Off Season Stuff
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Thomas Maddox
- Posts: 580
- Joined: Fri Jun 25, 2021 5:23 pm
- Location: Sulphur, Louisiana
Since my FIL passed away last year, I've helped my MIL with their two PM houses (one that he made and is awesome). After the PMs left here this summer, I plugged the holes with pool noodles. Today, we were eating lunch at her house and I saw two HOSPS pecking and pulling at the noodles. After lunch, I went out and inspected. They completely removed 5 noodle plugs and had almost destroyed 5 more. These devils are relentless. Time to change strategies. I do have 2 traps in her yard and have caught about 25 HOSPS in the last two weeks. The fight continues!
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C.C.Martins
- Posts: 3368
- Joined: Fri Apr 14, 2017 11:15 am
- Location: Corpus Christi Tx
- Martin Colony History: 2016- Visitors.
2017- 5 pair. 15 fledged
2018- 18 pair. 85 fledged
2019- 17 pair. 81 fledged
2020- 25 pair. 111 fledged
2021- 28 pair. 118 fledged
2022- 33 pair. 151 fledged
2023- 33 pair. 165 fledged
2024- 40 pair. 185 fledged
2025- 40 pair. 181 fledged
HOSP:
Home colony: mix natural, super, Troyer and excluder gourds, enlarged compartment house. All SREH.
Satellite colony: Oso Bay Preserve: 49 PMCA excluder gourds; 16 room Lonestar Goliad with Modified Excluder entrances.
2019: Visitors
2020: 3 pair, 11 fledged
2021: 10 pair, 30 fledged
2022: 11 pair, 35 fledged
2023: 18 pair, 101 fledged
2024: 39 pair, 181 fledged
2025: 51 pair, 216 fledged
PMCA member
Good looking out, and good getting the word out, lots of us use pool noodles. They knew the cavity was behind it....im sure their days are numbered.
A good house sparrow is a dead house sparrow.
HOSP: 17. Starlings: 23
HOSP: 17. Starlings: 23
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flyin-lowe
- Posts: 3788
- Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2006 8:49 am
- Location: Indiana/Henry Co.
Thomas, do you know what the breeding seasons are for them down that far south? Im in Indiana and they don't ever bother with cavities right now and typically won't until the spring. One year I left an old S&K barn house over the off season thinking I would be able to shoot and trap a bunch of them. They never looked at it. Last year I built a platform feeder and took out a bunch of them over the winter. I noticed a decrease in traffic this spring. It's about time to start feeding again to shoot some more over the winter.
2026 HOSP 26
2025 62 pair HOSP 20
2024 60 pair, HOSP 44
2023 60+ pair, HOSP 8
2022 60 nests with 262 eggs, HOSP 14
2021 62 pair, HOSP 9
2020 42 nest, HOSP 8
2019- 31 pair
2018- 15 pair 49 fledged
2017 3 SY pair, 12 eggs , fledged 10. 4 additional lone SY's
2016 1 pair fledged 4
2015 Visitors
2014 Visitors
2013 Moved 6 miles, 1 pair fledged 2.
2012 30 pair fledged 100.
2011 12 pair 43 fledged.
2010 5 pair 14 fledged.
2025 62 pair HOSP 20
2024 60 pair, HOSP 44
2023 60+ pair, HOSP 8
2022 60 nests with 262 eggs, HOSP 14
2021 62 pair, HOSP 9
2020 42 nest, HOSP 8
2019- 31 pair
2018- 15 pair 49 fledged
2017 3 SY pair, 12 eggs , fledged 10. 4 additional lone SY's
2016 1 pair fledged 4
2015 Visitors
2014 Visitors
2013 Moved 6 miles, 1 pair fledged 2.
2012 30 pair fledged 100.
2011 12 pair 43 fledged.
2010 5 pair 14 fledged.
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C.C.Martins
- Posts: 3368
- Joined: Fri Apr 14, 2017 11:15 am
- Location: Corpus Christi Tx
- Martin Colony History: 2016- Visitors.
2017- 5 pair. 15 fledged
2018- 18 pair. 85 fledged
2019- 17 pair. 81 fledged
2020- 25 pair. 111 fledged
2021- 28 pair. 118 fledged
2022- 33 pair. 151 fledged
2023- 33 pair. 165 fledged
2024- 40 pair. 185 fledged
2025- 40 pair. 181 fledged
HOSP:
Home colony: mix natural, super, Troyer and excluder gourds, enlarged compartment house. All SREH.
Satellite colony: Oso Bay Preserve: 49 PMCA excluder gourds; 16 room Lonestar Goliad with Modified Excluder entrances.
2019: Visitors
2020: 3 pair, 11 fledged
2021: 10 pair, 30 fledged
2022: 11 pair, 35 fledged
2023: 18 pair, 101 fledged
2024: 39 pair, 181 fledged
2025: 51 pair, 216 fledged
PMCA member
You know its funny he saw that activity, have not seen much sparrow activity in the past month and a half, but, last week caught a male HOSP in a nest box trap so I can relate.
Sure as $hit, there was squiggly sparrow poop on the gourds.
Its been a very warm and mild winter way down here. It is still in the 80s.
As far as a pair actively seeking a home, what he describes sure sounds like it. Perhaps, just perhaps since its not his colony that pair had some luck nesting last season? Iv seen the starlings inspecting around the street lights they nest in lately but those iv shot still have brown beaks, no yellow. Perhaps the sparrow we caught was just a one off?
Sure as $hit, there was squiggly sparrow poop on the gourds.
Its been a very warm and mild winter way down here. It is still in the 80s.
As far as a pair actively seeking a home, what he describes sure sounds like it. Perhaps, just perhaps since its not his colony that pair had some luck nesting last season? Iv seen the starlings inspecting around the street lights they nest in lately but those iv shot still have brown beaks, no yellow. Perhaps the sparrow we caught was just a one off?
A good house sparrow is a dead house sparrow.
HOSP: 17. Starlings: 23
HOSP: 17. Starlings: 23
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Thomas Maddox
- Posts: 580
- Joined: Fri Jun 25, 2021 5:23 pm
- Location: Sulphur, Louisiana
First time trapping (and honestly observing) in the Fall. I know that they can have 3ish broods per year, starting in winter (which is variable here in SWLA). I caught 3 more today. 102 for the year. These demons are very smart and can survive with the best of animals. I read that their #S are on the decline, but I'm not so sure. I'll keep fighting on
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Thomas Maddox
- Posts: 580
- Joined: Fri Jun 25, 2021 5:23 pm
- Location: Sulphur, Louisiana
Keep up the fight CC and Fly!