Need help Gourd set-up

volkmerk · Fri Mar 21, 2014 2:19 pm

I have a 6 gourd set up from SK Mnufacturing equiped with SREH's with my own perches/porch and rain covers attached. I have the telescoping pole mounted in a very clear flyway and have seen martins at other neighborhood locations (just a few birds) but have yet to have any hang out at my place. Can anyone comment about the SK Gourds and my set-up? Attached is a close up picture. I am a rookie trying to colonize some martins.

Emil Pampell-Tx · Fri Mar 21, 2014 2:28 pm

Best I can tell, your setup looks good. Just be patient, you will probably get some martins.

volkmerk · Fri Mar 21, 2014 2:38 pm

Thanks, I know there are some birdhouses out there on the market that are really not good for martins, howevere they make the claim they are "martin Houses". I was wondering if anyone had any martins living in the SK SREH 9 inch gourd set up?

CraigMo. · Fri Mar 21, 2014 2:54 pm

I hear of good maybe great remarks on sk gourds. I only hear bad remarks on the Whistle gourd and thats only because of how heavy they are. Your set up looks fine. Patience is what it takes. If you have the spare cash the Dawn song has worked for me(at least I think it did). Good luck.

Bill Hyde · Fri Mar 21, 2014 4:27 pm

Your Bo-9 gourds with the clinger entrances should do just fine. I use several of the same gourds and the martins love them. I'm pulling for you!

JL Murray · Fri Mar 21, 2014 5:08 pm

Just hang in there they will come.

birdy girl · Fri Mar 21, 2014 8:52 pm

It looks great and yes martins will love the gourds. We have one of the Bo9 gourds with clinger entrance and have a pair in it every year. Hope you get martins this year. I agree with Craig, dawn song will make any martins near your area come check out your setup. Also a few decoys might help.

sully · Sat Mar 22, 2014 12:05 am

The setup looks good. I agree about the dawn song CD. It will bring them to look around. Maybe a PM decoy or 2 would help.

Jose Rodriguez · Sat Mar 22, 2014 6:26 am

I agree with everyone on this one. Your set up looks good. I also have the Bo-9 gourds from S&K and we also use the telescopic pole. I am a newbie landlord but have been trying for 4 yrs. We had plastic houses in the past but never got Martins. I think it was also due to bad locations. We switched to nothing but gourds this year, moved the poles to an open field and played the dawn song every day and now we have 3 Martins. I also got rid of the porches and added cling plates due to unwanted sparrows landing on the porches. The Martins go in with no problem with the cling plates. Here is a link to our gourds and Martins. It was a rainy day but they just hung in there. lol Best of luck to you and they come for sure!

SoIndyDon · Sat Mar 22, 2014 7:09 am

Your set-up looks great. As said, just be patient.
About S&K Whistle gourds - I have 8 and love the design. The nesting area stays completely dry, and no owl could get to the nestlings in this world. The large compartment allows the nestlings to flex their developing wings.

Jose Rodriguez · Sat Mar 22, 2014 7:50 am

P.S. I am worried about owls getting to the nests. Not that I have seen one in the last 23 yrs, here but not taking any chances. So I have on order the wire owl guards to put on each gourd as soon as they come in.

volkmerk · Sat Mar 22, 2014 8:02 am

Oh Man, you veteran landlords are teaching me a lot. I have gourds with porches as seen in the attached picture. Then Jose showed me a picture of his SK 9 inch gourd set up with cling plates. Eureka! never thought about cling plates, I am so.... a newbie...
Can anyone comment on thier experience with cling plates and what to use?

NewMartinMan

volkmerk · Sat Mar 22, 2014 8:06 am

Well I have ordered the Dawn Song CD and cant wait to play. Ordered it Friday, hope it comes in soon so I can lure some floaters in this spring with my new set up. I have been trying for three years now. I had a bad house before, the compartements were too small and would only get the lone travelers for about 4-6 weeks, no nesting pairs.

NewMartinMan