Purple Martin Forum

Thanks. Will definitely keep at it. Wouldn't give up on them for anything. Just not happy with that SY male!

Thanks everyone. So depressing to pull down the gourds now. I think he's done. Hope so. I'm almost afraid to check any more.

Thanks, Louise. I hope he stops or moves on because he's on a rampage.

Emil, I'm having the same problem. I just did a nest check and he has cleared out two seven baby nests. There are others missing here and there and there was one seven egg nest that the eggs were gone and they are now renesting (one new egg as of today). I can't believe this is happening after the b...

I have a 12 excluder gourd rack. When the Martins stopped laying we had 84 eggs. To date we have lost several nests worth of babies and eggs. I just found another week-old baby under the gourd rack. Pretty sure he came out of gourd #8. We had seven babies in there. Five disappeared when they were ab...

Hey John, The only thing with that is that on these type porches (the excluder II), the 2.5 wide wouldn't be large enough. It would leave some of the grooves on the porch exposed that the starlings could get their nasty little claws into to help push them in. This coraplast is also already white and...

Charlie, quilters and sewers use them with quilting rulers. This is a rotary cutter: https://www.google.com/search?q=rotary+cutter&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=WGW&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=UCwyUbCpIZT69gSP2oHIAg&ved=0CAoQ_AUoAQ&...

Actually Emil, I think you're the one that turned me on to it in the first place. Last year I used it on my Grandpa (that we tore down this year because it just was too dilapidated). I see big things for the coraplast in my future! lol. The rotary cutter is definitely the way to go. Don't even have ...

also... if you have a sewer or quilter around, the sign board can be cut quickly and easily with a rotary cutter and quilting ruler. :-) The entire process took me all of about 20 minutes. When I glued the squares down I put an x of glue, rubbed it around the porch and then lifted it slightly and pu...

Thanks, Jeff. They aren't quite flush, but very close. It was a nervous few minutes when the PMs came back in last night. They knew something was different and it took them a few minutes, but now they are going in/out just like before. Kind of funny to watch the starlings try and try. I think they'd...

Starlings were getting into my Excluder II gourds pretty easily this season (are they smaller this year or what?!). I think I found the super easy and cheap answer. Instead of taking everything apart and raising the porches I bought the corrugated white sign board (looks like cardboard, but it's whi...

Might be a little of both, Chris. I changed my site this year as well. As of yesterday, I now have three pair, but none have even looked at the new gourd rack. The third male showed up the day before yesterday and then we saw the new female yesterday afternoon. Had Mass, so I wasn't able to watch wh...

I had the first pair fly over a couple of days ago. They spent the night last night. Must be a pair from last year because they went straight in the house. Last year I had just put on the crescent doorways and it took them a while. Anxious to see if anyone chooses the new gourd rack.... So exciting!

Congrats, Mitch! What a gorgeous piece of property! We bought our house 2.5 years ago with a little Grandpa Trio 12 on it... I was elated because I remember my grandfather landlording when I was a kid. I can only imagine your excitement of finding your dream home with a T14 already on it!!

Planning on it, just not sure of plans on that date yet. Hubby has a lot of work travel coming up.

Jean

I just put the gourds on it about an hour ago. It's much better with the gourds on it now. It's up and looks awesome! Now off to the Middle School to help with their house. Hopefully putting it up today.

Thanks, Scott. You did an awesome job!

I think I will try it for the wing entrapment. If we can mold it while it's still wet, I think it might just work! Wonder if it'll stick to the plastic in my excluder II gourds....

Really appreciate the ideas!

Thanks everyone. It doesn't have a set screw to hold it to the ground stake. It's brand new though, so I don't know why not. I even just looked at the directions again to see if I missed something, but there's no hole for a set screw anyway. I'll see if the weight of the gourds help and use some shi...

Thanks, Scott! I was looking at the Great Stuff at big orange last week and wondering if I could use it in the "attic" of the Trio. Then I went with the foil thinking that would work, but now, maybe not... So, you lined the walls with it? On a totally different subject from weather protect...

Holy moly! I'd pee my pants if I went out and saw that! lol. Much better than it getting up to the martins though. Will definitely be adding this to our poles.