A PURPLE Birthday for me! AND question about spare-o-doors

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TammyBears
Posts: 135
Joined: Fri Feb 03, 2012 4:00 pm
Location: Bridgecreek, Oklahoma (SW of OKC)

The best birthday present just showed up 5 minutes ago! He was checking out my other birthday present...a lonestar gourd rack :grin: Now to get them filled.
Big question...when he was poking his head in and out of the castle, he put his head in the spare o door...I was so afraid the trap lever would come down on his neck! Has anything ever happened like that? This is my first year to use the trap. So far I've trapped 3 HOSP, but I would be sick if a martin got his neck stuck.
Tammy
RIP my precious Josie, 7/5/2000-11/6/2014
2015: 22 pair plus lots of bachelors
2014: 25 pair and some bachelor subbies
2013: 17 pair
2012: 7 pair (first year)
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DornCounty
Posts: 2172
Joined: Tue Feb 14, 2012 3:58 pm
Location: Rural SE Kansas
Martin Colony History: .
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Trio-Jedi

congrats tammy!
2017 - Home & Public Colonies - 300 Cavities
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Peggy Riley
Posts: 885
Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 1:21 pm
Location: TX/Tolar

Happy Birthday! I wouldn't worry about the trap door, just make sure he if wiggles in to get him out ASAP. I've only had that happen once in 10 years.

I do think the older spare o doors had holes big enough for starlings!!!

Peggy
PMCA Member
2017 101 pair
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DornCounty
Posts: 2172
Joined: Tue Feb 14, 2012 3:58 pm
Location: Rural SE Kansas
Martin Colony History: .
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Trio-Jedi

I suppose it's not impossible, but I've never heard of it happening. I used 5 sparrow doors in town last year, all in houses with martins and didn't have an issue.
2017 - Home & Public Colonies - 300 Cavities
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dhjohnson
Posts: 478
Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2012 4:24 pm
Location: North Carolina/Clayton
Martin Colony History: 5th year hostess. Currently 58 confirmed breeding pair. 218 Fledged, 35 older nestlings, 2 new nests with 8 nestlings. 100% occupancy

Happy Birthday Tammy,
Glad you have returning birds. We have had scouts stay a few days but our birds are way late! Best wishes for a great season:-. Grow that 3rd year colony girl!
Debbie
Debbie Johnson
Clayton/NC (Archer Lodge)
2012 New Site 6 pair, 21 Fledged
2013 24 pair, 102 eggs, 94 hatched, 89 Fledged. What a great year!
2014 37 pair, 211 eggs, 193 Hatched, 178 Fledged, 1 nest of 5 young left! Late start but picked up speed quickly!
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Craig Haddox
Posts: 444
Joined: Sun Mar 14, 2004 5:13 pm
Location: Missouri Washington

I also use the spare-o-door traps and they are deadly on sparrows. Not a problem with the martins. Caught a male sparrow today. I love to watch with the binocs when they pop through the hole it puts a smile on my face :grin:
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DebA
Posts: 1941
Joined: Tue May 04, 2010 7:43 am
Location: Pratt County/Kansas
Martin Colony History: Start 2009 with one pair. Upgraded from S&K houses to two Trendsetter 12's with gourds beneath in 2013. I have experienced job, pet, and parental losses since '13. The Purple Martins lift my spirits and remind me how life continues forward by flying their little selves from Brazil back to my yard. As one forum person once told me, chin up DebA, look at the martins. Danger all around but yet they soar in the sky without a care in the world.

Happy happy birthday! Congrats on the new system! Best wishes to you.
Deb
PMCA MEMBER
Pratt County, Kansas
2016 34 PAIR
2015 27 PAIR
2014 23 PAIR
2013 13 PAIR
2012 6 PAIR
2011 4 PAIR
2010 2 PAIR
2009 1 PAIR
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jr 2
Posts: 749
Joined: Fri Jun 17, 2011 3:20 pm
Location: ohio,proctorville(just across ohio river from huntington,west virginia)

martins or starlings cannot get in spar-a-d00r;;hole is too small;;starlings or bigger birds will knckthe lever down sometimes as I have found lever down and nothing in it;;wind will also knock the lever lever down;;jr2
PMCA member; s 2011 2 pair fledged 3; 2012 3 asy pair,4 sy pair,2013 8 asy pair,6 sy pair;2014 19 asy pair,2 sy pair
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