SREH
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John Miller
- Posts: 4863
- Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2004 9:11 pm
- Location: St. Louis, MO
No, because there's no need and still modest risk in areas with heavy starling populations. First, the returning martin fledglings that roost in the housing for a week or so have no trouble entering the SREH -- because they don't have the hesitation of the adults. They just zip back in.
Also...A few starlings in Missouri nest into early June, and probably the same in Iowa. Then, here in St. Louis the starling fledglings begin forming large flocks by late June, and some would try to roost in the martin housing if not for SREH.
John M
Also...A few starlings in Missouri nest into early June, and probably the same in Iowa. Then, here in St. Louis the starling fledglings begin forming large flocks by late June, and some would try to roost in the martin housing if not for SREH.
John M
Last edited by John Miller on Fri Jun 17, 2011 6:47 am, edited 1 time in total.
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starling shooter
- Posts: 461
- Joined: Wed Nov 19, 2003 7:43 pm
- Location: Central MO
It's just not starlings. Screech owls, hawks, other owls...the SREH give more protection to the occpupants.
Greetings,
Lets flip this over.
When I got started and tried to do the best I could FOR THE BIRDS.
Open space, gourds, location, etc.
But started with round holes because I was trying to get reestablished after my two story Heath six sided house with round holes got knocked down.
As I added gourds, I made sure they had SREH entrances but still had a 8 with round holes.
Guess which ones the first few pair moved into?
I was good until I watched (while trying to shoot the sucker) a starling go into the gourds and take out the Martin eggs.
With round holes, they simply zipped in, grabbed or pecked eggs and zipped back out before I could get in a shot.
The Ratbirds set my newly established colony back a couple of weeks.
I had new determination, patrolled the rack agressively and ordered SREH with porches for the last 8 gourds and changed them out as soon as they came in.
The Martins were puzzled for about 5 minutes but adapted very quickly.
I gotta admit it was darned funny, to me anyway, watching Starlings do the "Starling Bonk" when they tried to go right into gourds they had entered effortlessly the day before.
They actually bounced off the entrance hard enough to make a "bonk" sound that echoed off the gourds.
Try as they might, they never breeched the SREH and seemed to give up after about a week of trying and I was very pleased and entertained by the results.
Bottom line:
Do the best YOU CAN DO for your birds.
They will reward you with sweet music, daily aerial shows, and babies!
Lets flip this over.
When I got started and tried to do the best I could FOR THE BIRDS.
Open space, gourds, location, etc.
But started with round holes because I was trying to get reestablished after my two story Heath six sided house with round holes got knocked down.
As I added gourds, I made sure they had SREH entrances but still had a 8 with round holes.
Guess which ones the first few pair moved into?
I was good until I watched (while trying to shoot the sucker) a starling go into the gourds and take out the Martin eggs.
With round holes, they simply zipped in, grabbed or pecked eggs and zipped back out before I could get in a shot.
The Ratbirds set my newly established colony back a couple of weeks.
I had new determination, patrolled the rack agressively and ordered SREH with porches for the last 8 gourds and changed them out as soon as they came in.
The Martins were puzzled for about 5 minutes but adapted very quickly.
I gotta admit it was darned funny, to me anyway, watching Starlings do the "Starling Bonk" when they tried to go right into gourds they had entered effortlessly the day before.
They actually bounced off the entrance hard enough to make a "bonk" sound that echoed off the gourds.
Try as they might, they never breeched the SREH and seemed to give up after about a week of trying and I was very pleased and entertained by the results.
Bottom line:
Do the best YOU CAN DO for your birds.
They will reward you with sweet music, daily aerial shows, and babies!
Cheers,
Joe
2015 - 40 cavities - 37 pair - fledged 172
2016 - 40 cavities - 38 pair - fledged 192
Hosting Purple Martins since 1976...Managing since 2006.
Joe
2015 - 40 cavities - 37 pair - fledged 172
2016 - 40 cavities - 38 pair - fledged 192
Hosting Purple Martins since 1976...Managing since 2006.
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Jim Spetzman
- Posts: 77
- Joined: Sat Apr 03, 2004 8:26 am
- Location: Minnesota, Forest Lake
Can Martins get in SREH if there is no perch for them to sit on? In other words, if it was a flat side of a house, do they anchor there feet on the bottom of the hole and then enter the house easily?
Greetings,
The adults do it easily as they are cavity dwellers.
I think the fledglings have a harder time without porches - more so on the first day or two.
Also, it your porches are close to the bottom of the hole it makes it even harder for Starlings to get in.
The adults do it easily as they are cavity dwellers.
I think the fledglings have a harder time without porches - more so on the first day or two.
Also, it your porches are close to the bottom of the hole it makes it even harder for Starlings to get in.
Cheers,
Joe
2015 - 40 cavities - 37 pair - fledged 172
2016 - 40 cavities - 38 pair - fledged 192
Hosting Purple Martins since 1976...Managing since 2006.
Joe
2015 - 40 cavities - 37 pair - fledged 172
2016 - 40 cavities - 38 pair - fledged 192
Hosting Purple Martins since 1976...Managing since 2006.