I want to convert roundhole Supergourds to SREH

[Jack Gulvin]

A widow in town has a 12 gourd rack that had 100% martin occupancy last year. This year the starlings are a problem. She doesn't want to fool with the trap, and shooting takes too much of my time. Given the high population of starlings, SREH is the way to go. I do not see any easy way to change her gourds to SREH. I told her I would collect good ideas from the smart folks who post on this forum.

[Louise Chambers]

hi Jack,

Here's one way to do it, as suggested by Chuck Abare in the Update:

http://www.purplemartin.org/update/9(4)conversion.html

There are several others in the Archives section as well,
http://www.purplemartin.org/forumarchives/archives.html

Are you getting ready for another season at Chautauqua? For forum readers, Jack has done a wonderful job of maintaining the martin housing at Chautauqua Institution in western New York state for many years now, and also gives weekly martin chats. He helped get martins set up over at the golf course there too. The Chautauqua Bird, Tree and Garden Club consulted PMCA and purchased T14s and gourd racks to set up along the lake shore. It's a wonderful place for martins, and Jack's work as naturalist there has made a really big difference in the success that has been achieved.

Louise

[John Miller]

I would get the porched tunnels and install them...prefer the 3-inch diameter tunnels because these are safer from wing entrapment. These tunnels have to be hand-made from PVC, and PMCA member Sandy Bunn sells them.. there may be other vendors but I have not seen any. You can cut out a three inch hole in the gourds with a jig saw and very quickly insert and caulk these in. I know that Tim Shaheen, landlord of the year from New Jersey, does his SGs this way..and I think he mentioned this is an PM Update Magazine article..but I'm having trouble finding it right now.

Further, recommend the excluder II entrances on the tunnels. It's the most effective at stopping starlings while easily admitting martins -- once they learn it. If this were not an established colony, I'd add a few "modified excluders" as martins learn these a little more quickly...but they are not quite as restrictive to starlings.

So, my heart-felt o'pins...others will have some too (grin).

[Jack Gulvin]

Thank you for the ideas. This sure beats trying to come up with a solution from scratch. Everything is set at Chautauqua for another great season.