I think a male was trapped inside one of my houses since yesterday. The house is a Musselman that I have converted to triplexes--3 units across and added SRE doors. I did not use dry nest subfloors at the entrances--didn't think it was necessary. Yesterday around noon (when Martins are usually not inside their houses) I heard scratching sounds under this house. Today the same thing happened. I shook the house and one Martin came out, but I could still hear scratching, so I shook again--nothing. I lowered the house and found a male inside one unit.
I'm wondering if he was just hanging tight for his unit, or was he trapped. Is a sub-floor necessary for traction to get out? I'd think if a Martin could get in, he could also get out.
I sure could use some input! Thanks, Margaret
Martin trapped inside a SRE cavity
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Guest
I've been seeing and hearing a lot of fighting amoung males over certain cavities already this season. Several times, I've observed one with his head sticking out of a round hole while the dominant males is preventing him from escaping. Whether it's a round or sreh openning, you'd have to assume the same thing would happen. I guess I'm just saying not to be too worried at this point. Trio says to NOT use a sub-floor with SREH because it further reduces the hole clearance. I'm not sure about other brands but it still seems you'd be doing more harm than good with sub-floors in the entrance compartment. Keep watching and see -- after the martin is allowed to escape, it sometimes is a minute or so before the other martin exits.
-Betty
-Betty
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John Miller
- Posts: 4866
- Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2004 9:11 pm
- Location: St. Louis, MO
Maybe this martin is still learning to use a SREH.
Have you put SREH on 6 x 6 compartments? Some folks have done that, but it may be risky in a Trio unit in that nest material might block a bit of the hole, which is just one-fourth inch off the floor.
Lots of folks have added traction in front of and behind the hole with a spot of stair tread tape. You'll need to cut out a notch for the door clip.
Wish I could see your doors. Are these crescents from Trio? I like that these have a little lip at the bottom, but as it's turned in, I wonder if it's slightly easier for a bird to go in than out. This little guy may still be learning to navigate a SREH, so do monitor things closely.
Have you put SREH on 6 x 6 compartments? Some folks have done that, but it may be risky in a Trio unit in that nest material might block a bit of the hole, which is just one-fourth inch off the floor.
Lots of folks have added traction in front of and behind the hole with a spot of stair tread tape. You'll need to cut out a notch for the door clip.
Wish I could see your doors. Are these crescents from Trio? I like that these have a little lip at the bottom, but as it's turned in, I wonder if it's slightly easier for a bird to go in than out. This little guy may still be learning to navigate a SREH, so do monitor things closely.
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Guest
John,
Yes, I have enlarged my compartments--to triple units, and I did get the crescent doors from Trio. Thanks for the advice about the stair tread tape. I'll try that to help with traction.
Thanks to everyone who replied. Margaret
Yes, I have enlarged my compartments--to triple units, and I did get the crescent doors from Trio. Thanks for the advice about the stair tread tape. I'll try that to help with traction.
Thanks to everyone who replied. Margaret
I have used excluders on my 6x6 Trio compartments for the past 4 years and not had any trouble with martins coming or going or getting stuck. I realize that doesn't mean it can't happen and it's not optimal for the martins so I have plans to modify them before next nesting season. I'm working on a modification plan where I won't lose half of my compartments. It might work and it might not, but I'm going to give it a try during the off season. If my new gourds are well accepted, I plan to change over to gourds anyway. My 35 year old 6 compartment Trio will make an excellent house sparrow hotel where they check in but don't check out.
Patrick
Patrick
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Guest
Hi Margaret,
I changed my house's to double rooms too. I have crescent doors on. The floors on the aluminum house's are really slick. I used a scribe, kind of like a nail set tool with a real sharp point. I scratched a bunch of lines into the metal inside and outside the entrance. That seem to work really well, haven't seen any problems with them going in and out. Once they master those types of entrance's they seem to do it with ease.
I also didn't really think about when the babies were big enough to move some they would get into the front compartment (bye the entrance). They didn't have any traction and you could tell they were going to get sprawled (sp?) legs. So I took a thin piece of plexi glass and put that traction tape on it. Notched out for the door catch up front and put those in the front compartment. Thankfully they worked great!!! This way I can take them out and clean them and reuse them next year.
ps. I put the scratches in the floor because I wasn't really sure how well the traction tape worked at the time.
Good luck!
Craig
I changed my house's to double rooms too. I have crescent doors on. The floors on the aluminum house's are really slick. I used a scribe, kind of like a nail set tool with a real sharp point. I scratched a bunch of lines into the metal inside and outside the entrance. That seem to work really well, haven't seen any problems with them going in and out. Once they master those types of entrance's they seem to do it with ease.
I also didn't really think about when the babies were big enough to move some they would get into the front compartment (bye the entrance). They didn't have any traction and you could tell they were going to get sprawled (sp?) legs. So I took a thin piece of plexi glass and put that traction tape on it. Notched out for the door catch up front and put those in the front compartment. Thankfully they worked great!!! This way I can take them out and clean them and reuse them next year.
ps. I put the scratches in the floor because I wasn't really sure how well the traction tape worked at the time.
Good luck!
Craig
Hi Margaret -
I had a similar thing happen last year with a female. The male had coaxed her to check out a particular gourd with a crescent entry. He had gone in and out of it several times before she finally decided to check it out. He went inside easily and she tried - and tried - and tried, and finally gave up and flew back to the trash housing down the block with round entry holes. The next day I saw the whole process repeated. After many attemps she finally made it inside and they settled down for the night. The next morning I took my cup of coffee out on the patio to watch all the morning activities and enjoy their happy sounds -- and would you believe that same chubby little female was struggling to get OUT! She wiggled and scratched repeatedly and would stop for a while from sheer exhaustion - then try some more. I was sure we would have to lower the house and help her so she wouldn't do herself some real damage! Finally she squeezed out with a loud squawk and flew back to the trash housing never to come back and try again. I saw quite a few martins go in and out of that same gourd - but she is the only one that had any trouble. Maybe martins are like some of us and put on a little weight around the middle as we age!
Glad both of our martins made it out alive.
My martins haven't made it back yet -- and I'm so ready! They seem to be all around me according to the scout reports, and I had one stop by a couple weeks ago, but he didn't stay.
Oh well... Any day now...
Ready for a great martin season!
I had a similar thing happen last year with a female. The male had coaxed her to check out a particular gourd with a crescent entry. He had gone in and out of it several times before she finally decided to check it out. He went inside easily and she tried - and tried - and tried, and finally gave up and flew back to the trash housing down the block with round entry holes. The next day I saw the whole process repeated. After many attemps she finally made it inside and they settled down for the night. The next morning I took my cup of coffee out on the patio to watch all the morning activities and enjoy their happy sounds -- and would you believe that same chubby little female was struggling to get OUT! She wiggled and scratched repeatedly and would stop for a while from sheer exhaustion - then try some more. I was sure we would have to lower the house and help her so she wouldn't do herself some real damage! Finally she squeezed out with a loud squawk and flew back to the trash housing never to come back and try again. I saw quite a few martins go in and out of that same gourd - but she is the only one that had any trouble. Maybe martins are like some of us and put on a little weight around the middle as we age!
Glad both of our martins made it out alive. My martins haven't made it back yet -- and I'm so ready! They seem to be all around me according to the scout reports, and I had one stop by a couple weeks ago, but he didn't stay.
Oh well... Any day now...Ready for a great martin season!
Sherrie
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Emil Pampell-Tx
- Posts: 6743
- Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 1:26 pm
- Location: Tx, Richmond (SW of Houston)
- Martin Colony History: First started in Gretna, La in 1969 with a small homemade house, have had martins ever since at 2 different homes in Texas
Sherrie, looks like some martins like your house! Good luck this year..I know that some starlings are much smaller than other starlings, so I think that martins are the same, some big and some small...
PMCA Member, 250 gourds, 6 poles, 2traps
Hi,
I have two Trio houses modified to larger cavities and with crescent doors. I didn't realize that Trio says to leave out the floor tray. I kept mine in but put them in upside down in the "front" room and the birds did fine. Is there something dangerous about keeping the subfloors?
I have two Trio houses modified to larger cavities and with crescent doors. I didn't realize that Trio says to leave out the floor tray. I kept mine in but put them in upside down in the "front" room and the birds did fine. Is there something dangerous about keeping the subfloors?
Fledge on!
Nanette
Nanette
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John Miller
- Posts: 4866
- Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2004 9:11 pm
- Location: St. Louis, MO
Nanette
I don't think it's overly danerous to use a subfloor in the front compartment. But it's not necessary because martins nest in the back, although older babies move to the front during the day.
It may make it a little harder to exit the SREH as it brings the foor level up slightly. If one does use it in the front -- and I can see it making it easier to clean the unit -- I'd put some traction on top of the front part under the SREH.
I don't think it's overly danerous to use a subfloor in the front compartment. But it's not necessary because martins nest in the back, although older babies move to the front during the day.
It may make it a little harder to exit the SREH as it brings the foor level up slightly. If one does use it in the front -- and I can see it making it easier to clean the unit -- I'd put some traction on top of the front part under the SREH.
Emil, I think my martins could tell you had built that house with love! I felt very fortunate to have attracted so many my very first year! Thanks again for giving us that house and the four gourds. I have added access ports to the gourds for this season. I'm so anxious for my birds to arrive!Emil Pampell-TX wrote:Sherrie, looks like some martins like your house! Good luck this year...
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- Emil is taking the martin house down in his back yard to send home with us.
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Sherrie
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Bob Buskas
- Posts: 600
- Joined: Sat Nov 15, 2003 8:08 pm
- Location: Wetaskiwin Alberta, Canada
Grandmac 2, I am not familiar with your style of housing, but if the distance from the bottom of the SREH and the floor on the inside is greater than 1/2" the Martins will have trouble exiting. I would recommend replacing the sub floor to bring the floor level up.
Bob Buskas, Alberta, Canada (The Northern Sky's Colony) Supplimental feeding is the key during bad weather, but you must train them to feed ahead of time.
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Bob Buskas
- Posts: 600
- Joined: Sat Nov 15, 2003 8:08 pm
- Location: Wetaskiwin Alberta, Canada
Grandmac 2, I am not familiar with your style of housing, but if the distance from the bottom of the SREH and the floor on the inside is greater than 1/2" the Martins will have trouble exiting. I would recommend replacing the sub floor to bring the floor level up.
Bob Buskas, Alberta, Canada (The Northern Sky's Colony) Supplimental feeding is the key during bad weather, but you must train them to feed ahead of time.
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John Miller
- Posts: 4866
- Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2004 9:11 pm
- Location: St. Louis, MO
I found it at Home Depot in the paint section, along with masking tapes. It's a 3M product about an inch wide, with peel off back. You also can just put down a spot of good paint (if there are no immediate birds) and spinkle sand on.