Three Starling Invasions of Conley II Troyer Horizontals

Jeff Robinson · Thu Apr 19, 2012 5:34 am

Bill,

I'm not understanding what you did with the piece of flat plastic?

Emil Pampell-Tx · Thu Apr 19, 2012 6:18 am

Bill,

I can understand the piece of plastic that is flush with the bottom of the entrance. That has often been recommended.

The next paragraph, you used a dremel to carve out a bit of the plastic. I am confused, why did you not keep the plastic level with the bottom of the entrance?

Louise Chambers · Thu Apr 19, 2012 9:03 am

I think he is saying that he carved a dip in center of that piece of plastic to line up with dip in center bottom of Conley entrance?

Emil Pampell-Tx · Thu Apr 19, 2012 9:12 am

So Louise, you think he is saying that his piece of plastic is above the bottom of the entrance? Then he carves it out to make it level? Why not make it level at the beginning?

Louise Chambers · Thu Apr 19, 2012 9:23 am

I know that part does not quite make sense - perhaps the porch addition is placed flush with flat part of Conley, which would require carving the dip to match the entrance. Bill will have to clear it up for us.

KathyF · Thu Apr 19, 2012 7:27 pm

I haven't had a breech (yet) by a starling of any of my Conleys - thankfully, so I can't offer any help on that issue.

But Mike, it would scare me to use a mouse trap like that unless you've got eyes on the gourd the whole time. A bluebird or chickadee, etc. could poke their head in there and be killed.

Scully · Fri Apr 20, 2012 12:20 pm

A bluebird or chickadee, etc. could poke their head in there and be killed

Good point, but there are no bluebirds or chickadees in the urban environment where these colonies are located. And also the intent was in response to a gourd already targeted by a pair of sparrows, not a general "leave a trap set in case sparrows show up" solution.

Mike Scully

Matt F. · Fri Apr 20, 2012 12:31 pm

Scully wrote:And then if I attach a modified excluder plate (probably the most doable solution to me given the 40 plus Troyers we have) will she STILL get in.

Hi Mike.
Not sure what your next plan attack is, but I would strongly suggest putting either Excluder, or Excluder II plates on your Troyer gourds.
The WDC modified Excluder is a great entrance, however, I'd be concerned that as quickly as those starlings you are dealing with were shooting right through those Conley IIs, having them similarly breach a WDC modified Excluder entrance would not be much of a stretch.
With the increased reports of small starlings, and other breaches, I'm becoming more and more of a fan of the original Excluder - which is no doubt the most starling resistant entrance available.

Emil Pampell-Tx · Fri Apr 20, 2012 1:55 pm

Mike, have you ever tried the Dually entrance? It tested out the best for keeping out starlings of all the entrances.

Matt F. · Fri Apr 20, 2012 4:41 pm

Emil Pampell-Tx wrote:Mike, have you ever tried the Dually entrance? It tested out the best for keeping out starlings of all the entrances.

You brought up a good point Emil.
There are probably some great entrances out there, that I'm just not familiar with.
I should have said the original Excluder is the most starling resistant of the entrances I'm familiar with.

Emil Pampell-Tx · Fri Apr 20, 2012 5:23 pm

Matt, a lot of people don't use the better SREH because its harder for the martins to learn to use them, and it looks like the martins are struggling when they learn to use them. I have some of the original excluders, the very old ones made with metal, and they are very starling resistant

Scully · Fri Apr 20, 2012 5:48 pm

I have been contacted by a benefactor offering assistance with the entrances

I'll let everyone know how it comes out.

Mike Scully

John Miller · Fri Apr 20, 2012 6:35 pm

Mike

Please do go back to Scott's post and keep it in mind. Consider more than the shape of various SREH. There's more to it. We of course know porch level is important, but some wing guard in back is important too, to prevent wing entrapment and to make the SREH more starling resistant -- not from making the hole smaller or a different shape, but by targeting how starlings enter. John M

Scully · Fri Apr 20, 2012 11:22 pm

John, thanks for the tips. The benefactor in question is familiar with all these issue (we should all have such a benefactor

).

Anyhow, here's something I haven't seen before, though in truth we haven't had a starling get in in six years, despite the roost of thousands about a 1/4 mile away.

The nest and seven eggs I tore out of a Troyer Horizontal last weekend?

Back again, five days later, with a new egg

Though it might be sparrows but it had this egg in it. I put everything back and left it in place for now. Never heard of "starling rage" but there's a first time for everything and there's two martin nests in Troyer Horizontal Conley II's on that same pole.

Mike Scully

Emil Pampell-Tx · Mon Apr 23, 2012 5:37 pm

Louise Chambers wrote:I know that part does not quite make sense - perhaps the porch addition is placed flush with flat part of Conley, which would require carving the dip to match the entrance. Bill will have to clear it up for us.

What is happening, Bill doesn't seem to read any of his old posts for replies....