This year I added tunnels with sreh to all my gourds...
I have 5 pair back so far this year and tonight I saw a starling TRYING to get in several with NO success...wonderful sight!!!
Hurray for SREH's !!!
I have had round holes ever since I started getting martins and have always battled the starlings...
This year I added tunnels with sreh to all my gourds...
I have 5 pair back so far this year and tonight I saw a starling TRYING to get in several with NO success...wonderful sight!!!
This year I added tunnels with sreh to all my gourds...
I have 5 pair back so far this year and tonight I saw a starling TRYING to get in several with NO success...wonderful sight!!!
2012 - 23 pair
2011 - 15 pair
2010 - 6 pair
2009 - 5 pair
2008 - 1 pair
2007 - 0
2006 - 0
2011 - 15 pair
2010 - 6 pair
2009 - 5 pair
2008 - 1 pair
2007 - 0
2006 - 0
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flyin-lowe
- Posts: 3789
- Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2006 8:49 am
- Location: Indiana/Henry Co.
I have used SREH since I started trying to attract martins several years ago. I can't imagine what it was like for people who had starling problems before there was SREH. I have tons more starlings in the area then I do HOSP but I don't worry much about them as I have never seen them breach an SREH. I live in farm country and I think with all the feed around the starling stay nice and fat.
2026 HOSP 27
2025 62 pair HOSP 20
2024 60 pair, HOSP 44
2023 60+ pair, HOSP 8
2022 60 nests with 262 eggs, HOSP 14
2021 62 pair, HOSP 9
2020 42 nest, HOSP 8
2019- 31 pair
2018- 15 pair 49 fledged
2017 3 SY pair, 12 eggs , fledged 10. 4 additional lone SY's
2016 1 pair fledged 4
2015 Visitors
2014 Visitors
2013 Moved 6 miles, 1 pair fledged 2.
2012 30 pair fledged 100.
2011 12 pair 43 fledged.
2010 5 pair 14 fledged.
2025 62 pair HOSP 20
2024 60 pair, HOSP 44
2023 60+ pair, HOSP 8
2022 60 nests with 262 eggs, HOSP 14
2021 62 pair, HOSP 9
2020 42 nest, HOSP 8
2019- 31 pair
2018- 15 pair 49 fledged
2017 3 SY pair, 12 eggs , fledged 10. 4 additional lone SY's
2016 1 pair fledged 4
2015 Visitors
2014 Visitors
2013 Moved 6 miles, 1 pair fledged 2.
2012 30 pair fledged 100.
2011 12 pair 43 fledged.
2010 5 pair 14 fledged.
Hi I have done the same thing this year switching round to sreh tunnels.as of today I have 3 adult males and 2 adult females back.they showed up late tonight and 2 males could not get in so they left.the others made it look so easy.I'm hopeing the others are back early and spend the day trying untill they figure it out.I could never imagine having round holes ever
again!
again!
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Laverne
- Posts: 2216
- Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2004 1:58 pm
- Location: TX/Alvin
- Martin Colony History: Erected 1st house in 1997. Birds were checking it out before Mike got down from the ladder. Six cavities had a little colony 1st year. Grown to 88 cavities all gourds with near 100% occupancy. Most important factor for success is rain = bugs.
I'll 2nd that!!!Hurray for SREH!
Sincerely,
Laverne
Laverne
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Louise Chambers
- Site Admin
- Posts: 6208
- Joined: Tue Nov 04, 2003 1:07 pm
- Location: Corpus Christi, TX
While there have been many helpful modifications and developments over the years, I will always remember Charles McEwen, designer of the original crescent entrance :-) A sweet, lovely, and very intelligent man who gave the martin community one of the most valuable ideas since manageable housing came from J L Wade.
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Emil Pampell-Tx
- Posts: 6743
- Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 1:26 pm
- Location: Tx, Richmond (SW of Houston)
- Martin Colony History: First started in Gretna, La in 1969 with a small homemade house, have had martins ever since at 2 different homes in Texas
I second what you said, Louise. The SREH do work.
The SREH when mounted near the floor make it nearly impossible for a starling to enter, but some occasionally do enter. I also noticed that some large ASY males have a lot of trouble entering these low SREH, and you actually may lose an occasional male that will leave and go to another colony because of the SREH. Its a good tradeoff because the starlings can do so much damage so quickly.
We have very few starlings, so I keep a few SREH that are oversized, I do that so the large males can enter them and stay here. I also occasionally find a starling nesting in one of those oversized gourds. I had one last year, and one this year. I shot the males, but had trouble getting rid of the females. On the last one, I ripped out her hugh nest, and put a mouse trap into the gourd. I never could get a shot at her with the pellet rifle. She came back, went into the gourd, and suddenly she came out, hopped all over the gourd rack, and left, and never came back. I checked the gourd, the mouse trap was closed, so I removed it, and some martins immediately moved into that gourd.
The SREH when mounted near the floor make it nearly impossible for a starling to enter, but some occasionally do enter. I also noticed that some large ASY males have a lot of trouble entering these low SREH, and you actually may lose an occasional male that will leave and go to another colony because of the SREH. Its a good tradeoff because the starlings can do so much damage so quickly.
We have very few starlings, so I keep a few SREH that are oversized, I do that so the large males can enter them and stay here. I also occasionally find a starling nesting in one of those oversized gourds. I had one last year, and one this year. I shot the males, but had trouble getting rid of the females. On the last one, I ripped out her hugh nest, and put a mouse trap into the gourd. I never could get a shot at her with the pellet rifle. She came back, went into the gourd, and suddenly she came out, hopped all over the gourd rack, and left, and never came back. I checked the gourd, the mouse trap was closed, so I removed it, and some martins immediately moved into that gourd.
PMCA Member, 250 gourds, 6 poles, 2traps