Hosp Count

C.C.Martins · Sun Mar 09, 2025 6:39 pm

Oh man. I thought I got up to mischief!!!! That is funny!!! Oh wow, now that is thoughtful and meticulous...and just a good kid project until dad gets home...
Boy, I don't mess with the red ones, noooooooo. Nope.

Good one!

Dave Duit · Wed Mar 12, 2025 4:27 pm

Thanks for the info flyin-lowe. Much appreciated.

Thomas Maddox · Tue Mar 18, 2025 8:20 am

Got 2 more. Up to 19 for the year.

PurplePupil · Tue Mar 18, 2025 11:22 am

Up to 18 so far. Looks to be another record season for trapping HOSP in my area. I also got two more Spare-O-Door traps.

It's just great to be out there catching them and helping the population decrease a little.

C.C.Martins · Tue Mar 18, 2025 5:30 pm

Dang! You guys are neck and neck. Nail em!

Spare o doors are gold, pure gold. Take good care of it. Even if you don't have a trio house, its easy enough to knock together a bird house and hang the spare o door on it...can make it moveable too.
This set up is near our gourd rack, two trap gourds and two spare o door traps back to back.

20250318_172804.jpg: (1.65 MiB) Not downloaded yet

Dan G · Thu Mar 20, 2025 8:07 am

Sometimes, at first glance, the female house sparrows can look similar to the house finches I have in abundance. So yesterday, when a pair of the HS were on a BB house in range, I got the gun. I debated on which to shoot. Since I have taken out multiple males, due in part to being easier to quickly ID and their seeming intelligence, I decided to line up the female. She fell to the ground, he flew off, but came right back to the house. His last mistake! Maybe they aren’t so bright.

Martintown33 · Thu Mar 20, 2025 9:03 am

Way to go Dan! Great shooting! I got a double yesterday morning too.
Rob

Thomas Maddox · Thu Mar 20, 2025 9:16 am

Nice! I do think they are smart, but just like with us sometimes, the hormones override our brains. Lol

PurplePupil · Sat Mar 22, 2025 4:11 pm

C.C.Martins wrote: ↑
Tue Mar 18, 2025 5:30 pm
Dang! You guys are neck and neck. Nail em!

Spare o doors are gold, pure gold. Take good care of it. Even if you don't have a trio house, its easy enough to knock together a bird house and hang the spare o door on it...can make it moveable too.
This set up is near our gourd rack, two trap gourds and two spare o door traps back to back.20250318_172804.jpg

Nice! Are those attraction spots on the sides? I've heard a little about them but have never tried them. And yes, those doors are very hard to come by! I bought them from a gentleman in Indiana. He said he should just start making something like that and selling them.

Speaking of HOSP, has anyone ever used the decoy strategy of letting them nest and dipping eggs in olive oil, or shaking, while the BBs nest? And if so, does that work if you have a lot of HOSP?

Anyhow, I hope everyone has a great season and plenty of fledglings!

C.C.Martins · Sat Mar 22, 2025 4:56 pm

Yes those spots are my hope to draw them in, and get their attention. Works on starlings.

Think if that gent went into production he would be doing very well! Good buy. If he does, let us know please.

Iv never addled eggs, or dipped them in oil but heard it works. I do know of one gent who would take out one egg from a HOSP nest each nest check, eventually leaving one and that one they shake. Point is to not let them be successful.

Thomas Maddox · Sun Mar 23, 2025 3:37 pm

Another thing I've done with success, AFTER eggs are laid, is to cut a piece of sticky rat paper and place in the cavity. I took a piece of white plastic and cut a 1 and 1/4 hole in it and taped it over the cavity entrance (this hole is small enough that PMs can't get in). If the PMs have a nest, but no eggs, they won't enter. If they have eggs, they can't resist. I'm undefeated with this method.

C.C.Martins · Sun Mar 23, 2025 7:28 pm

Works like a champ doesn't it? I don't like glue traps, but got desperate at my neighbors colony, plopped her egg right smack in the middle of it and got her quick. Male right after. That egg is key.

Thomas Maddox · Mon Mar 24, 2025 8:00 am

I agree CC and it does make me nervous. If a PM ever squeezes through the altered, smaller entrance, I'll stop doing it.
I'm stuck on #19, but haven't been seeing very many HOSPS lately.

C.C.Martins · Mon Mar 24, 2025 1:05 pm

But they work great. Just another tool in the box.

Came close to getting one yesterday, hes been around a bit but just calling from across the street, yesterday he was checking out the house. Got a good full on shot and missed! He didn't know what happened and stayed up there, eventually moved to a short bush and I missed again!

I'm waiting for him right now.

C.C.Martins · Tue Mar 25, 2025 12:17 pm

Got him, went home for lunch and the red door to the PMCA nest box trap near the front gourds was closed. He is now languishing in the ground trap in back.
I love those traps.

Phil01 · Tue Mar 25, 2025 12:37 pm

lol! Great job Tom! Your persistence paid off! It’s dangerous to be a HOSP in your neck of the woods!

C.C.Martins · Tue Mar 25, 2025 5:31 pm

Haha, joke is on me though...two misses and waited all day for it yesterday, all day. Was nice though, female cardinal came to drink, hummingbirds and woodpeckers, PMs tearing it up, lots of peace.

I'm going to name him 2 shot. He'll be with me for a long time Phil.

Phil01 · Wed Mar 26, 2025 5:02 am

Yep, isn’t it great when there is peace and all the other birds are enjoying life along with the martins… One thing I’ve noticed is an increase in songbirds since I’ve had martins.. I feel like they feel safer with a colony to watch for predators and sound the alarm when there’s danger close by.
2 shot! That’s great! Is that how many pellets you used or how much tequila you drank?? Maybe that’s why you missed twice?? Lmao jk
Keep whacking them my friend!
Phil

Thomas Maddox · Wed Mar 26, 2025 7:53 am

C.C.Martins wrote: ↑
Tue Mar 25, 2025 5:31 pm
Haha, joke is on me though...two misses and waited all day for it yesterday, all day. Was nice though, female cardinal came to drink, hummingbirds and woodpeckers, PMs tearing it up, lots of peace.

I'm going to name him 2 shot. He'll be with me for a long time Phil.

I have the feeders also. Cardinals, Blue Jays, Cickadees, Tufted titmouse (actually nesting in a box), Gold Finch and others. I've never seen any disturbance between them and the PMs. Have another box BBs and no issues either. Hooe i didn't just jinx it. Lol.

PurplePupil · Wed Mar 26, 2025 12:12 pm

Nice shooting! They sure do get nervous if you miss. Anyhow, I managed to throw together a spare-o-door contraption last night with some junky wood around. I had some looking at the trap like this guy. How would guys recommend putting attraction spots on it?(Top? Sides? All over?) Or should I even put them up?
Thanks!

#22!