ready for the martins. It is just left up to them to decide to stay. It will happen. I know it is hard waiting on them.
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NOMORE-Beggin4Birds
- Posts: 117
- Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2008 8:21 am
- Location: Walkersville, MD
HI Sandy - NC :
After reading your recent post, I decided to do about the ONLY thing left to do. Being that your Dad gave you GOOD advice about trying a natural gourd, thought I would give it a try also, AND . . . just maybe his suggestion to you might bring us good luck also !
Ordered 2 Natural Gourds with Round Holes this afternoon. Will put them up at my site as soon as they arrive and HOPEFULLY, the advice of your Dad will bring us the GOOD LUCK that you had ! The martins in our area should begin arriving in about a week.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if we were no longer . . . . . .
" Beggin4Birds "
After reading your recent post, I decided to do about the ONLY thing left to do. Being that your Dad gave you GOOD advice about trying a natural gourd, thought I would give it a try also, AND . . . just maybe his suggestion to you might bring us good luck also !
Ordered 2 Natural Gourds with Round Holes this afternoon. Will put them up at my site as soon as they arrive and HOPEFULLY, the advice of your Dad will bring us the GOOD LUCK that you had ! The martins in our area should begin arriving in about a week.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if we were no longer . . . . . .
" Beggin4Birds "
Beggin4Birds,
I know exactly where you are coming from with your question on too much housing. This is going to be my 4th year trying at home. I currently have multiple houses/gourds in my yard and I even added a new house in my neighbor's yard this year. I know when a lone bird comes for a visit and sees no other birds amongst all the available cavities, it must give them an uneasy feeling. The "slum" landlords close by only have one house in their yards. I have asked the same question to myself that you have asked. Might it be better to just have one house in my yard? I am going to go with the multiple housing options again this year. If that doesn't work, I may trim it back to 1 house and see what happens next year. I hope this is your year to attract a pair!
Greg
I know exactly where you are coming from with your question on too much housing. This is going to be my 4th year trying at home. I currently have multiple houses/gourds in my yard and I even added a new house in my neighbor's yard this year. I know when a lone bird comes for a visit and sees no other birds amongst all the available cavities, it must give them an uneasy feeling. The "slum" landlords close by only have one house in their yards. I have asked the same question to myself that you have asked. Might it be better to just have one house in my yard? I am going to go with the multiple housing options again this year. If that doesn't work, I may trim it back to 1 house and see what happens next year. I hope this is your year to attract a pair!
Greg
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NOMORE-Beggin4Birds
- Posts: 117
- Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2008 8:21 am
- Location: Walkersville, MD
HI to Pillow and CMF :
Glad to read your posting on " TOO MUCH HOUSING " ! My personal opinion is that I am giving the martins a good variety to choose from at my site, BUT . . . I am NOT opening up all of the cavities. Just a few of each type, as to give them a variety and a choice.
Another thought . . . " PILLLOW ", if you decide to trim back a bit next year, you may consider keeping the house of your choice and 4 gourds mounted under the house. Personally, I have that at my site at the present time. I have 2 Super Gourds with Round Holes and 2 Troyer Horizontal Gourds with Excruder Holes. I am using ROUND holes on the houses, as the martins love the round holes. I do monitor and keep close watch on the houses with round holes, as the sparrows and starlings love them also. After I get my colony started, I will gradually change over to crescent holes after I have an established colony.
Hoping soon that I WON'T be . . . . .
" Beggin4Birds "
Glad to read your posting on " TOO MUCH HOUSING " ! My personal opinion is that I am giving the martins a good variety to choose from at my site, BUT . . . I am NOT opening up all of the cavities. Just a few of each type, as to give them a variety and a choice.
Another thought . . . " PILLLOW ", if you decide to trim back a bit next year, you may consider keeping the house of your choice and 4 gourds mounted under the house. Personally, I have that at my site at the present time. I have 2 Super Gourds with Round Holes and 2 Troyer Horizontal Gourds with Excruder Holes. I am using ROUND holes on the houses, as the martins love the round holes. I do monitor and keep close watch on the houses with round holes, as the sparrows and starlings love them also. After I get my colony started, I will gradually change over to crescent holes after I have an established colony.
Hoping soon that I WON'T be . . . . .
" Beggin4Birds "
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Carlton
- Posts: 1959
- Joined: Tue May 17, 2005 6:42 pm
- Location: Florida/Deerfield Beach
- Martin Colony History: I moved to South Florida, from Delaware, in August of 2015.
I care for a 6 condo Sunset House as well as two Deluxe Gourd Racks, with 24 Chirpynest/Excluder gourds, along a canal in Pompano Beach, Florida.
At Quiet Waters Park, nearby in Deerfield Beach, I care for a Deluxe Gourd Rack with 12 TVG's. I also care for a Deluxe Gourd rack with 12 Excluder gourds with Modified Excluder entrances. I am substituting 6 Chirpynest boxes for 6 of the Conley II entranced gourds in 2026.
At another local park, Tradewinds Park in Coconut Creek, I care for a Trendsetter 12, 5 gourds rack with 60 Excluder gourds with Modified Excluder Entrances and 1 Deluxe Gourd Rack with 12 Troyer Vertical Gourds with Starling Stoppers over the Conley II's to keep out smaller starlings.
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John Miller
- Posts: 4867
- Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2004 9:11 pm
- Location: St. Louis, MO
Begging
Noted that you said starlings love your round holes.
If starlings are attempting to actually nest in some of the round hole cavities, this reduces the odds of getting martins to stay. We do see examples of starlings nesting in unmanaged established sites along with martins, but I'm visualizing them snooping and running off martins at an unestablished site.
To use a few round holes, I suggest doing so on a very few 6 x 6 aluminum housing compartments. Starlings look in these and move on, but the units give martins a place to pop right in and bond with the site, often then choosing a deeper comparment with SREH.
If you are controlling visiting starlings by their quick demise, then your round holes on deeper gourds and such may be fine.
There is a site I know at a golf course just outside St. Louis...beautifully open by the river. The guy had large racks of natural gourds with round holes and two Coates aluminum houses with crescents. He fought starlings and tree swallows for two or three years by doing nest tear outs in the gourds and never got martins until he removed all the gourds and then had several martin pairs nest in the aluminum houses. All this may not relate to your site. Each site is different, I know.
Unrelated, there was a story in the last issue of Purple Martin Update profiling a Maryland landlord who has enjoyed martins for many years...if you haven't see it, you might enjoy it.
Good luck to you,
John M
Noted that you said starlings love your round holes.
If starlings are attempting to actually nest in some of the round hole cavities, this reduces the odds of getting martins to stay. We do see examples of starlings nesting in unmanaged established sites along with martins, but I'm visualizing them snooping and running off martins at an unestablished site.
To use a few round holes, I suggest doing so on a very few 6 x 6 aluminum housing compartments. Starlings look in these and move on, but the units give martins a place to pop right in and bond with the site, often then choosing a deeper comparment with SREH.
If you are controlling visiting starlings by their quick demise, then your round holes on deeper gourds and such may be fine.
There is a site I know at a golf course just outside St. Louis...beautifully open by the river. The guy had large racks of natural gourds with round holes and two Coates aluminum houses with crescents. He fought starlings and tree swallows for two or three years by doing nest tear outs in the gourds and never got martins until he removed all the gourds and then had several martin pairs nest in the aluminum houses. All this may not relate to your site. Each site is different, I know.
Unrelated, there was a story in the last issue of Purple Martin Update profiling a Maryland landlord who has enjoyed martins for many years...if you haven't see it, you might enjoy it.
Good luck to you,
John M
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NOMORE-Beggin4Birds
- Posts: 117
- Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2008 8:21 am
- Location: Walkersville, MD
HELLO : John Miller
Thanks for your post. Wanted to respond and let you know that is exactly what I plan to do with my 2 aluminum houses which are mounted on my rack that holds 2 houses. I plan to only open 1 or 2 holes on each side of both houses. THAT IS ALL !!! That give the martins a choice and helps me to control any starlings at the houses. NO sparrows or starlings at my site if I can help it, as I monitor my site VERY CLOSELY.
With all of the good advice, HOPEFULLY, I won't have to be . . . . . . . . . .
" Beggin4Birds " ( much longer ! )
Thanks for your post. Wanted to respond and let you know that is exactly what I plan to do with my 2 aluminum houses which are mounted on my rack that holds 2 houses. I plan to only open 1 or 2 holes on each side of both houses. THAT IS ALL !!! That give the martins a choice and helps me to control any starlings at the houses. NO sparrows or starlings at my site if I can help it, as I monitor my site VERY CLOSELY.
With all of the good advice, HOPEFULLY, I won't have to be . . . . . . . . . .
" Beggin4Birds " ( much longer ! )
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Perry D. Vogel
- Posts: 163
- Joined: Sat Jan 10, 2004 2:08 pm
- Location: North Dakota/Grand Forks
If you are in the southern region, there are other sites nearby, you have less than 30 units, and you have two or more poles, then YES you can have too many units. Your site might be viewed as a Ghost Town.
I would like you to answer the questions that I posted on this forum last year. I have a probability calculator and would like to use your statistics.
You can reply to the post from last year and I will get your information and run it through the calculator and tell you what I see.
Still trying... I want to hear from you.
http://www.purplemartin.org/forum/viewt ... ht=#134045
I would like you to answer the questions that I posted on this forum last year. I have a probability calculator and would like to use your statistics.
You can reply to the post from last year and I will get your information and run it through the calculator and tell you what I see.
Still trying... I want to hear from you.
http://www.purplemartin.org/forum/viewt ... ht=#134045
Best Regards
Perry D. Vogel
President, Cofounder
Phone +1 (218) 781 - 3689
Email [email protected]
Purple Martin Association of the Dakotas
Grand Forks, North Dakota
shop.PurpleMartinDakotas.org
Perry D. Vogel
President, Cofounder
Phone +1 (218) 781 - 3689
Email [email protected]
Purple Martin Association of the Dakotas
Grand Forks, North Dakota
shop.PurpleMartinDakotas.org
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Sandy - NC
- Posts: 617
- Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 6:40 pm
- Location: Rocky Mount, NC
I disagree, and don't think you can have too much housing up. Just make sure you have premade nests in each cavity and decoys up.
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NOMORE-Beggin4Birds
- Posts: 117
- Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2008 8:21 am
- Location: Walkersville, MD
Hi Again : Sandy - NC
Glad to hear back from you again ! Guess we are thinking pretty much alike with the exception of thinking about trying a few NATURAL gourds at our site. Your Dad's advice sure did work for you and bring you good luck and HOPEFULLY, it will do the same for us. Ordered 2 natural gourds with ROUND holes this past Friday, after reading your post to us. What a wonderful idea to still leave 1 up at your site in remembrance of your Dad ! This may be the thing that brings them here to our house this year to STAY ! Can't wait to get them up as soon as we receive them the later part of this week. The martins will be in our area around the last week in March and maybe a little sooner. Also, we already have premade nests in each cavity and there are several decoys mounted on the perches on top of 2 of the racks.
What is left to do ? Nothing, but to be patient, wait, and pray ! For those of you out there that have not yet read my post from the " beginning " on TOO MUCH HOUSING ? , please take time to read it ALL and it will explain EVERYTHING that I have at my site and EVERYTHING that I have done. If you have any other suggestions, please let us hear from you.
" SANDY " , just have a very GOOD feeling that your Dad's advice will do the trick for us ! FOR NOW, STILL . . . . . . .
" Beggin4Birds "
Glad to hear back from you again ! Guess we are thinking pretty much alike with the exception of thinking about trying a few NATURAL gourds at our site. Your Dad's advice sure did work for you and bring you good luck and HOPEFULLY, it will do the same for us. Ordered 2 natural gourds with ROUND holes this past Friday, after reading your post to us. What a wonderful idea to still leave 1 up at your site in remembrance of your Dad ! This may be the thing that brings them here to our house this year to STAY ! Can't wait to get them up as soon as we receive them the later part of this week. The martins will be in our area around the last week in March and maybe a little sooner. Also, we already have premade nests in each cavity and there are several decoys mounted on the perches on top of 2 of the racks.
What is left to do ? Nothing, but to be patient, wait, and pray ! For those of you out there that have not yet read my post from the " beginning " on TOO MUCH HOUSING ? , please take time to read it ALL and it will explain EVERYTHING that I have at my site and EVERYTHING that I have done. If you have any other suggestions, please let us hear from you.
" SANDY " , just have a very GOOD feeling that your Dad's advice will do the trick for us ! FOR NOW, STILL . . . . . . .
" Beggin4Birds "
Once again I think Emil has given a correct answer, as well as Sandy and some of the other posters. It may not help to have excessive housing, but I don't think it hurts. I would tend to think it often helps but never hurts.
T. Seber
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NOMORE-Beggin4Birds
- Posts: 117
- Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2008 8:21 am
- Location: Walkersville, MD
HELLO TO : T Seber
Thanks so much for posting your thoughts. The advice from you and all of those that have responded make me think that I have my ducks in order as far as my site an set-up. (EXCUSE ME) . . . I should say, my martins in order for their return this year. My site is ready for them and now all I can do is be patient and wait. As of right now, I am still . . .
" Beggin4Birds "
Thanks so much for posting your thoughts. The advice from you and all of those that have responded make me think that I have my ducks in order as far as my site an set-up. (EXCUSE ME) . . . I should say, my martins in order for their return this year. My site is ready for them and now all I can do is be patient and wait. As of right now, I am still . . .
" Beggin4Birds "