suggestions on best possible pole placement

brokensword · Tue Mar 21, 2023 12:25 pm

: possible PM pole placement.jpg (341.34 KiB) Viewed 2312 times

The red circle is where I'm planning on putting the pole; the greenery to the south are lilac bushes, 7' tall. I figure this circle is the best place as it's furthest from the tall trees. I also have it placed so it's in sight of the enclosed pondhouse. I'd like to know what others think re placement? Too, would it be better to place it right next to the house, between pondhouse and house proper, so as to discourage predation? There is a chimney within 20 of such a spot and I worried a hawk might use it as a launchpad.

CTMartins · Tue Mar 21, 2023 1:02 pm

dont see a pic

brokensword · Tue Mar 21, 2023 1:09 pm

CTMartins wrote: ↑
Tue Mar 21, 2023 1:02 pm
dont see a pic

yep, sorry; I just added it now.

deancamp · Tue Mar 21, 2023 2:47 pm

Is the clear looking rectangle the pond house? How tall is it? You will want to stay in the most open area so the Martins have more time to see a potential attack coming.

brokensword · Tue Mar 21, 2023 2:56 pm

deancamp wrote: ↑
Tue Mar 21, 2023 2:47 pm
Is the clear looking rectangle the pond house? How tall is it? You will want to stay in the most open area so the Martins have more time to see a potential attack coming.

Yes; the walls are 8' off the ground, so I was originally going to put the gourds up at 15'. I usually have a mosquito netting across the pondhouse for bug control. I thought to have it near where we are often present as well as furthest from the 3 taller trees nearby. The lilacs just south of the red circle are at 7' and I thought to actually lower them this year.

Too, the tall trees to the sw, in my neighbor's yard, are all no longer there, which helps. I have one 15' old sassafras tree nearby but it's dying and has very little foliage in the summer. I have a taller black locust to the SE and two maples near the driveway on the west/nw side.

deancamp · Tue Mar 21, 2023 7:18 pm

Would you be against putting it NW of where you have marked, slightly forward of your house and in front of your pond house? Seems to be a more overall open area with better flyways from each direction. Playing the dawn song is the number one attractant after getting your house set in the best spot. Anything you can do to make your housing look lived in is beneficial.

flyin-lowe · Tue Mar 21, 2023 7:42 pm

It will be tough with all those trees. I have seen several martin houses in my area that are close to tall trees but the colonies were there first and over the years the trees have grown around them. One place I took some pictures of years ago had branches touching the top of the house.

brokensword · Wed Mar 22, 2023 12:22 am

deancamp wrote: ↑
Tue Mar 21, 2023 7:18 pm
Would you be against putting it NW of where you have marked, slightly forward of your house and in front of your pond house? Seems to be a more overall open area with better flyways from each direction. Playing the dawn song is the number one attractant after getting your house set in the best spot. Anything you can do to make your housing look lived in is beneficial.

not adverse at all, that's why I'm asking the experts here their opinion. Are you saying to put it nearer the house, at the NW corner of the pondhouse? It would be about 15' away from the house if so. I was a bit worried about the two large maples, one near the garage and one further to the west; those are the higher ones, along with a black locust in the SE corner of the backyard/pondhouse. I figure the locust is not very dense and fairly open, so might not be much cover for a hawk. There's a choke cherry just north of that that is better for that purpose. I figured I had a fairly open area to the south (my neighbor's yard), though he's got some evergreen type trees that will eventually grow tall but I didn't think hawks would use them for ambushes. Appreciate your input.

brokensword · Wed Mar 22, 2023 12:25 am

flyin-lowe wrote: ↑
Tue Mar 21, 2023 7:42 pm
It will be tough with all those trees. I have seen several martin houses in my area that are close to tall trees but the colonies were there first and over the years the trees have grown around them. One place I took some pictures of years ago had branches touching the top of the house.

the pic shows a lot of tall foliage to the west (in my neighbor's yard, to the south) which thankfully, are now gone. The only real height/density is the two maples on my west side, one near the house and driveway and one further west. Those are the ones I think would offer a hawk the most cover. It's the tree where I DID see a hawk a few years back. Would putting it nearer the house, say moving it north to the NW corner of the pondhouse work better? There's only the chimney (ranch home) but it does bring it closer to the two maples in question.

h2y · Wed Mar 22, 2023 5:40 am

Disregard.

h2y · Wed Mar 22, 2023 5:55 am

Disregard.

Jones4381 · Wed Mar 22, 2023 6:15 am

That is most definitely the best location you have available. The trees gone from your neighbors yard to the SW opens it up more. I would trim the lialac bushes to about 2 feet...can't kill a bush, it'll keep coming back. It's a tough layout but I believe you're putting in the best location you can with the options that you have. I'd get rid of the black locust if you're not to attached to it. I have a black locust closest to my racks and going to take it out but just been lazy and hasn't deterred any birds or given cover for attacks as of yet but wife says she want's it gone this year so guess it will be gone soon. Good luck.

PS edit: I personally would take out most of the things along my side of that wall... Hard to tell from the photo but the things due west and east gone would open it up dramatically...the Maples are of no worry looks like they are a good 100 feet + from what I can gather.... Keep us updated with your progress.

brokensword · Wed Mar 22, 2023 9:11 am

Jones4381 wrote: ↑
Wed Mar 22, 2023 6:15 am
That is most definitely the best location you have available. The trees gone from your neighbors yard to the SW opens it up more. I would trim the lialac bushes to about 2 feet...can't kill a bush, it'll keep coming back. It's a tough layout but I believe you're putting in the best location you can with the options that you have. I'd get rid of the black locust if you're not to attached to it. I have a black locust closest to my racks and going to take it out but just been lazy and hasn't deterred any birds or given cover for attacks as of yet but wife says she want's it gone this year so guess it will be gone soon. Good luck.

PS edit: I personally would take out most of the things along my side of that wall... Hard to tell from the photo but the things due west and east gone would open it up dramatically...the Maples are of no worry looks like they are a good 100 feet + from what I can gather.... Keep us updated with your progress.

thanks for the advice! The locust was planted not too many years ago and there is some attachment as it's one of the few spring-blooming trees I have. Also planted it with my son, so...I'll keep watch and if it becomes a hawk launching perch, there will be serious thought re taking it down (esp since it's grown so fast, if I want it down, best when it's still within my purview). I was planning on lowering the lilacs already. And if I get someone in the area already cutting, I may get an estimate for the choke cherry. Would you say closer to the house might help? I'm hoping being near the pondhouse where we hang out a lot is a benefit, though I doubt a hawk would be that aware if I have the roof netting on. Still, sounds of talking and the audio system will be going on.

deancamp · Wed Mar 22, 2023 9:27 am

Stand in the center of your biggest most open area. Look in each direction for direct line for flyways ( birds coming and going). If you have several good flyways where your standing, that will be your spot. It will be close enough to your pond house regardless of its exact location.

Jones4381 · Wed Mar 22, 2023 11:03 am

Deancamp's suggestion is correct imo. It will be close to your pool and give you the best chance of attracting Martins, observing what's happening, and enjoying the process in clear view of an area that the family enjoys spending time. Good luck...Hopefully you'll have many visitors this year checking it out and you never know maybe someone takes up residence this year....they're probably getting close to your area in the next 4-5 weeks. You're doing yourself a favor in being picky about where to mount...it's probably the most important decision in the whole process...wish I'd have done it as I moved poles several times before finding the ideal spot.... just looking at the photo I would have guessed due west of the center of your pool house about 25-30 feet away but one can only gather so much from an overhead shot. Best wishes.

brokensword · Wed Mar 22, 2023 11:05 am

Jones4381 wrote: ↑
Wed Mar 22, 2023 11:03 am
Deancamp's suggestion is correct imo. It will be close to your pool and give you the best chance of attracting Martins, observing what's happening, and enjoying the process in clear view of an area that the family enjoys spending time. Good luck...Hopefully you'll have many visitors this year checking it out and you never know maybe someone takes up residence this year....they're probably getting close to your area in the next 4-5 weeks. You're doing yourself a favor in being picky about where to mount...it's probably the most important decision in the whole process...wish I'd have done it as I moved poles several times before finding the ideal spot....

ha, yeah, didn't think I'd want to move the pole year to year, so better to ask those who've blazed the trail ahead of me! This forum is a wealth of helpful advice and I'm deeply appreciative!

CTMartins · Fri Mar 24, 2023 9:19 am

Not to be negative but if I was a bird I'd see one fly way in and one out and so would hawks perched in wait. I think if you really wanna be a landlord you're odds will increase if you remove some old half dead trees. Which I say because you dont wanna remove any really young tress. You have alot of Hawk perches

CTMartins · Fri Mar 24, 2023 9:21 am

Can you show what it looks like if satellite is old? laso plan to have hawk guards on everything.

brokensword · Fri Mar 24, 2023 10:34 am

CTMartins wrote: ↑
Fri Mar 24, 2023 9:21 am
Can you show what it looks like if satellite is old? laso plan to have hawk guards on everything.

that photo was the latest I could find. I'll try and photoshop up what it looks like without the neighbors' trees.

[edit] adding current aerial + line of sight pics. All are from where I propose to put the pole.

230324 - se, east, ne pano copy copy.jpg: (966.85 KiB) Not downloaded yet

230324 - west nw pano copy copy.jpg: (789.15 KiB) Not downloaded yet

230324 - south pano copy copy.jpg: (742.14 KiB) Not downloaded yet

: possible PM pole placement2.jpg (364.9 KiB) Viewed 2138 times

brokensword · Fri Mar 24, 2023 11:44 am

CTMartins wrote: ↑
Fri Mar 24, 2023 9:19 am
Not to be negative but if I was a bird I'd see one fly way in and one out and so would hawks perched in wait. I think if you really wanna be a landlord you're odds will increase if you remove some old half dead trees. Which I say because you dont wanna remove any really young tress. You have alot of Hawk perches

I uploaded some current pics as response to your next reply. I do have a few young trees. The older ones, taller ones, are mostly on the perimeter.