Photos Of Vented Troyer, Super And Excluder Gourds

[Chriscreole]

Well I assembled the pole, made sure everything works good, going to replace the wench cable and add a new cap and perch next week but she works great, barley any movement and there are 30 mph winds today. What surprised me is I was able to stand up the pole and lift it right onto the ground stake all by myself. I'll have help when I add the Top cap & perch. We will just lift it up, lean it over and pop it on and change out the cable. I know I should have waited but what else do I have to do right?

[Indiana_Tom]

Chriscreole,

That really looks great. Isn't it leaning a smigg to the right. JUST KIDDING.

Nice setup and I an sure you will enjoy watching the martins this coming year.

Good luck.

[Chriscreole]

Ha Ha! Indiana_Tom, the ground Stake is in 800lbs of concrete and it's deffinatly plumed.

BTW, thats the T-14 pole I got off Craigs list for $150 and it came with half a T-14 house (less the 2 three compartments sides)

Best buy I made all year. Hope My returning Martins love it. I'm adding another 8 gourds if these fill up too fast.

[Indiana_Tom]

Man, that was a really good buy. Up here we would say "You done good".

I am still thinking about my gourd rack here. I am either going to add 4 gourds or 8 gourds. I have plenty of rooms that is not a problem. I have one rack with 8 gourds hung in a single level and I have a rack with 12 gourds hung from it on two levels.

I like the single level because I don't need a ladder to do nest checks. With the double level, I have to climb up on a ladder.

Oh well, either will work fine so I have to do some more thinking about it.

Good luck this coming year

Tom

[Steve Kroenke]

Hey Chris,

Thanks for posting those photos of your new rack with the gourds on it! Those Troyer Gourds with the PVC elbow vents look so good on the gourd mounting arms.

I was able to lift up my 3 inch square aluminum pole for my 24 gourd super system and place it over the ground stake. I did cut about 2 feet off the bottom section to turn the pole into a 14 foot one rather than 16 feet. My 16 foot pole was bent just above the winch during the April 2011 violent storm. I was unable to pull the bottom section of the pole off the ground sake because of the bend, so I had to cut it off! I still need to dig up the old ground stake and bent pole section. I still have several old ground stakes that need to be dug up.

And you still have room for 8 more gourds on the ends of the crossbars. I have my gourds on the ends facing outwards.

We will be looking forward to hearing about how your returning martins respond to the new gourd rack system. I believe they will be happy!

Good luck in 2012.

Steve

[Virgil McCoy]

I've spent the last few days modifying my own Troyer Horizontals. They are vented at the very top with two 90 degree pvc elbows nippled into two 45 degree elbows running horizontally meaning there is practically no air pockets or entrapment. Three holes are drilled under the horizontal elbows allowing water to flow out immediately in the event of a heavy rain. The nipples between the two joints act as a baffle pushing water back toward the drain holes.

[Chriscreole]

Added the final touch, a new Top Cap and cross perches, just in time for my babies to return! Hope they like the new setup.

[Phil Spitler]

hey chris what kind of gourd rack is that im looking for something like that did u make it

[dsonyay]

hey chris what kind of gourd rack is that im looking for something like that did u make it

Looks like a Super System 24...
A high quality piece. I ordered the little brother of this model the AAA-16.

Chris-
You've got a nice clear area around your rack... looks good!

[Chriscreole]

Yepper it's a super system 24 but i only put on 16 gourds to start. I pieced it together a little at a time. I scored a T-14 house and pole on graigs list for $150 but decided to convert to a 24 system rack because of the wind in the area.

I'm going to see if the city will sponsor a satilite system in the park and I'll donate the T-14 house toward it and maintain it for them.

We seem to have lots of martins in this area, three of us in the neighborhood are landlords and our backyards face this BIG park. All of us did well last year. I'm hoping to double my nesting pairs.

[Chriscreole]

Here is a layout of the park behind our houses, I'm the far right star. I started Central Texas Purple Martin Landlords and are planning to host a Purple Martin Meet and Greet/educational event mid season with a booth with handouts, exibits, educational materials, binoculars, spotting scope, little kodak pocket cameras for the kids to get their own pictures up close by the fence of the active Colonys. We have lots of pedestrian traffic and sports events here so the Martins are use to people. We may offer lite food and bottled water. All to promote the Conservation of the Purple Martins.

Park Layout:

[dsonyay]

Wow, that's a great place for martins.

My AAA holds 16 , but will only have 8 gourds to start. I'm like you; I had a 6 gourd unit last year and bought a rack that doubles my site. I just don't have the money to buy all those gourds at once. So I'll do it a little at a time.

I'm also preparing to vent my gourds with PVC elbows. Most of mine are BigBo. But I'll be adding Bo-11 with the cooling caps from this point on.

[Steve Kroenke]

Hey Chris,

Thanks for posting more photos of your new gourd rack system and an aerial map of your colony area.

The Troyer Gourds look real good on these crossbar gourd racks, particularly when you have the gourds "spread out" some. You can still add gourds to the ends of the crossbars and have the gourds face outwards.

My 24 gourd Super System was 100% occupied in 2011 and I used a variety of gourd styles on it: Troyer Horizontals, Excluders and Super Gourds.

Your colony site is super open! This is what martins like where they have plenty of room to fly to their nests and see and respond to approaching danger from Accipiter hawks.

I hope your satelite colony idea works out. Bob and I have 6 satellite martin colonies at this time and they produce MANY martin fledglings each season. These colonies are also great "advertising" for martins! Many folks stop by and look at our colonies and hopefully are inspired to become martin landlords.

Your colony should really expand in 2012 with such a great location and good quality gourds. Good luck.

Steve

[dsonyay]

Chris- Is there a pond nearby? That would be such a bonus to your site location.

[Chriscreole]

Yes the other side of the trees, there is a water treatment plant and they have ponds