Purple Martin Forum

trying modify couple gourds into sparrow traps
what size hole do i need?

I always wonder how much nesting material to put in and if i'm dumbing them down by them not having to collect much but this time of year they always show up and we get weather in the teens and I figure a good batch of material may help them survive
Any thoughts?

Every night I'm seeing lots of martins but nothing even temporarily landing on my housing.
I'm assuming they are in a nearby sub roost and still "hunting" familiar grounds.

I posted about a baby jumping out for no apparent reason during non hot times of day. We were down to two and one looked good. In multiple attempts to save the baby who was jumping and looked about 15 days at 25 and 26, my wife put him back in nest on day 27 at 07:30 while I was at work and I believ...

I've got a great rehabber and she lets me release the rehabbed martins. One year it was late and I tried taking them to a staging area with hundreds/thousand? birds around and tried to just throw them up in the air. TERRIBLE idea. Some would draw the attention of an adult that would pair with them a...

Have a great rehab person but prob no Martins unless he could only be about 4 days behind. I'm usually the guy the rehab person gives babies to release. I've tried to release them in a staging area and did not go well. i'm going to post my favorite way to release in a new thread in case anyone is do...

I'm down to two babies in one nest and misting when heat index greater than 103. Nestlings about 26 days and one looks age appropriate and one looks about 18. The one that doesn't look normal has been on ground every day 4 days in a row. He is on the ground in am when it is NOT hot yet. I've put him...

Fireworks were so loud in my neighborhood it sounded like someone firing off a shotgun in my back yeard but it was two lots over. Huge city type fireworks. I don't know for sure if any left the nests that night but next am it looked like business as usual and all babies left are still alive. I get a...

After getting advice on this board a few weeks ago I tried raising the ladder after dark and stuffing the hole of HSP in gourd and trying to get them in am. The devils pulled my stuffing loose and escaped. While doing that I heard another sparrow fly out of another gourd due to subtle movement I cre...

I was just going to pull off single gourd, but worried about bumping another gourd or startling.

I've got Bo11's and Troyer horizontal. I can trap a sparrow in Troyer but cannot with tunnel trap for Bo 11. I think because I have to change tunnel out and it scares them Thinking about climbing up with ladder at night and stuffing a rag in hole. Debating wether to go ahead and pull down at night b...

Exactly, thanks Matt!

Mike I couldn't figure out how to email you privately
I saw you had birds very early and was wondering if they made it. Mine just got here yesterday and today. 2 now 7. Hope this growth rate continues

Thanks Emil

I've been raking up pine needles from my yard but my friend ordered some pine straw and said it was softer. Any reason NOT to use pine needles I rake up?

I just got new tunnels for my troyer horizontal. The new anti wing entrapment puts some plastic around the entrance. BUT the troyer I have has a lip around the end hole. Is there enough room for them to go abouve the lip which is a good 3/8" and get under the anti wing entrapment portion? Oh yeah, G...

I've checked them the day before they fledged safely and without a sock. I think the key is how often you are doing nest checks. I lower my poles almaost every day, every other at the very least. I think the frequency makes them used to it. In the past I've started to lower house and had them premat...

makes me realize how regional PM landlord business is. We've had terible years due to heat but this year has been my best in 17 years. Been in the 80's all week here and perfect spring rains and bug counts off charts.
So sorry. Frustrating to watch them suffer.

Sounds like you came out OK but for anyone reading this I would say this is absolutely wrong. If you have extended periods of heat your birds are DEAD. The only way I've gotten any to survive past 103 degrees is by setting up a misting system. Even then when the 28ish time is up they will jump but m...

I always thought all babies fledged on same day. Can some babies fledge earlier. We've had a great year and the babes are fat and healthy. I've got two nests(different racks) that had 5 babies a couple days ago but now have 2 or 3. I thought they were still a couple days away from fledging. Also fou...