This photo shows one of my modified PMCA Deluxe Gourd racks with a combination of standard and funnel natural gourds. To use my natural funnel gourds on this rack, I had to add extenders to the horizontal rods as they were too short. These extenders are copper tubing and they have worked fine. Some of the funnel gourds have PVC couplers attached to the gourd ends to create a longer initial tunnel. When I cut the gourd necks, the funnel area was too short, so I added the PVC couplers. The inside of the couplers is roughed up some and adhesive smeared over it to create a substrate that martins can easily climb. Also, I added No. 10 plastic coated copper wire perches to each coupler to further assist the martins. Martins have flourished in my funnel gourds.
It looks like you hade almost 100% occupancy in this rack.
PMCA member and Martin fanatic....
2011 A pair of subbies fledged three young but none returned in 2012
2015 One Pair of subbies came and stayed a few nits but got chased away by Bluebirds and Tree swallows.
2017 0ne pair of subbies nested and fledged 4 young
2018 Tree Swallows AGAIN chased away any martins that wanted to nest
2019 Same old story................
The funnel gourds on this rack had 100 % occupancy and fledged many youngsters! I hope to use more of these type gourds in the future and more vertically deep woodpecker and horizontal gourds, too. Martins really like these gourds.
Since the 2006 martin season is near, I have re-activated this photo of one of my PMCA Deluxe racks that has been modified to hold my natural funnel gourds. This rack has a combination of funnels and traditional naturals. As you can see, martins LIKE these gourds! Martins have flourished in these funnel gourds. To use these gourds on this rack, I had to add copper tubing extenders to accomodate the gourd length and keep them from hitting against other gourds.
Steve do you think adding those copper extenders would be nice just to
add more sitting room for the martins, all my gourds are standard but
looking at your photo it looks as if they might have a little more sitting
room what do you think and if so where did you get your copper. Thanks
Yes, I believe the copper extenders are excellent added perches to the PMCA Deluxe rack. The martins often perched on the copper tubing. One possible enhancement to the PMCA's excellent Deluxe rack system would be using slightly longer hanging rods, particularly for horizontal natural gourds and Troyers. The more perching space available on a rack the better in my opinion. The Lone Star rack system provides the traditional crossbar approach and if you use the cable configuration there is a LOT of perching space for the martins. I am in the process of installing another Lone Star gourd rack system to accomodate 16 new large natural gourds.
In the early mornings at my new colony in Louisiana, the martins would gather in large numbers on my PMCA Deluxe racks with the copper tubing extenders. There the martins socialized and vocalized while perching.
I bought my copper tubing at a local hardware store. You can get it at Lowes or Home Depot. It comes in a roll or straight tubing. I bought a roll and it is flexible and can be stretched out. But copper is soft and you don't want to use real long pieces to hang gourds from. I use just a small extention from the PMCA horizontal rods and part of my gourd hanging wire is still attached to the PMCA steel rods. This provides a strong foundation. But the extended copper on my racks is strong enough to support martins perching there.
My next door neighbor uses plastic garden stakes that he attaches to his wooden T-14 houses and they make excellent perches. You can buy these at Lowes. I believe these stakes could be attached to the PMCA racks systems, too.
Hi Steve. Speaking of perching rods, I have been attaching atop my lone star gourd racks pieces of river cane that I cut along side the roadways each season. I put 4 atop the gourd rack running parallel to the wire, or between the gourd arms. I used to put dowels up there, but they were barely long enough, and the river cane I put up there is 6 or 7 feet long and extends well out past the system itsself. The cane is about all the martins will use to perch anymore. I think they like natural perches. Free and effective.
Have a great season. jb
~~TEAMED WITH A MARTIN GODDESS~~
Member/Mentor-PMCA. I do regular nestchecks and participate in PROJECT MARTINWATCH!! Coordinated 3 geolocator studies-2009, 2010 & 2013. State and Fed licensed bander (retired Jan., 2020)
Thank you for that suggestion about perching rods. I believe I saw some of your racks with the cane perching rods in one of the PMCA Updates. I will look for the wild cane in our area. I believe I could add such perches to both my Lone Star and PMCA rack systems. Martins love to perch around their nesting sites. The cane with its natural feel should be well liked by martins. Wishing you great success with your martin colonies in 2006.
Hey Steve........Great pix from which this newbe can see all kinds of possibilities. All, of the response resulting, from your post has been helpful, to me. I will be growing my bird house gourds this summer. This pix almost shows it all.
I am glad you liked the picture. If you go back through the Forum postings, you will find some other photos of various gourd designs I use. Martins LOVE natural gourds and I have used them for around 40 years. I am in the process of finally painting the remainder of my natural gourds for the 2006 season! I better hurry up as the first martins typically arrive in my area of northwest Louisiana around the first or second week in February.
A material that makes very strong gourd rack hangers or perching rods is metal conduit. It comes in 10 foot lengths at Home centers. The half inch is about 3 or 4 dollars, and the three quarter is about 5.50. It is very strong and galvanized (to prevent rust). I have some gourd racks that have been exposed for several years and there are no signs of rust or weakening. It's also thin enough that you can drill through it with a simple drill motor and inexpensive drill bits.
I also use it for mounting posts for blue bird boxes, as it drives into the ground very easily. To keep it from swiveling, I drill a hole and stick a bolt or nail through it just below ground level, then cover it and pack with dirt.
Yes, you are correct! My neighbor uses the metal conduit for his gourd racks and he has both SuperGourds and naturals. I have used it in the past for some of my homemade gourd racks. Thanks for the mentioning this material.
Hello Steve,
I have questions for you on the perches on the deluxe gourd rack. I was thinking of putting plastic garden stakes on the rack for longer perches too, but was wondering how would you put them on? Would you use stainless steel 0-rings that you put the perch against the rack rod and tighten it to make them snug? I would probably use two to snug it better. What do you think? Do you think these 0-rings would hold and if not what would you use? Thanks John!
The post suggesting using cane for perch rods got me thinking. If I were a martin on July 4th, would I rather be have a grip on a metal rod or natural cane? One gets pretty hot the other wouldn't.
Anyone thinks this would make any difference?
Cane is britle after it dries. Worst case is you may need to replace it every year or two. It's abudant where I live and you can't beat the price. Hmmm.......
I think the stainless O-rings would work and two would probably hold the plastic garden stakes tightly against the metal rods. I am thinking about doing that with many of PMCA Deluxe hanging rods. In my opinion, there should be more perching space above the gourds on these racks as the martins are often reluctant to perch inside the tight circular system. Every hanging rod should really extend out farther so that there is space above each gourd for easy perching. I would like to see about a foot of open perching space. On the bottom tiers of my PMCA Deluxe racks without any of my copper tubing extenders around, the martins often would just flutter around their gourds without any place to perch. These martins either would try to perch on the rain canopies, hang on the entrance holes or eventually fly up to the top perch. I am using a PMCA Deluxe rack with 18 Super Gourds and there are currently no horizontal gourds with my extended copper tubing on it. The lack of perching space is obvious for the bottom two tiers. So, this rack will be a high priority to add more perching. I don?t have this perching issue with my Lone Star crossbars because of plenty of areas to perch.
Steve
Hogwild,
I believe that martins like many perching birds have limited sensitivity in their feet to ?normal? heat/cold sensation. So a martin may not experience much discomfort perching on a metal rod during the summer. I have seen martins perching on my metal perches all during June and July without any apparent problems. However, a more natural feel from cane may be preferred by martins. It is something to think about!
Personally, I'd go with regular wooden dowels. I've got a perch using these, that I've had up for a couple three years now, and haven't had any bust yet. I don't have PMs, but I've got lots of other birds, and they love to sit on the perches. If one alreade had metal, they could just drill down through the metal perches, and through the dowels, then hook the wooden dowels on with small long (Long enough for a washer and nut would be fine) bolt. Seems like either Cane, or wooden dowels would have more grip for the birds than would the metal conduit. CUL Lou
Hello Steve!
I will be using these plastic garden stakes as perches! Maybe even try some wooden dowels too as CUL Lou mention but would be concern for them snapping. My question is how far from the gourd entrance do you go out with the perch? Six inches or more? Thanks John!
I also use the wooden dowels on my Grandpa, but I think I might add some to my deluxe gourd rack this year. I know they loved them on my Grandpa. My martins did perch on the bottom inner level of my rack, but it would be much easier for them on some extended perches that I could add. Sounds like I got some more work to do. Good luck everyone.
Your suggestion to use wooden dowels is a good one. Wood is natural and no doubt is easier to grip in some ways over metal. The thickness of the perch probably has a lot to do with the ease of grasping for the martin. A thick metal rod would be more difficult for a martin than a similar wooden dowel because the martin?s nails could more easily grasp the wood.
Steve
John,
On my copper tubing extenders, about 4 inches of the tubing is inserted into the end of the PMCA horizontal hanging rod. Then from the end of the hanging rod, the tubing extends out about 12 inches. The gourds are attached under the hanging rod and copper tubing and the tubing extends out over the horizontal funnel gourd. The main point is to have some perching space that extends out above the gourd so that the martins can easily land on an outer perching system. I think 6 inches of overhang from the gourd entrance hole would work and longer lengths would accommodate more martins. You want to ensure that your perching rods are not too long and are stable.
Steve
Craig,
Yes, I think your martins will like the extended perching space on the bottom tier of your PMCA Deluxe rack. I know they like the perches on my racks! My least favorite PMCA Deluxe rack had NO additional perches. This 12 gourd rack system had 5 pairs of martins and 4 selected the upper tier gourds where the martins can more easily perch above their nests.
