Porched Crescent Gourd vs Unporched

[Guest]

I am sure this is a well discussed topic around here but could i hear sum opinions?

Thanx

[Guest]

Last year (my first) I had crescent gourds without porches. I had 5 SY pairs and only 1 gourd was used. This year I added porches inside and out on my gourds and they were filled up quickly. So far I have about 12 ASY pairs this year, (hard to count until they start building) and all my gourds appear to be taken. The porches seem to make them more attractive. For the most part they also seem to love my old Heath house better than the new house with the 6x6x12 rooms, I guess the martins don't read the forum.

[Al Denton]

Hydrashok "This is the year I'm riding my motorcycle to trailer week" That is too funny

Porched or unporched gourds...I never was a fan of a porch. A martin can enter an unporched crescent on a natural gourd (cut to specs)

[CUL Lou~Mich]

Hydrashock. For me, that'd depend. If it were a Natural gourd, I wouldn't put a porch on it. They can enter and exit fine without. If it were a Plastic gourd, then I'd definately put one on the inside and outside BOTH. I've waited toooooo long for PMs, to have one perish because on not being able to get out. CUL Lou

[roblrich]

If you have a HOSP problem, carefully consider not adding porches to supergourds, although a single S&K porch mounted outside only would be fine. You will not be able to place an insert trap in the gourd with an inside porch. This was discussed in great detail on the thread, "Round holes may have advantages".

But you know, Lou has a point! I personally would not put up a crescent without porches. That is my problem with them.

So what to do? Sorry Bud, good points on each side. That's why I am going back to round holes.

[klcretired]

SNAKE,
Porches on a Crescent is the way to go definately, and don't forget to put down some traction tape by 3M.

[John Miller]

Snake

Are you asking about natural or plastic? I think you can go unporched in naturals because martins can grasp the edge better.

Mike Brown in Kentucky is experimenting with unporched crescents in naturals with the opening set 1 7/32 with good success, although he measures very precisely and he uses gourds of one-fourth inch thickness, which may help prevent starlings from wiggling in. I've followed suit in Forest Park for two years now with the few natural gourds that hang below our houses , although mine are not quite that thick. I did glue on little cling rods in front, as much to strengthen the lip of the crescent as to give the martins anything to cling too. Martins nested in them last year and no starlings. So far so good this year, martins building nests.

John Miller

[Guest]

Snake

Are you asking about natural or plastic? I think you can go unporched in naturals because martins can grasp the edge better.

Mike Brown in Kentucky is experimenting with unporched crescents in naturals with the opening set 1 7/32 with good success, although he measures very precisely and he uses gourds of one-fourth inch thickness, which may help prevent starlings from wiggling in. I've followed suit in Forest Park for two years now with the few natural gourds that hang below our houses , although mine are not quite that thick. I did glue on little cling rods in front, as much to strengthen the lip of the crescent as to give the martins anything to cling too. Martins nested in them last year and no starlings. So far so good this year, martins building nests.

John Miller

Hey John
Iam refering to plastic(as in naturlines) the reason i started the topic is that i have a natureline round hole and they grab it and go in without a problem,but of course so does the s/s , i had ordered a mix of different gourds for a new rack and iam curious to see if they can manage it, they were just mounted early this am.

What happens now with this thirty eight degree stuff?

[Scully]

Snake... In my "School colony update" thread we are comparing 8 plain crescent Naturelines to 8 crescent Naturelines with short lengths of perch, called cling rods, attached like a porch 1/4" below .the crescent opening, both inside and outside.

Over the previous three years our martins have done well in these cling-rod crescent Natureline gourds. However, starlings have succeeded in entering them with some regularity also.

This year, for the first time we are offering plain crescent Naturelines. All 8 are showing signs of martin activity, both in terms of birds seen entering and leaving and because of nesting material brought in. Might be significant though that only three of the eight have eggs at this time, compared to seven sets of eggs in the eight Natureline gourds with the cling rods.

I have been told by another landlord though that his plain crescent Naturelines work just fine.

I wouldn't worry about martins getting stuck in crescent Naturelines without a porch inside. The entrance seems low enough above the wide, flat floor that the martins can exit.

If you do decide to put porches on your Natureline crescents, I would set the porch level with the bottom of the crescent as is done with S&K products. We have had starlings get into our cling-rod Natureline crescents AND our crescent Supergourds with porches (when we used them), in both cases the rod or porch was set 1/4" below the entrance. No starling entries yet on our S&K crescent gourds.

Mike Scully

[John Miller]

Re: flush. This seems too harsh to me. How is a martin to grab hold of the bottom lip of the crescent and propel itself forward? I think 1/16 below up to 3/16 is enough to give a martin with their short legs a little step up and in, and still keep out long-legged starlings. It may not sound like a big deal, but I think that 1/16 may be the difference in folks being successful in starting a new colony.

John Miller

[Scully]

John... good point. The S&K porch is strongly ribbed with square-edged ridges running from side to side across the porch, giving the martins plenty of traction.

[Guest]

Snake... In my "School colony update" thread we are comparing 8 plain crescent Naturelines to 8 crescent Naturelines with short lengths of perch, called cling rods, attached like a porch 1/4" below .the crescent opening, both inside and outside.

Over the previous three years our martins have done well in these cling-rod crescent Natureline gourds. However, starlings have succeeded in entering them with some regularity also.

This year, for the first time we are offering plain crescent Naturelines. All 8 are showing signs of martin activity, both in terms of birds seen entering and leaving and because of nesting material brought in. Might be significant though that only three of the eight have eggs at this time, compared to seven sets of eggs in the eight Natureline gourds with the cling rods.

I have been told by another landlord though that his plain crescent Naturelines work just fine.

I wouldn't worry about martins getting stuck in crescent Naturelines without a porch inside. The entrance seems low enough above the wide, flat floor that the martins can exit.

If you do decide to put porches on your Natureline crescents, I would set the porch level with the bottom of the crescent as is done with S&K products. We have had starlings get into our cling-rod Natureline crescents AND our crescent Supergourds with porches (when we used them), in both cases the rod or porch was set 1/4" below the entrance. No starling entries yet on our S&K crescent gourds.

Mike Scully

Mike,
thats sounds pretty good , i put several up as a test to get the reactiion, time will tell ! thanx for the reply

[Guss P O'Brien]

Porches?! You don't need no stinking porches!

48 Natureline with crescents. No problem, but they have no choice. It's my way or the highway. Approx 38 occupied.

What in the wide wide world of sports is going on around here? ~Blazing Sparrows

[Guest]

Porches?! You don't need no stinking porches!

48 Natureline with crescents. No problem, but they have no choice. It's my way or the highway. Approx 38 occupied.

What in the wide wide world of sports is going on around here? ~Blazing Sparrows

Ok ,glad to hear that.. i have added alot of housing (all gourds,a mix of round and crescent with and without porches)....i need birds big time ,sumbody send me sum!!