I've been trying some of the natural gourd, porched tunnels with modified excluder (WDC) entrances this season. (entrances by Sandy). This is a small scale observation, but martins really seem to like these.
I've got two gourds hanging below a Trendsetter House at a new site in Forest Park, St. Louis. One gourd has a crescent cut directly into it and a second gourd has the WDC tunnel.
An ASY male who found this site several weeks ago at first would only go to the tunnel. Now that he's found a mate, the pair favors the house. Now a second ASY male is there, again favoring this gourd. (I don't know if it's the tunnel he likes or the easier entry of the porched modified excluder compared to crescents in the house.)
Honestly, I wish they liked the plain gourd equally well. I do have two plain gourds under an established house in the park, both gourds occupied. But I'm thinking a couple of natural gourds with porches and modified excluders may be a very useful tool for starting colonies, particularly if the house has crescent openings.
John Miller
I "think" martins really like tunnels/WDC on gourd
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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
John, I agree totally that martins like the tunnels. I have an opinion as to why they do, and that is this: the martin inside the gourd can sit in that tunnel and keep out other unwanted martins, she can defend her cavity better. If she sat inside on an untunneled cavity, another martin may be able to come and push its way inside, and once inside, they have no way to keep it away from the eggs. This is my theory, I think all the martin inside the door wants to do is defend its cavity and it can do this better with a tunnel entrance, even if the unwanted martin gets into the tunnel, there is less room for both.
I have seen where martins would not use a chalet with a hole cut directly into it, but as soon as I added a tunnel, they immediately accepted it. Of course, like you, I still do not have enough statistical evidence, but it sure seems like they love the tunneled entrances.
I also have an unused gourd that the martins will not even land on it, it has no porch, and the WDC hole is cut directly into the gourd. Why is this the only one that they do no look at?
I have seen where martins would not use a chalet with a hole cut directly into it, but as soon as I added a tunnel, they immediately accepted it. Of course, like you, I still do not have enough statistical evidence, but it sure seems like they love the tunneled entrances.
I also have an unused gourd that the martins will not even land on it, it has no porch, and the WDC hole is cut directly into the gourd. Why is this the only one that they do no look at?
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John Miller
- Posts: 4866
- Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2004 9:11 pm
- Location: St. Louis, MO
Emil
I have been seeing both the males that I mentioned sitting in the tunnel -- just a beak out. I do see this sometimes in other entrances, but these guys do seem comfortable there. I had a tree swallow scare a few weeks back and the lone ASY male at the time chased them away and then sat triumphant in his tunnel -- but he's since moved up to the house.
John M
I have been seeing both the males that I mentioned sitting in the tunnel -- just a beak out. I do see this sometimes in other entrances, but these guys do seem comfortable there. I had a tree swallow scare a few weeks back and the lone ASY male at the time chased them away and then sat triumphant in his tunnel -- but he's since moved up to the house.
John M
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floridasunshinegoddess
John and Emil,
I have a Double Gourd Rack, 12 gourds.... All round holes except one... That one has a Modified Excluder Entrance with a Rain Canopy Tunnel (made by Sandy Bunn). That is the ONLY gourd taken on that rack. An ASY Male claimed it early on and it was at least a month before he finally got a female to settle in with him (SY Female). She would fly into the gourd next door but he was adamant that he wanted THAT particular gourd.... so she finally set up housekeeping with him there.
I don't know what it is about it, but to be chosen over 11 round holed gourds speaks volumes.
I have a Double Gourd Rack, 12 gourds.... All round holes except one... That one has a Modified Excluder Entrance with a Rain Canopy Tunnel (made by Sandy Bunn). That is the ONLY gourd taken on that rack. An ASY Male claimed it early on and it was at least a month before he finally got a female to settle in with him (SY Female). She would fly into the gourd next door but he was adamant that he wanted THAT particular gourd.... so she finally set up housekeeping with him there.
I don't know what it is about it, but to be chosen over 11 round holed gourds speaks volumes.