Sparrow haven!

[taxidermy lady]

I snagged this over the weekend! Made a deal with thrift store guy and he knew the owner of this mess! So balla Bing I have it! It's just stuffed with sparrow junk! Hopefully there freaking out and will find a new home in town in the slum boxes and push the martins here!!! I have my eye on another one. No martins nested in these 2 boxes!!!

[Rodger Drye]

Hey Sharon, Looks like a little work there.! But I know you can do it.!! My 1st house wa a modified 8 Room Coats.
I repainted it completely and changed all the Stainless hardware. Only Sparrows would nest in it.! I finally gave it away.! I still have a brand new Sun Set Inn but I don't use it!!!!

[taxidermy lady]

I am not sure what I am doing with it yet Rodger! I do know no more sparrows will nest in it when it's in my garage! If I can keep snagging these houses the martins may have to come to me! I have another one that is buldging with sparrows. I have my eye on it!

[scottfreidhof]

Resistance is futile. All sparrow housing must assimilate in Sharon's garage.

Way to go all Borg Queen on them!

[warbird]

You'll make something out of it I'm sure lol. Can't believe they still make a pm house with 6x6 cavities and people still buy them you'll have it fixed and full of pm's I'm sure. Good luck

[Rodger Drye]

Yeah that's one way to look at it - snag all the housing up and the Martin's will have a good reason to come to you and your site.!! Plus you're not contributing to the increase of the Sparrow population.!! How are you with Starlings? Do you have many of them??

[taxidermy lady]

Thanks Scott, I will do something while I'm waiting for a colony to get started!
Warbird I bet this house has been there since I was a little girl! The apartments are probably 20 yrs. old and new the trailer behind it has been there since I graduated from school!
Rodger I have a few starlings! But I have a weapon to take care of them! After 4 yrs. of shooting at them they get very weary to stop by!

[David W]

Sharon in reading your history of trying to attract martins, if you are using other types of housing and not gourds might be your problem. Here where I am in Eastern Pa., I had a 14 room Troyer (sp) type house that I built. For 10 years martins would look into the openings but never nest. Starlings and sparrows would and I would empty each every time.
Finally one day driving around I passed a fellow that had martins all over the place. Most were in gourds but he did have some in other housing. I stopped and talked to him and he had some natural gourds that he purchased from a woman in the south. These were at least 1/4" think and he drilled the hole and at the top drilled and ran electrical wire for a hanger.
I hung these at each corner of the house and that year attracted 4 pairs of martins. The following year I bought 12 plastic gourds and made a way to raise and lower the gourds. I did away with the 14 room house.
So what I am trying to say is, maybe they don't like that housing, try gourds for next year and I will bet you will get martins to stay. Your location seems good.
Some places martins will go to housing, but not here and maybe not there.

[taxidermy lady]

Yeah Dave I have more gourds than house cavities!

[Rodger Drye]

Sharon, You know I tend to agree with Dave somewhat. I too had 2 nice houses, but the Martin's would not use them. They turned out to be only Sparrow Haven's because they did have crescent entrances to deter Starlings. I knew where there was a couple Martin houses but they never had Martin's.? I stopped by a few years ago and talked to the farmer who had 1 up. He said he never had any nest there - just lookers. Hearing of his death a couple years ago I stopped in to see if they would let me have the house. His son told me he was going to put it back up, but I haven't seen it up yet.!
These Bird's are finicky and can be picky as you know. If everyone in you area has Houses with Round Holes maybe the Martin's know or seem to sense that the housing is up there for Sparrows. Naturally they wouldn't want to nest where there are so many nuisance birds like Sparrows.
I don't know, but aren't you offering Aluminum Housing and Gourds?? Maybe try separating your houses from the gourds. ( completely on different poles )...
Well you have several months to think about what you want to do.! Rodger

[taxidermy lady]

I have a gourd rack! I've had more gourds that house cavities!!

[taxidermy lady]

Every house I see is round with small cavities! They all have some sparrows with a few pair of martins! The house I have was grown up and only sparrows. BUT it use to have martins! I've had gourds up for 3 years! They were al sreh until this May when I changed them! Thanks for the help!

[Ravens5281]

That's a vintage house right there!!

[taxidermy lady]

Yes it's old! If you notice the top rail is wore down to the metal! Lots of birds been on that rail!

[Rodger Drye]

Sharon, I guess your best bet is to have up different types of housing and let the bird's choose what they want - then you'll know and you can decide from there. My Bird's seem to like Gourds best, so I'll stick with them.!

[Ravens5281]

Yea I have to like it that were my grandpas & I don't even think they make them anymore. Here is 2 houses that I refurbished that my neighbor gave me bc they were just sitting there in the back of his garden area on the ground rotting away so I asked how much & he said take them. They were rough before I fixed them up!!

[Rodger Drye]

Ravens5241, Great job on ReConditioning the Purple Martin house.!! Looking at your history - you may want to add a few gourds to your site just to give the Bird's a choice.! Rodger

[taxidermy lady]

You did a nice job on your renovation. I'm just not sure what I'm doing yet! It fun to work on them in the winter! Sorry for my delay! My internet and phone is dead at home! Thanks for the great picture!
Thanks Rodger! I will have a few houses and gourds next year!

[Ravens5281]

Thanks Roger & Taxidermy lady!! & Roger already 2 steps ahead of u brother but will always take any advice!!! My did planted some natural gourds & we probably have about 2 dozen so far so we will be adding even more gourds next year!!

[Rodger Drye]

Ravens5281, Wow, Looks like a Great little Site you have there with the Pond and all.!! And very Neat - very well maintained.!! Martin's like both Neatness (no trees or shrubs) and especially Water.!! (For Food and Hydration).!!
Good Luck to you for next year.!!!
Rodger