Pesky Sparrow - will they ever give up?

[SE Wisc hopefull]

Thanks Rob,

Pretty sure my window for getting a mating pair is closed for this year, so now will just continue to lower HOSP population with hope that the young male visitor will survive and bring back friends next year

Rob in SE Wisc

[Martintown33]

Keep trying wisc! Wishing you the best of luck.. I hope he comes back and brings plenty of friends!
Rob

[BillieJR]

Rob in SE WI - if your window is closing, mine is, too, then. According to my calendar from last year - I had several martins visiting yet in mid to late June last year so I am still holding on to a slim ray of hope! I hope we both get lucky yet. Just one pair - ONE PAIR! Is that too much to ask? lol! Good luck!

[SE Wisc hopefull]

Billie
I hope your right that we still hope . Yesterday I had the young male in the morning and later I. The day a female visitor was hanging around. They missed each other … so tragic. Maybe tomorrow God willing.
Rob

[charlesgremillion]

I set up perches that extend about 20" from my S & K houses and shoot House Sparrows when they perch on them without damaging my houses.

[C.C.Martins]

I set up perches that extend about 20" from my S & K houses and shoot House Sparrows when they perch on them without damaging my houses.

Now that is a fantastic idea. Can I steal it?

[wmfamily]

A couple things is you need many different types of traps to match what the sparrows want and you need to plan to trap all year long. I have just about every type of trap made and have my best luck with the flip top type and use cheap chicken feathers for bait (get them from a hobby store). They can't seem to pass them by. I take a twist tie and tie them to the bottom or they will fly off with them if one blows out. I've found many that made their way to a nest. The other trap that works well is the in cavity type, whether gourd or box cavity. I let them get bonded to the cavity and then place the trap inside. More often than not I will catch one as they come back with more nesting junk. And as you did I use them as bait in the flip top trap.

One really important thing to remember is to never let one escape a trap. You will never catch it again in any trap.

Good luck!

[Thomabear]

Tom's advise to move the house closer to your home would pay dividends. The martins will feel more protected and the persistent sparrows will be at a better shooting distance. Also, never underestimate the benefit of an accurate pellet rifle and quality pellets. The goal is one shot one kill. If you miss you have given that sparrow an education that will make it even more difficult to remove him. My comprehensive sparrow plan includes a blain's repeating trap (my most successful), a nest cavity trap, A 22 cal pellet rifle, shop window, lawn chair & beer . Last year I nearly wiped them out which equated to only a handful needing removal this year. Good luck getting them!

[C.C.Martins]

Tom's advise to move the house closer to your home would pay dividends. The martins will feel more protected and the persistent sparrows will be at a better shooting distance. Also, never underestimate the benefit of an accurate pellet rifle and quality pellets. The goal is one shot one kill. If you miss you have given that sparrow an education that will make it even more difficult to remove him. My comprehensive sparrow plan includes a blain's repeating trap (my most successful), a nest cavity trap, A 22 cal pellet rifle, shop window, lawn chair & beer . Last year I nearly wiped them out which equated to only a handful needing removal this year. Good luck getting them!

Amen, think you nailed it with the words comprehensive....and beer haha.....nest box trap won't get them all, spare o doors, blains trap won't either, accurate pellet gun certainly reaches out and thumps them. A combination of all is deadly and martins are safer. I read sandy bunns post about pellets once, he would look at all his pellets and toss the ones with a bent skirt. Thought (at the time) he took a bit too much time with his pellets. Damned if he wasn't right. Missed some shots I shouldn't have, started checking pellets....now I toss the dented ones!

[Thomabear]

Same here Tom, pellets with bent skirts gotta go.

[rjm2]

Good luck with those dang sparrows. I have good luck trapping the dang things using nesting material as bait in my traps.

I have to share what I saw a few weeks ago regarding a sparrow. A few weeks ago, I noticed the adult male going crazy with half of his body in a cavity (not his nest cavity). A few seconds later, he pulled a sparrow out of the cavity, pinned it down by it's neck and viciously attacked the sparrow for at least 15 seconds. It was great to see. I did not see that sparrow return to my colony! Martins 1, Sparrows 0!

[sonnya]

I gave up trying to shooo off the sparrows. After doing so it seems my birds accepted the mating pair and left them alone. It seems the sparrows are housekeepers and clean rooms.