Hello All, is it easy for purple martins to enter and exit gourds with SREH openings without porches? And if so, can a colony be started using SREH's without porches?
Thanks in advance,
Steve
SREH's Without Porches
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Whippy
- Posts: 1023
- Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2017 11:15 pm
- Location: Plano, Texas
- Martin Colony History: See Signature
Steve,
I am not sure about that as I don't have any experience other than loading my housing with porches and perches. I would think if they are used to the SREH's then they'd plop right in. I do know that when I started my colony 4 years ago, the majority of birds using my gourds would spend some time negotiating the SREH's. So they would sit on the porch and work their way in. Once they got the hang of it they'd hit them almost on the fly.
I think most of the birds coming into my colony were raised in housing with the round holes as that's what most people in this area have been doing for so many years. They do make the change but not sure how they would react to the SREH's without perches. I hope someone chimes in with an an experienced answer.
BTW. I see you're in College Station. I have a ranch east of Bryan at HWY21 and FM 974 on the Navasota. I've been wanting to put of housing there but I'm not there enough to monitor it. WE have a guy living out there and I'll speak to him about monitoring the rack if I put it up.
Good luck to you.
Coolwhips.
I am not sure about that as I don't have any experience other than loading my housing with porches and perches. I would think if they are used to the SREH's then they'd plop right in. I do know that when I started my colony 4 years ago, the majority of birds using my gourds would spend some time negotiating the SREH's. So they would sit on the porch and work their way in. Once they got the hang of it they'd hit them almost on the fly.
I think most of the birds coming into my colony were raised in housing with the round holes as that's what most people in this area have been doing for so many years. They do make the change but not sure how they would react to the SREH's without perches. I hope someone chimes in with an an experienced answer.
BTW. I see you're in College Station. I have a ranch east of Bryan at HWY21 and FM 974 on the Navasota. I've been wanting to put of housing there but I'm not there enough to monitor it. WE have a guy living out there and I'll speak to him about monitoring the rack if I put it up.
Good luck to you.
Coolwhips.
2016 - many visitors
2017 - 1 pair, 3 fledged
2018- 2 pair, 12 fledged
2019 - 4 pair, 21 fledged
2020 - 15 pair, 67 fledged
2021 - 29 pair, 117 fledged
2022 - 35 pair, 130 fledged
2023 - 43 pair, 196 fledged
2017 - 1 pair, 3 fledged
2018- 2 pair, 12 fledged
2019 - 4 pair, 21 fledged
2020 - 15 pair, 67 fledged
2021 - 29 pair, 117 fledged
2022 - 35 pair, 130 fledged
2023 - 43 pair, 196 fledged
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jhcox
- Posts: 801
- Joined: Thu May 26, 2016 9:23 am
- Location: tennesse
- Martin Colony History: Started colony in 2014. 0 pairs
2015 0 pairs
2016 0 pairs
2017 0 pairs but visitors
2018 1 pair fledged 5
2019 10 pair
2020 25 pair
2021 42 Pair
2022 60 Pair
2023 72 Pair
2024 74 pair
2025 78 pair
Hi sjsmith as far as the super gourds that I have and the BO9s I have they can get in them fine without porches. I did add porches later just because I wanted them to hang out on the porches so I could watch them sitting there. And get better pictures of them. Hope ghat helps you out a little. JHCox
Thanks guys for the responses. I'm not even sure if I can get sreh's for my naturelines anymore. It appears naturelines went out of business. I can't seem to find them anywhere.
Best of luck to you both this year.
P.S. I used to manage a ranch in Navasota, Dawn's Promise Farms, Romagnola cattle right on the Navasota River off 105. That was years ago though.
Steve
Best of luck to you both this year.
P.S. I used to manage a ranch in Navasota, Dawn's Promise Farms, Romagnola cattle right on the Navasota River off 105. That was years ago though.
Steve
Steve Smith
I am a traction porch guy for sure because I discovered and recommended them some years ago.
There is another reason for porches, and specifically for an inner porch, that probably has not been greatly discussed. When your birds fledge, if there is an inner porch with the outer porch, and with gourds, plastic or natural, you can install both inner and outer as one porch, although that version is not available commercially...but to get on with it, if your young'uns fledge using an inner porch, then the minute they depart they will be able to return with little difficulty if a predator is after them because they learned to enter by learning to exit using an inner porch. Additionally, if they return the following year, they surely will have little difficulty entering your SREH having an outer porch.
Wouldn't it be nice if we followed Henry Ford and adopted "standardization of parts", ie, everybody had outer and inner porches...
There is another reason for porches, and specifically for an inner porch, that probably has not been greatly discussed. When your birds fledge, if there is an inner porch with the outer porch, and with gourds, plastic or natural, you can install both inner and outer as one porch, although that version is not available commercially...but to get on with it, if your young'uns fledge using an inner porch, then the minute they depart they will be able to return with little difficulty if a predator is after them because they learned to enter by learning to exit using an inner porch. Additionally, if they return the following year, they surely will have little difficulty entering your SREH having an outer porch.
Wouldn't it be nice if we followed Henry Ford and adopted "standardization of parts", ie, everybody had outer and inner porches...
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BIOteacher012
- Posts: 165
- Joined: Fri Mar 23, 2012 3:19 pm
- Location: Wisconsin/Montello
Hi Steve,
You can find some Natureline crescent entrances on Ebay if you look under plastic gourds. There is a person selling the extras that she has in Missouri. I just bought a bunch from her as well as some Natureline gourds.....all in new condition. Last I looked, the entrances were still posted.
Good luck.
Brian
You can find some Natureline crescent entrances on Ebay if you look under plastic gourds. There is a person selling the extras that she has in Missouri. I just bought a bunch from her as well as some Natureline gourds.....all in new condition. Last I looked, the entrances were still posted.
Good luck.
Brian
BrianT
2017 38 nesting pairs, 181 fledged
2016 22 nesting pairs, 113 fledged
2015 20 nesting pairs, 91 fledged
2014 10 nesting pairs, 49 fledged
2013 4 nesting pairs, 15 fledged
2012 Lots of lookers but no nesters
2017 38 nesting pairs, 181 fledged
2016 22 nesting pairs, 113 fledged
2015 20 nesting pairs, 91 fledged
2014 10 nesting pairs, 49 fledged
2013 4 nesting pairs, 15 fledged
2012 Lots of lookers but no nesters