Help !! Should I turn entrance hole around

[Guest]

Hi Everyone,

I was just sitting on my deck watching my 4 pair of PM's bringing in the Grub. I'm looking at my gourd rack and see what looks like something pink dropped from the sky. It was a baby. I imediately got my ladder and put the baby back in the gourd.

The gourd is, I am sure from S&K. Round entrance area you pull out to do a nest check. The round part you pull out has like a perch on each side.

Question: I have the entrance hole at the bottom. Should I turn it around so the SREH is at the top of the circle ?? That way the SREH would be above the nest ?? Please tell me if this is what I should do.

Thanks,

Ken.

[John Miller]

Hi Ken,

Are you saying you found a pink nestling on the ground and you suspect starlings? Are you seeing starlings?

If a starling had entered, it would have done more than toss out one. I'd suspect a male subadult martin tossed it out, in an attempt to disrupt the nest and breed with the female. Sometimes martin parents toss out dead young.

Re: flipping. It might take the adults a day to learn to enter. If you've got very young nestlings there, they could perish in a day. Wish you had flipped it earlier if you need crescents over round. If you are seeing no starlings, I'd probably hold off -- but watch closely.

John Miller

P.S. Reading Emil's post below, maybe I'm confused - wouldn't be first. I thought Ken was talking about flipping from round to crescent.

[Emil Pampell-Tx]

I have an S&K gourd, and I looked at that and wondered myself how it was intended to be used. I decided that its up to the landlord, as some people like the hole higher, and some people like the hole lower. Most people like it higher but I don't for this reason: I noticed that no matter where the hole is the martins fill the gourd up to the hole so they can walk out, so it really doesn't matter. I really don't have strong feelings either, as I had mine higher most of the years that I raised martins.

[Guest]

Thanks Guys,

John, Emil, there was no starlings nor SA male that tossed out the PM baby. it just evidently made it's way to the entrance and fell out. The nest inside is about the same hight as the oblong entrance hole where it is placed at the bottom.

I changed it to the top. The male and female are bringing a bug and were totally confused. there is 5 babies in there. They would approach the gourd within a few inches and turn away. Finally, only after about 15 minutes the female latched onto the gourd and then the male. The female and male then went in. After they left for another bug for the babies, they went through the same process upon return. Confused, approached and retuned about 5 times before latching on the gourd and going in. I will watch them, hoping they get the process of the moved entrance hole down to being simple. If not, I will move it back.

Thanks,

Ken.

[Guest]

Ahhhhhh, I feel relieved. The Male and Female just glide in, latch onto the gourd and go in and are feeding the babies. No Problems.

It's amazing to me that when the pair were confused, the other 3 pair I have from a different gourd rack and the barn hovvered around with the confused pair as if to lend support on how to get into the changed entrance.

Pretty Cool,

Thanks. and HAPPY MOTHER's Day to all you Mom's out There. I think I'll post that.

Ken.

[CUL Lou~Mich]

Ken. Somehow I knew I'd find they had figured it out. Most folks say when they change from round to crescent or other SREH that it takes them a few minutes, but not long at all. And folks call them "dumb animals." ha. CUL Lou