I have had much trouble with Cooper's hawks picking martins off my gourds. Before I put up the guard last year, I saw the hawks catch 5 the first month the martins were here. Since I have the guard, I have seen the hawks come in numerous times, but I have never seen them be successful.
I realize the guard is not the most attractive thing I have ever seen and you need neighbors who are sympathetic to your cause. I am sure there are other arangements than the one I have used. When hawks try to go under or over, they tend to lack surprise and speed to pick the martins off the porches and they can not pursue them when martins take off because the hawks will not and probably can not fly between the strips.
I am enclosing a photo. I realize this is not a solution that many people would find attractive, but, for me, it has stopped successful attacks.
Cooper's hawk guard
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Peggy Riley
- Posts: 885
- Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 1:21 pm
- Location: TX/Tolar
If it works I wouldn't care what it looks like. I can certainly see that it would cause confusion on the hawks part. It's a creative idea!
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KathyF
- Posts: 3522
- Joined: Thu May 24, 2007 1:57 pm
- Location: Missouri/Licking
- Martin Colony History: Colony started - 2007 with one pair
As of 2018 - 84 cavities offered, max # of pairs hosted - 82.
I wouldn't care either...what is the main body of the guard made of? Is it homemade?
"Sometimes", said Pooh, "the smallest things take up the most room in your heart."
2023 - 82 pair
2022 - 80 pair
2021 - 75 pair
2020 - 78 pair
2019 - 80 pair
http://kathyfreeze.blogspot.com
2023 - 82 pair
2022 - 80 pair
2021 - 75 pair
2020 - 78 pair
2019 - 80 pair
http://kathyfreeze.blogspot.com
they can not pursue them when martins take off because the hawks will not and probably can not fly between the strips.
To put things in perspective, some years back there was a Sharp-shinned Hawk one winter in Massachussetts filmed passing through the 4" gap between the seed hopper and the tray of a bird feeder at about 40 mph.
Cooper's Hawks regularly pull off similar stunts, to the point that many of them have healed breastbone fractures.
But if that netting spooks 'em in some way I'm all for it.
Birdwatcher
Scully brought a bit of reality to my situation. I guess I will have to hope the hawks "will not" go through ithe ribbons even though it is clear I was wrong to say they "can not.". There is little doubt that they will still catch some, but I hope it will reduce their success!