yesterday we had a mean, massive thunder storm hit us. One of my purple martin houses (s&k barn w/ 6 gourds below) bent at the ground and went horizontal. Fortunately, we have rose bushes underneath and I think that stopped it from slamming the ground. The parents were frantic when I got home. Checked a couple of the gourds and had babies (yeah!) that seemed fine. Drove all over town yesterday evening trying to find a replacement pole, but no luck. We ended up removing the bottom section of the 4-part pole and setting it up again (albeit shorter and leaning slightly). The parents did settle back on the houses (thank you God!).
My inclination is to leave it as is and wait til the season is over, then replace the whole pole later, instead of lowering it and jostling it around to remove the house and gourds and move them to the new pole.
What do you think?
Martin Colony History: I moved to South Florida, from Delaware, in August of 2015.
I care for a 6 condo Sunset House as well as two Deluxe Gourd Racks, with 24 Chirpynest/Excluder gourds, along a canal in Pompano Beach, Florida.
At Quiet Waters Park, nearby in Deerfield Beach, I care for a Deluxe Gourd Rack with 12 TVG's. I also care for a Deluxe Gourd rack with 12 Excluder gourds with Modified Excluder entrances. I am substituting 6 Chirpynest boxes for 6 of the Conley II entranced gourds in 2026.
At another local park, Tradewinds Park in Coconut Creek, I care for a Trendsetter 12, 5 gourds rack with 60 Excluder gourds with Modified Excluder Entrances and 1 Deluxe Gourd Rack with 12 Troyer Vertical Gourds with Starling Stoppers over the Conley II's to keep out smaller starlings.
Fortunately, we have rose bushes underneath and I think that stopped it from slamming the ground. The parents were frantic when I got home. Checked a couple of the gourds and had babies (yeah!) that seemed fine. Drove all over town yesterday evening trying to find a replacement pole, but no luck. We ended up removing the bottom section of the 4-part pole and setting it up again (albeit shorter and leaning slightly). The parents did settle back on the houses (thank you God!).