No eggs yet.. will martins be able to find a new home?

[Sigundo]

The man upstairs finally wins. Everything I try that brings joy into my life end up tainted, so I'm finally gonna give in and maybe he'll move on to somebody else.

My handicapped (autistic) son just got a severe sprain by jumping up and down on the floor (its something he does constantly for the past 20+ years). A normal person would stop with the swollen ankles, massive bruises and intense searing pain, but not him. He's still jumping up and down on the ankle. So all our free time is now spent physically keeping him off his feet.

Meanwhile, my Diabetes has gotten bad enough that I can't put 2 pellets into a 5 inch target at 40 feet.. useless for shooting S&S. Massive sparrow invasion (odd how it started the same day my son sprained his ankle) they're all over the place, and have already claimed 3 gourds, driving off 2 sets of martins that have been in the gourds pretty much for 2 weeks. The martins won't even try and fight back. We tried removing the porches from the double gourds, but the sparrows learned how to get by that in under 10 minutes.

So I'm figuring if I just remove my two martin poles, maybe the martins can re-locate elsewhere in time to hatch. Better not to have the hobby then become a sparrow farmer. Anybody know if they haven't laid eggs yet is there still time for them to be successful somewhere else? Or would it be better to just (well, no sense praying) but just hope that some of this years crops stay alive then take down the martin poles at the end of the season?

I'll probably keep the poles and such as someday maybe somebody will figure a way to deter the sparrows. If not, I'll just dedicate the rest of my life to killing sparrows, at least I can still do my part. (course I can't shoot them, but maybe I can figure something else out). I can put their little heads on some nails along my fences or something and get some happiness out of that at least.

[Mary Dawnsong]

Hi Sigundo,

Your news is so sad!
Have you tried trapping HOSP?
I used to shoot, but don't anymore because nestbox trapping is so effective at my site - and so easy! It may work at yours, too, because your martin housing is gourds:
http://www.purplemartin.org/forum/viewt ... ght=#57681

Please do not worry for one second about the martin pairs the House Sparrows drove away.
Martins in KY have plenty of time to find a new colony site and they will renest.

Best wishes, Mary

[klcretired]

Hello Sigundo,
Sorry to hear bout all the Health issues and i know it's a full time job just caring for your son our prayers are with you and your Family.
If you get the S&S repeating trap it will work for you all year long every year, i'm handicapped & Diabetic I just love my S&S repeating trap and i can manage mine w/ ease. Being a pmca member you get a discount if you buy one and if you place it next to tree's you won't ever have to worry about trapping any martins by mistake, you can see the plans to make one or buy the trap all ready to go here under pmca/shop/traps.
Here is a pic of how mine is setup for you to see, it is in the background next to an Oak tree.

[Sigundo]

Thanks Mary, but nest box trapping wont work. I have the double gourds, and the fronts attach with 4 bolts.. I can't even get my arms in from the back to put the last 2 on, my wife or kids have to do it. Obviously, putting a nest box trap wouldn't be feasable because you have to be able to reach inside the gourd from the back to put the front back on. (I've tried balancing the washer and nut on my finger and threading it that way, but trust me.. it isn't gonna work and I'd have to turn the gourd on end to shake the hardware back out to try again, and would set off any traps.

I thought about a separate house, one of those repeaters, that would let the sparrows fly down the pipe into a cage, but for now all my cash will be funneled into my son, who is more important than the martins, much as I love them. I've actually developed a pretty thick skin over the past 20+ years, so can shrug off things that upset other people without thinking twice (last year a freak gust of wind hit just as my wife was getting out of the minivan, tearing the driver door almost off the frame.. I just shrugged and put 5 bolts into the door, permanently attaching it back to the frame and putting clear duct tape to keep out the water) most people would have gotten upset, but we are pretty used to that sort of thing. Of course I have to enter/exit through the passenger door, but I just accept it and push on.

I guess all of this is hitting at the same time and taxxed even my limits. Best to get rid of the stresses I can that are not absoulutely required. Maybe later in the year and all winter I can have a sparrow trap and kill as many as I can...

[CUL Lou~Mich]

Sigundo. My sympathies to you and yours on your troubling times. If it were me, I'd relook at Marys set up. It's just an old heath or trio house, with a bunch of SD-1s in it. This set up would work fine for you I think. All you'd have to do is set it up, then watch it. If a EHS went in, you could either leave it, or go out with a quart glass jar, cover the hole, twist the handle to open the door, and the EHS flies into the jar. Then a squirt of Starting Fluid would do it in, then toss into the trash. If you need further, feel free to PM or Email me, either one. I would NOT however take the poles down. I feel you should at least enjoy the PMs what you can. Perhaps there's a brighter day ahead. Keep you chin up. CUL Lou

[Sigundo]

Thanks CUL.. yes, I've decided to leave the poles up. If I lose all my martins this year, well thats the way it goes... yes, by next year I should be able to have a anti-sparrow setup, just not gonna be fiscally doable this season. Maybe a metal house with a propane tank on it. then when they fly in, I can just flame the entire insides remotely, and wait for the next ones... I think I would like the irony of that and at least get some enjoyment to boot!

I'm normally not quite so, well, you can call it evil if you'd like, but these sparrows have just really pushed me past the edge. All I wanted to do was raise martins, didn't think I was asking so much.. but I digress.

I was gonna calm down a bit and hit the riding mower like all my neighbors down the street are doing, but of course as soon as I filled the tank, the heavens opened up and down started the rain. I figgured, being a good neighbor of sorts, I'd just go in, let the rain stop so that the rest of the people could continue mowing and I"ll just mow tommorrow when the blazing sun is beating down. Looks like the rain has stopped and I still hear mowing, so that makes me feel a bit better about myself as nothing makes you feel better than a selfless act.. except maybe a bag of choclate covered peanuts... now where did I put them?