snuffy
Cave Dweller 
Member since May 2009
Posts: 4,319
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Post by snuffy on Mar 17, 2016 19:00:58 GMT -5
A few weeks back I posted pics of gourds I raised for P Martin houses.Well,I made 32 and mounted them a couple weeks ago.Always wanted them by my garden,now after 66 years I have them.9 Martins were happily chirping this morning.    Thanks for looking snuffy |
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,723 
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Post by Fossilman on Mar 17, 2016 19:23:44 GMT -5
Nice homes for the Martins..
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Post by Pat on Mar 17, 2016 19:42:59 GMT -5
Room with a view! They look mighty pleased!
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Post by 150FromFundy on Mar 18, 2016 16:48:17 GMT -5
Very cool. They look like pears on steroids.
When the nests have hungry chicks to protect and feed, those martins will transform into dive bombers if you get too close. Remember to duck and enjoy the show.
Darryl.
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Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
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Post by Intheswamp on Mar 18, 2016 17:24:43 GMT -5
Good job...SREH's and porches!!! How big are the gourds. Did you know that the nestlings actually get bigger than their parents just before they leave the nest? Beautiful song, no tune, but might pretty. I like to see'em "comin' home" in the evening...closer and closer and closer as they start circling the rack...  |
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snuffy
Cave Dweller
Member since May 2009
Posts: 4,319
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Post by snuffy on Mar 18, 2016 17:53:05 GMT -5
Good job...SREH's and porches!!! How big are the gourds. Did you know that the nestlings actually get bigger than their parents just before they leave the nest? Beautiful song, no tune, but might pretty. I like to see'em "comin' home" in the evening...closer and closer and closer as they start circling the rack... The bigger ones are 9 inches in diameter,8" the smaller ones.Wanted at least 10",but that was as big as they got.Hope they will be big enough. snuffy |
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Post by radio on Mar 18, 2016 18:58:57 GMT -5
I couldn't keep the darned Sparrows and Starlings away long enough for the Martins to take up residence, so gave up. Lots of Swallows nest in the old barn and House Wrens in the carport. Time to put out the Hummingbird feeders before you know it!
Heavy frost/freeze warning here tonight and tomorrow night, so fruit trees covered!
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Mar 18, 2016 20:36:52 GMT -5
Good job...SREH's and porches!!! How big are the gourds. Did you know that the nestlings actually get bigger than their parents just before they leave the nest? Beautiful song, no tune, but might pretty. I like to see'em "comin' home" in the evening...closer and closer and closer as they start circling the rack... That is true of most altricial birds. Not unique to martins. But we can still love martins more!  |
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scottyh
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since November 2007
Posts: 181
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Post by scottyh on Mar 19, 2016 0:55:49 GMT -5
Great job Snuffy,
Enjoy the show over the next while.
Cheers Scott
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,607
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Post by jamesp on Mar 19, 2016 15:31:30 GMT -5
Well done snuffy, be prepared for less insects. Those rascals are aggressive if you get near their nests when they have chickys.
Heard they like body of water close by, may be a fable. They nest on my friend's dock at a lake and get all over him when he gets near them guessing at chicky season.
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snuffy
Cave Dweller
Member since May 2009
Posts: 4,319
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Post by snuffy on Mar 19, 2016 15:49:28 GMT -5
Well done snuffy, be prepared for less insects. Those rascals are aggressive if you get near their nests when they have chickys. Heard they like body of water close by, may be a fable. They nest on my friend's dock at a lake and get all over him when he gets near them guessing at chicky season. Everything I've read says water within a mile. Got a pond not too far away.Unobstructed,they drink on the fly.I've worked on houses next to some on the water.Quite a sight to behold. |
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,607
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Post by jamesp on Mar 19, 2016 16:00:33 GMT -5
Well done snuffy, be prepared for less insects. Those rascals are aggressive if you get near their nests when they have chickys. Heard they like body of water close by, may be a fable. They nest on my friend's dock at a lake and get all over him when he gets near them guessing at chicky season. Everything I've read says water within a mile. Got a pond not too far away.Unobstructed,they drink on the fly.I've worked on houses next to some on the water.Quite a sight to behold. That is one athletic bird. Powerful flyers and fun to watch if you can keep your eyes on them. Bats are another good critter to make nests for. Efficient bug eaters. |
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Post by beefjello on Mar 21, 2016 11:36:04 GMT -5
I'm sure they appreciate the condos you made for them, very cool.
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Post by rockpickerforever on Mar 22, 2016 11:08:06 GMT -5
Those are some nice lookin' condos, snuffy. I'm sure the birds love them!
Once you've painted them (the gourds, I mean), do they hold up to the weather pretty good? About how long before you need to replace them?
Thanks for posting the pics!
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snuffy
Cave Dweller
Member since May 2009
Posts: 4,319
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Post by snuffy on Mar 22, 2016 11:55:06 GMT -5
Those are some nice lookin' condos, snuffy. I'm sure the birds love them! Once you've painted them (the gourds, I mean), do they hold up to the weather pretty good? About how long before you need to replace them? Thanks for posting the pics! Jean,dont really know how long they will last,these are the first ones I've done like this.Time will tell,should last for years. snuffy |
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Post by rockpickerforever on Mar 22, 2016 17:25:37 GMT -5
Thanks for the info, snuffy. They do look pretty bulletproof! I like that they are organic . I imagine the birds do as well, they just don't know why, lol. |
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snuffy
Cave Dweller
Member since May 2009
Posts: 4,319
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Post by snuffy on Mar 22, 2016 17:42:13 GMT -5
Thanks for the info, snuffy. They do look pretty bulletproof! I like that they are organic . I imagine the birds do as well, they just don't know why, lol. Native Americans put up gourds hundreds of years ago around their crops to draw in the Martins.Trying the old ways! |
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Intheswamp
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Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
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Post by Intheswamp on Mar 22, 2016 18:21:02 GMT -5
It's pretty well a fact that martins will choose natural gourds over plastic gourds. And, usually, they will choose any type of gourd over a house. Unfortunately my gourd rack crashed a few years ago and I haven't gotten it back up. Bad pulley at the top.  My first year I only had a single pair. The next year the entire 16 gourds were filled and for years afterwards. I know of two colonies that I'm pretty sure got started because mine was established...there's mostly filled up the first year. Beware of chicken/rat snakes...they are fantastic pole climbers...I've removed them from the cross-pieces on more than one occasion with some very upset martins filling the air. Only a baffle, either stove-pipe or flat-plate will twart their efforts...most of the time. If it's a long snake it can get past the stove-pipe sometimes. Oh, and before anybody mentions it...they very seldom eat mosquitoes. They do they love dragonflies, though!  |
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Sabre52
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Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,496
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Post by Sabre52 on Mar 22, 2016 19:01:37 GMT -5
I love Martins but they never shut up *L*. We can't keep the dang house sparrows out of anything we put up. They even bedevil me in my shop....Mel
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snuffy
Cave Dweller
Member since May 2009
Posts: 4,319
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Post by snuffy on Mar 22, 2016 19:32:49 GMT -5
I love Martins but they never shut up *L*. We can't keep the dang house sparrows out of anything we put up. They even bedevil me in my shop....Mel Mel,I got a lot of sparrows too.Looks like will be a battle for the houses. I have around eighty different houses and apartments stuck all around,figured plenty of room for all.Will see how it turns out.That big red-tailed hawk that was perched atop the gourds may have a say in it too!  snuffy |
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