Housing Location / Question

PM Pataskala · Thu Mar 30, 2017 11:24 pm

I have been trying to get martins for 5 years..... I am considering putting up another 6-8 gourds. I want to attach the pole to the dock at my pond (see pics). Is this a good idea or a bad one ? I want to put the pole at the RED X in the last picture.

The dock is used only for feeding the fish in the late afternoon.

Thanks in advance for your help........

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taxidermy lady · Fri Mar 31, 2017 6:02 am

I've done everything too! I'd move it out there! Looks like a lot of brush and trees! They just don't like that stuff!
They may feel safer over the water! Worth a try!
I've moved mine but just a few feet and still nothing!
Goodluck!

Archer · Fri Mar 31, 2017 6:56 am

I agree with the Lady, move it out a far as you can. On your existing gourds, it appears they are all facing your house. I can't tell if you have an open flyway in that direction but you might consider turning them so that they have an open fly way over the water. I know it wouldn't be the best for your viewing, but you need birds before viewing can happen.

A compromise might be turning half the gourds toward the water, good luck.

Ed Svetich-WI · Fri Mar 31, 2017 10:29 am

My gourd racks are on the lake shore and the gourds facing the lake are the first occupied every year. I agree that having some facing the water may be more attractive to martins. As martins leave the gourds, they drop and fly low over the water. You don't mention what attraction devices you are using. My first suggestion would be either Dawn Song or Daytime Chatter recordings. I rarely saw martins in the years before I finally attracted them. The first time that I played Dawn Song, I had martins within 30 minutes. Advertise your site all day if necessary. Moving the pole to the end of the dock will not hurt and it may help by giving martins more airspace on the side facing the house.

Another suggestion is to place a predator guard on your post. Raccoons are attracted to water and they will explore your gourds. I frequently see them around my gourd poles. The guards have always prevented them from climbing the poles. It would be a shame to get martins and lose them to either raccoons or snakes.

Ed Svetich-WI · Fri Mar 31, 2017 10:32 am

Duplicate post, sorry.

PM Pataskala · Fri Mar 31, 2017 12:48 pm

Thanks for the advice. I do have a predator guard. I will install if/when I get martins. The birds have 3 good open airways. The tall trees seen in the pics are 300+ feet away. I'm not moving my existing setup. I am considering adding another pole & BO11P with tunnels & Cooling Caps.

I play the DawnSong from 5:00 AM until noon. I'll change it to all day after there is activity in our area, none yet!

I turned 2 gourds facing the pond which is almost due West and there are tall pines on that side of the pond.

Thanks again for the help. This is MY year !!!! If I could buy martins I would pay up to $ 500.00 each for up to a dozen. (live birds only!)

Glynn B - LA · Fri Mar 31, 2017 1:37 pm

I would place the new gourds in between the small building and the water, leaving enough distance from the water to perform nest checks. I would for sure rip those two bushes up.

If you place the new rack on the dock, how would you be able to perform nest checks?

Glynn

PM Pataskala · Fri Mar 31, 2017 3:10 pm

If I put a new rack on the dock I will invent a method so I can rotate the whole rack. I know I don't have the best setup to attract Martins but I still want to try.