HI Folks,
I have modified excluder II entries on my natural gourds, I put my nest cam on one of these. I have a male using this gourd and waiting for a female....one is checking it out tonight The male seems to struggle a bit exiting once in a while without a porch inside, the female did too so my question is how important or critical that there is porch inside these gourds? Will it deter a female enough to not use this as a nesting sight?
This cam is so amazing!!! I'm getting anxious to get a breeding pair and have a bit of anxiety I'm sure but I know I've seen this discussed before and can't find it on a search. Any advice will be helpful Hopefully no one says I have to put porches on this season LOL.
I recall some of us going round on this awhile back. A wise landlord said if they need a porch to get in, they need one to get out. Another wise landlord said if you have plenty of nest material, up to the level of the outside porch, they don't need a porch. Mike Scully of Texas also reported a few cases of martins getting stuck under interior porches and suggested inside porches be made shorter.
I think I'd start with packing down some stiff straw right under the opening.
Hi John,
Thanks, I have some pine needles in there now. If I put a half a bowl full wouldn't that be too much? That's what it would take to fill it up to the entry/exit. Well almost half. That is a drip guard on the bottom rim that he uses to hold onto when getting out. Guess there is no end to the questions and fretting over these guys.
The male seems to struggle a bit exiting once in a while without a porch inside, the female did too so my question is how important or critical that there is porch inside these gourds? Will it deter a female enough to not use this as a nesting sight?