Looking for pics of gourds on lines

[starling shooter]

Looking for ideas. Thx in advance.

[~Ray~Gingerich]

This is not a perfect setup as you can see but this guy had a super colony here, it was near wetlands so I think that's why. The colony had predator problems and numbers went way down. The man is in a nursing home now and all the martin housing is gone.

[John Evans]

I'm thinking about it too.. All the Amish colonies around me are set up that way No houses. Most I've seen are pole to pole (some pole to building) with what appears to be wire or light cable. They tie their gourds on to the wires not string them. Probably cuts down on the swaying. I've seen one setup with a winch system on one pole. Most have 12 to 20 gourds per line although I've seen one with a lot more.
The height varies from approx 12 feet to some lines drooping down to 6 feet.

Most poles I've seen are probably cedar, approx 1 ft diameter . Most use natural gourds and, several use what appear to be super gourds. All round entrances and no perches, spaced about 1/12 feet apart.

I have 12 Amish colonies withing 3 miles of my ranch with some martins, but sorry no pictures. Try googling Amish martin gourds. I found a few images there.

If you are interested I'll share my plan and materials. I have 32 excluder gourds and a few super gourds in the barn just waiting.

John

[John Evans]

Forgot to add that every gourd on every line, at every setup here faces due east. Have not found one that deviates. I'm assuming it's because most of our rain and wind comes from the west and that the sun rising as well.

[Thais G]

I'm confused: how do they lower these with a winch?? Seems it would not work unless they are lowering for once a year clean up only?
Curious...

Thais

[John Evans]

Thais, I believe there is a pulley or eyelet at the top of the pole which allows one side to be lowered for end of year storage and clean out. The other end of the wire is attached to a barn. I've not stopped at this farm for a closer inspection. It's close to the road so I can see the setup pretty clearly..

John

[Thais G]

Thanks - I was just asking because I have considered the setup, but I can't imagine how exactly one would lower it for nest checks.... But there must be a way and I am just not quite there...!

[Lewis]

Iv'e thought about having a line of gourds I could monitor. Here is what I think might work. Use the clothes line approach with two large pulleys on each end , large enough so the gourds going back will clear gourds coming in. You would need to take the gourd off line when it reached the pulley , make a nest check and reattach to line going back. My plan was to use the clinger entrance on natural gourds with no porch. I grew the gourds for this project but trying to keep up this old horse farm takes all my time.

Lewis