My site has natural gourds with mostly crescents, but I have a couple that have round holes. I have martins nesting in these 2 gourds. Can I take and cut the entrance bigger and add a crescent plate with out a porch while they are away during the day/ I feel that I do not want to take chances with the starlings . I do trap and shoot. But am I taking a gamble
doing this change to where they may abandon this nest or will they try harder to use the crescents now that they have built a nest.
This is my second year and I only had one pair last year and did not want to lose them when they came back with a SREH
thanks jim
Holes to SREH while nesting
amazing that you should ask this question....just this evening, i had to cross this bridge!
this is my first year for martins, after trying for 7 years. i have two pair that have been around for about a month, and both pairs are very committed and have built complete nests...should be laying eggs any day now. the problem was that one of the pair had picked one of my FEW cavities that i hadn't changed to SREH! i was afraid to change the opening once they moved in, and started building a nest.
well, this evening, i was out watching the houses, and all of a sudden, a starling enters this cavity with NESTING MATERIALS...it appeared as if he and his mate were trying to hijack the cavity> both starlings were in and out with nesting material! i immediately lowered the house and changed the opening to SREH!
i sat and watched as the pair of PM's finally came in at sunset. they usually go RIGHT IN, and if you are not watching closely, you could easily miss their return to the house. this evening they stopped abruptly, and sat on the porch "discussing" this new entrance........they finally went in, and ALL IS WELL. i am very relieved to have changed the opening and am glad that my PM"s had very little problem with it. this is just my experience, and i felt like i had to do this to keep the starlings from moving in. maybe someone else will chime in. Rick
this is my first year for martins, after trying for 7 years. i have two pair that have been around for about a month, and both pairs are very committed and have built complete nests...should be laying eggs any day now. the problem was that one of the pair had picked one of my FEW cavities that i hadn't changed to SREH! i was afraid to change the opening once they moved in, and started building a nest.
well, this evening, i was out watching the houses, and all of a sudden, a starling enters this cavity with NESTING MATERIALS...it appeared as if he and his mate were trying to hijack the cavity> both starlings were in and out with nesting material! i immediately lowered the house and changed the opening to SREH!
i sat and watched as the pair of PM's finally came in at sunset. they usually go RIGHT IN, and if you are not watching closely, you could easily miss their return to the house. this evening they stopped abruptly, and sat on the porch "discussing" this new entrance........they finally went in, and ALL IS WELL. i am very relieved to have changed the opening and am glad that my PM"s had very little problem with it. this is just my experience, and i felt like i had to do this to keep the starlings from moving in. maybe someone else will chime in. Rick
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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
Jim, you didn't follow my suggestions on the email exchange, I suggested that you go to all SREH!.... Don't know what else to say. But I hope it all works out for you..
PMCA Member, 250 gourds, 6 poles, 2traps
I wouldn't add a crescent without a porch. I wouldn't have a round hole either. If you had a porched "2nd Gen" SREH (WDC, Excluder 2) then the Martins would have very little problem gaining access to the gourds. In my experience, a crescent without a porch might be the hardest entrance hole for the Martins to learn how to use. Their is a long learning curve. I tried both UNporhced crescents and WDC side by side with porched crescents and WDC's at a friends Supercolony one year when he was converting to SREH. No comparison. ALL the porched gourds were occupied, most of the unporched were not.
I would without a doubt swap to a SREH, but I go with a porched WDC or Ex 2 plate with a porch. I no longer use gourds without tunnels, but I wouldn't suggest swapping to a tunnel right now because of the time involved putting one in. I have put in many, and could install them quickly, but if you haven't put them in before it will take you some time.
I would without a doubt swap to a SREH, but I go with a porched WDC or Ex 2 plate with a porch. I no longer use gourds without tunnels, but I wouldn't suggest swapping to a tunnel right now because of the time involved putting one in. I have put in many, and could install them quickly, but if you haven't put them in before it will take you some time.
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John Miller
- Posts: 4866
- Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2004 9:11 pm
- Location: St. Louis, MO
I'd not add a plate without a porch. Martins grasp the edge of the natural gourd to gain entrance.
Crescents cut directly into natural gourds can be very good, economical housing. You have to take care to get the crescent sized right and remeasure it year. You can add a wooden dowel cling rod at the bottom to help them catapult in -- I still use a few this way.
Many experienced landlords -- I'm getting there -- use tunnels made of 3 inch wide PVC pipe, adding a SREH plate and porch on the front. The 3 inch width prevents wing entrapment; the porch helps martins enter and adds a resting place, and the tunnel itself, also about 3 inches deep, adds depth to maybe thwart owls. Thurman had an article about how to make these published in an earlier PM Update -- or you can purchase them.
Your risk of starlings gets lower now -- but not gone. Starlings tend to nest in early spring, but I do see a few building nests in May.
John M
Crescents cut directly into natural gourds can be very good, economical housing. You have to take care to get the crescent sized right and remeasure it year. You can add a wooden dowel cling rod at the bottom to help them catapult in -- I still use a few this way.
Many experienced landlords -- I'm getting there -- use tunnels made of 3 inch wide PVC pipe, adding a SREH plate and porch on the front. The 3 inch width prevents wing entrapment; the porch helps martins enter and adds a resting place, and the tunnel itself, also about 3 inches deep, adds depth to maybe thwart owls. Thurman had an article about how to make these published in an earlier PM Update -- or you can purchase them.
Your risk of starlings gets lower now -- but not gone. Starlings tend to nest in early spring, but I do see a few building nests in May.
John M
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Carlton
- Posts: 1959
- Joined: Tue May 17, 2005 6:42 pm
- Location: Florida/Deerfield Beach
- Martin Colony History: I moved to South Florida, from Delaware, in August of 2015.
I care for a 6 condo Sunset House as well as two Deluxe Gourd Racks, with 24 Chirpynest/Excluder gourds, along a canal in Pompano Beach, Florida.
At Quiet Waters Park, nearby in Deerfield Beach, I care for a Deluxe Gourd Rack with 12 TVG's. I also care for a Deluxe Gourd rack with 12 Excluder gourds with Modified Excluder entrances. I am substituting 6 Chirpynest boxes for 6 of the Conley II entranced gourds in 2026.
At another local park, Tradewinds Park in Coconut Creek, I care for a Trendsetter 12, 5 gourds rack with 60 Excluder gourds with Modified Excluder Entrances and 1 Deluxe Gourd Rack with 12 Troyer Vertical Gourds with Starling Stoppers over the Conley II's to keep out smaller starlings.
Congrats Rick!!!
I am so happy for your success this year.
Glad that worked out with the SREH. Good job!
Carl
I am so happy for your success this year.
Glad that worked out with the SREH. Good job!
Carl
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Carlton
- Posts: 1959
- Joined: Tue May 17, 2005 6:42 pm
- Location: Florida/Deerfield Beach
- Martin Colony History: I moved to South Florida, from Delaware, in August of 2015.
I care for a 6 condo Sunset House as well as two Deluxe Gourd Racks, with 24 Chirpynest/Excluder gourds, along a canal in Pompano Beach, Florida.
At Quiet Waters Park, nearby in Deerfield Beach, I care for a Deluxe Gourd Rack with 12 TVG's. I also care for a Deluxe Gourd rack with 12 Excluder gourds with Modified Excluder entrances. I am substituting 6 Chirpynest boxes for 6 of the Conley II entranced gourds in 2026.
At another local park, Tradewinds Park in Coconut Creek, I care for a Trendsetter 12, 5 gourds rack with 60 Excluder gourds with Modified Excluder Entrances and 1 Deluxe Gourd Rack with 12 Troyer Vertical Gourds with Starling Stoppers over the Conley II's to keep out smaller starlings.
EXCELLENT!
Emil Pampell-Tx wrote:Jim, you didn't follow my suggestions on the email exchange, I suggested that you go to all SREH!.... Don't know what else to say. But I hope it all works out for you..
Emil
In my message I was asking about the ultimate tunnels that have the round and crescents .and I put the round plug in them so they would use the crescents Like you had suggested
the question here is I have a natural gourd that has a round hole cut in the gourd which a pair has already built a nest.
This gourd was the one that my first and only pair nested in last year and I did not change it as I thought that I may lose them using a SREH. I did change all my other gourds except for two to the ultimate tunnels I was just wondering whats the best way if you can change this as they are nesting now. Here is a site that shows this but I see they don't have a porch would a porch just on the outside be ok . http://purplemartin.org/update/9(4)conversion.html
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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
Yes, put a porch about 1/8in under the crescent. Most people don't attach an inside porch unless the entrance hole is real high. I prefer the entrance hole lower so that the martins can exit easier. Also, on natural gourds, you don't need an inside porch, the martins can cling to the wall of the natural gourd.
The martins at my place don't like high entrance holes, they are the last selected. Out of 240 gourds, I have one empty one that does not have eggs yet, and it has the highest entrance hole.
The martins at my place don't like high entrance holes, they are the last selected. Out of 240 gourds, I have one empty one that does not have eggs yet, and it has the highest entrance hole.
PMCA Member, 250 gourds, 6 poles, 2traps