Emil,
Your most recent post raises an interesting idea. If it is hawks that are bothering the birds I wonder if a well built old-fashion scarecrow might keep the hawks away? Might it even ward off owls at night? As everyone knows, the martins are gregarious birds that do not mind having people around. In fact, could it be possible that a good scarecrow might even appeal to the martins?
Since my wife and I have our own business and therefore are gone long hours during every weekday, you have me wondering if our site might benefit from placing a scarecrow in our garden near the martin houses. Hmmmm...... Ideas?
Jeff Nelson
New guy, first post and I need advice.
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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
Jeff, they work well for a few days, then the hawks & owls get used to them and pay no attention to scarecrows after a few days
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Guest
Well I took the advice and went and bought a couple of plastic gourds to hang below the house. I hung them with some white chain but they seem to sway and spin awfully easy. Should I mount them solid to try to keep the swaying to a minimum? I dont have the mounting pole made for the gourds, just the gourds. Thanks for all of the replies!!
69supercj,
Your gourds shouldn't spin. If they sway a little front to back or side to side, it's okay. If they spin a lot or if they sway so much as to hit each other or a pole, it's not good. If they are chosen as a nestsite, excessive swaying could damage eggs and the martins don't like the gourds to spin. Try to find some # 10 vinyl coated copper electrical wire to hang them with. It's cheap and strong but pliable and easy to work with. Try to attach the gourds so they don't spin.
Patrick
Your gourds shouldn't spin. If they sway a little front to back or side to side, it's okay. If they spin a lot or if they sway so much as to hit each other or a pole, it's not good. If they are chosen as a nestsite, excessive swaying could damage eggs and the martins don't like the gourds to spin. Try to find some # 10 vinyl coated copper electrical wire to hang them with. It's cheap and strong but pliable and easy to work with. Try to attach the gourds so they don't spin.
Patrick
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Guest
Emil,
I kinda figured that. You don't think if I gave it a real scary face (like mine) that it would help, eh?
I was wondering what one could do to make a scarecrow continue to be effective such as animation, give it a gun, etc. I guess the problem is that hawks and owls are patient creatures and smart. They have the time to sit and study any type of situation from a distance and once they recognize a pattern they instinctively know they are safe to move in.
I guess I'm going to have to make mom sit in the garden and shooo them away again. I was kinda hoping you'd be able to tell me the scarecrow idea works since mom has been getting real testy lately about having to stand out there all day, every day.
Thanks for the reply.
Jeff Nelson
I kinda figured that. You don't think if I gave it a real scary face (like mine) that it would help, eh?
I was wondering what one could do to make a scarecrow continue to be effective such as animation, give it a gun, etc. I guess the problem is that hawks and owls are patient creatures and smart. They have the time to sit and study any type of situation from a distance and once they recognize a pattern they instinctively know they are safe to move in.
I guess I'm going to have to make mom sit in the garden and shooo them away again. I was kinda hoping you'd be able to tell me the scarecrow idea works since mom has been getting real testy lately about having to stand out there all day, every day.
Thanks for the reply.
Jeff Nelson
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Guest
Well I re-hung the gourds with some solid aluminum wire, about 6 or 8 guage, so that should keep them from spinning. They were a little leary of the gourds at first but they are already checking them out. Hopefully this will encourage them to nest and not just visit.
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Guest
Hey 69supercj, we are neighbors, practically. I live in Marshfield. Maybe 20 miles from you? There are a lot of martins in our area. I agree. Offer as many types of housing as you can. I started last year. I have 5 houses up and 32 gourds(plastic and natural). 91 cavities total. All other housing here in town are old round hole Trios but I have five martins attracted to my SREH housing my second year. In my second year saw no problem in them entering S&K cresent gourds or Sandy Bunn's WDC and cresent entrances installed on my housing and natural gourds. If they want to get in, they will...and the starlings won't. So, you can start a colony here with SREH.
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Guest
Welcome neighbor!! Sounds like your on your way to having a nice large colony of PM's and hopefully I'll be able to do the same over here in Fair Grove. Have yours started building nests yet? Mine are all still empty but I'm hoping that any day now they will start construction!. I also need to get a predator guard installed on my pole. What type of gourds are you using? I bought mine at MFA yesterday for 10 bucks each and they came with both styles of entrance holes. Seemed like a pretty good deal since the ones I seen online were about 18 bucks each. I think these are S@K brand. Talk to ya' later. You can call me if you'd like, I'm in the phone book.
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Guest
I'd call but no name to look up. I'm also in the phone book. I use my correct name here and not hiding behind a handle. grin. I'm in the phone book also. My ASY male has been staying in my SREH T14 since April 1. He just got a mate three days ago. She picked out a unporched round holed natural gourd hanging underneath. So no nest building, yet. Takes a few days of being together 'fore that happens. I also have an unmated ASY male staying in a cresent natural gourd hanging under a Trio on another pole. I have two males staying in S&K Big Bo gourds with cresents on another gourd rack. I put a small handfull of white pine needles in all my cavities when I opened them the 15th of March.69supercj wrote:Welcome neighbor!! Sounds like your on your way to having a nice large colony of PM's and hopefully I'll be able to do the same over here in Fair Grove. Have yours started building nests yet? Mine are all still empty but I'm hoping that any day now they will start construction!. I also need to get a predator guard installed on my pole. What type of gourds are you using? I bought mine at MFA yesterday for 10 bucks each and they came with both styles of entrance holes. Seemed like a pretty good deal since the ones I seen online were about 18 bucks each. I think these are S@K brand. Talk to ya' later. You can call me if you'd like, I'm in the phone book.
Got my SREH Supergourds from PMCA. Race Brothers Farm Supply on west Kearney in Springfield handles S&K products if you are interested. Thats where I got mine. I'm offering a little bit of everything. Let 'em choose! Got some of my large natural gourds from a grower in Mississippi and about half from a grower south of Pierce City, Mo. Offering 91 cavities on 5 poles this year.
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Guest
Well its been roughly 2 weeks since my last post and I told you that I had been having trouble getting my martins to build nests. Well I have some GREAT news. Today I was watching the birds and noticed that they were flying unusually low and doing this quite often, not the normal high flying and aerobatics. Anyway I got to watching them and they were landing along the roadside and pulling dead grass and taking it back to the house. Hopefully this means they are going to nest and maybe even lay some eggs!! 
Now how long should I wait before I do a nest check? 
Now how long should I wait before I do a nest check? Hey SuperCorbaJet, I have some 67 428 Super Marauder High compression Heads I pulled off a junk yard dog years ago.
You can help out your PM's and rake up some nesting material for them, hate to see one get hit by a car. I put out cut up Pine needles, leaves, small twigs, corn fodder, and straw. But, some are still picky and go else where for that prefect Choice of nesting material.
You can help out your PM's and rake up some nesting material for them, hate to see one get hit by a car. I put out cut up Pine needles, leaves, small twigs, corn fodder, and straw. But, some are still picky and go else where for that prefect Choice of nesting material.