SREH vs round question

Welcome to the internet's gathering place for Purple Martin enthusiasts
Post Reply
threelilkids
Posts: 386
Joined: Wed Feb 23, 2011 4:11 pm
Location: Denham Springs, La
Martin Colony History: 2014 1 pair 3 hatched 3 fledged
2015 1 pair 5 hatched 5 fledged
2016 1 pair 5 hatched 4 fledged
2017 2 pair 8 hatched 8 fledged
2018 4 pair 15 hatched

I have SREH in my PM house and in gourdes I added this year. I have martins landing and checking out the house and gourdes, but not going in, for 4 days now. They are coming for my neighbors overrun house. The martins are use to round holes, do you think they will figure it out or should I put round holes in some places?
Top
Vern1
Posts: 471
Joined: Fri Aug 03, 2007 2:06 pm
Location: Pettytown, Texas, US of A

If you have Starlings, leave the crescents.
If you don't have a Starling problem, I may would change out a few to round.
After they go in and out a few times, they get pretty good at it and you will be rewarded with many less frustrations from Starlings.
Cheers,
Joe
2015 - 40 cavities - 37 pair - fledged 172
2016 - 40 cavities - 38 pair - fledged 192
Hosting Purple Martins since 1976...Managing since 2006.
Top
AvianStewardess
Posts: 342
Joined: Wed May 09, 2012 3:10 pm
Location: Maryland/Cambridge

Don't use round if you see any starlings around, even if it just looks like they are passing through. I really think they can see from a distance what openings are available. They always are active earlier than the PM, too...at least at my site they are.
~Michelle
PMCA Member
Heritage Farm Quad Pod Systems
Top
threelilkids
Posts: 386
Joined: Wed Feb 23, 2011 4:11 pm
Location: Denham Springs, La
Martin Colony History: 2014 1 pair 3 hatched 3 fledged
2015 1 pair 5 hatched 5 fledged
2016 1 pair 5 hatched 4 fledged
2017 2 pair 8 hatched 8 fledged
2018 4 pair 15 hatched

Thanks alot, I am sooo nerves, I have a pair looking in all the SREH on house and gourds. They put their heads in but haven't gone in all the way
Top
Ben@SWMichiganPM
Posts: 26
Joined: Tue Feb 14, 2012 3:57 pm
Location: Michigan/New Buffalo & IL/Chicago

Two weeks ago I bought 4 troyer gourds with round entrances to attached to my trendsetter 12 house.

I never see Starlings so I thought I was good to go with round entrances.

I put the gourds up, go away for 5 days, come back to 4 starlings sitting on my house 2 gourds with completely filled nest the other two with the startings of nests.


Tunnel trap took care of 2 of them. But I just ordered 4 new SREH tunnels to switch out the rounds.

My neighbor has round holes and never has a problem. He puts it up in the begining of the year and doesnt take it down till fall. Never does nest checks. He has an old school Trio 12. They come back to it every year. He gets PM's doing very little. I don't get PM's trying to make it perfect for them.

Hoping we can both get them this year.
PMCA member. Trendsetter 12 system on Lake Michigan, 2011: 1 pair laid eggs, lots of vistors, 2012: added dawnsong and decoys, no luck (Had a wren take over the house), 2013 added four Troyer gourds to up my chances.
Top
GeneP
Posts: 525
Joined: Mon Jul 23, 2007 7:35 am
Location: Kansas, Lawrence
Martin Colony History: 1 gourd rack with 24 gourd capacity. 2018, my 11th year hosting martins.
18 pair in 2017.

It's not all that unusual for martins to peek, even enter a third of the way inside and back out. Especially in a new enviorment.
PMCA Member, Single Gourd Rack, 2019 marks 12 years hosting martins.
Top
threelilkids
Posts: 386
Joined: Wed Feb 23, 2011 4:11 pm
Location: Denham Springs, La
Martin Colony History: 2014 1 pair 3 hatched 3 fledged
2015 1 pair 5 hatched 5 fledged
2016 1 pair 5 hatched 4 fledged
2017 2 pair 8 hatched 8 fledged
2018 4 pair 15 hatched

That is what they are doing, going most of the way in and backing out, it makes me want to push them in :lol: I hope they stay, been peeking for 4 days now.
Top
Dennis D
Posts: 396
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2007 9:49 am
Location: Illinois/Swansea

threelilkids wrote:That is what they are doing, going most of the way in and backing out, it makes me want to push them in :lol: I hope they stay, been peeking for 4 days now.
Don't worry when they want in they will get in and then it's game on
Dennis D
Top
threelilkids
Posts: 386
Joined: Wed Feb 23, 2011 4:11 pm
Location: Denham Springs, La
Martin Colony History: 2014 1 pair 3 hatched 3 fledged
2015 1 pair 5 hatched 5 fledged
2016 1 pair 5 hatched 4 fledged
2017 2 pair 8 hatched 8 fledged
2018 4 pair 15 hatched

Thanks to all, I am staying with the SREH and biting my nails :lol:
Top
Jim 1990
Posts: 254
Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2004 11:08 am
Location: Fort wayne IN

I use SREH in combination with the repeating nest box trap when they try to enter the SREH then see that box with a nice big round entrance they go for that and once trapped they will not ever visit a SREH or a round entrance anymore I know with the many years I have had this trap up the there are a lot less starlings at my colony .
The martins will learn to use the SREH and slip right in . I was nerves about using them to . But it gives me peace of mind using them knowing that the martins have more protection from the needle beaks.
Top
Post Reply

Return to “Purple Martin Forum”