Mud On The Porch

Guest · Sat Mar 25, 2006 11:49 am

I read something before about putting mud on the porch and just inside of the entrances, as far as putting it inside the entrance is this to assist the youngsters on getting out or is this to further attract them because of there close ties to the barnies building with mud?

is anyone actually doing this?

roblrich · Sat Mar 25, 2006 11:57 am

I quit playing with mud when I was 10. Ok, I mud wrestled with a gal at a bar in Louisville last year...but that doesn't count.

But I do provide it with other nesting material when the time comes.

Leverett Doehring/Mo · Sat Mar 25, 2006 11:58 am

The idea here is to make the looker think that a marting had sucess raising young at your site last year. I've done this to brand new shinny housing and I have birds.

roblrich · Sat Mar 25, 2006 12:16 pm

Lev is correct and that is the concept. But if you are going to give these birds that much credit for critical thinking, then why wouldn't they determine if this cavity has mud smeared, and it had a successful nest last season, where are the ASY's that occupied it? Why is this nest abandoned?

I sometimes think we human landlords over think things. If one provides good housing, nesting material, protection from predators, I don't think mud will make a difference. I personally just don't think it's important, and I also have birds. I was 100% occupied last year in my gourds, and I more then doubled my gourds for this season.

But I am wrong a half dozen times a day...

Oh my. Just saw on TV that Buck Owens died.

Guest · Sat Mar 25, 2006 12:31 pm

roblrich wrote:Lev is correct and that is the concept. But if you are going to give these birds that much credit for critical thinking, then why wouldn't they determine if this cavity has mud smeared, and it had a successful nest last season, where are the ASY's that occupied it? Why is this nest abandoned?

I sometimes think we human landlords over think things. If one provides good housing, nesting material, protection from predators, I don't think mud will make a difference. I personally just don't think it's important, and I also have birds. I was 100% occupied last year in my gourds, and I more then doubled my gourds for this season.

But I am wrong a half dozen times a day...

Oh my. Just saw on TV that Buck Owens died.

You are correct! i think this is all part of being a wannabe parent. Trying to hard is probly counter productive which is why i didnt have a bird last year..except for barnies which faked me out for awhile!