GCF's must be smart!!!!!!!

Paul Stein · Mon Apr 25, 2011 7:01 pm

OK here is a new one on me. I have 9 nesting pair. Have had a pair of Greater Crested Flycatchers fighting with the martins for a few days now. Of course the martins run them off because of the numbers ( a lot against 2) My wife just told me there is some kind of bird on the gourd rack with something in its mouth. I looked and saw the pair of GFC's and the female flew partially into a gourd with a active nest (no eggs yet) and put something in it with a few inches of this material hanging out. Martins are not back yet for the evening so I went out to see what it was and it is a 10 1/2 inch SNAKE SKIN. I could not believe it. I have predator and snake guards in place but had not planned on sabotage from GFC's!!!!!! I am glad I went out there because I have had a snake attack before with terrible results. Not sure what the reaction would have been when the martins returned but I do not think they would have liked it. I know this sounds like something made up but I am sitting here looking at the shed right now. Wow- with all the other things we guard against now GFC's!!!Paul

Allan Day · Mon Apr 25, 2011 7:27 pm

They like snake skins. I had a pair nest in my gourd rack with no problem. They never bothered the Martins as the rack was only 50% occupied at the time. I let them stay with no issues. They fledged four. Their nest was made with LOTS of snake skins.

Guest · Tue Apr 26, 2011 1:49 pm

Put up a single gourd 50-75 feet away from your martin housing and the GFC's may move there. I had a pair of GFC's checking out my martin house a few years back and I made a small wooden birdhouse (got the dimensions on-line for a GFC house) and put it in a tree ~ 75 ft. from my martin house and they moved right over and have been coming back for the last 4 years. I still do not have any martins in the martin house but the GFC's come back every year now and go to the original house I put up for them 4 years ago.
Good Luck.

Paul Stein · Tue Apr 26, 2011 4:46 pm

Yes thanks Bill, I have done this the last 2 years. They usually select a gourd on a rack I have up that the martins apparently don't like. When they nest I can move it to a pole further away from the martins so everyone lives in peace.They usually don't fight as much as they seem to be this year however I have more pair of martins than the last couple of years(yea). But I have never had GFC's try to take over a nest the martins are using.Thanks, Paul