First two eggs pecked on the ground
Found my first two eggs, one yesterday and one today on the ground pecked. Have the modified Excluder gourds. Disappointed to say the least. From past experience, it could be sparrows or subbies. Anyone have any suggestions or thoughts?
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Larry A Kronemeyer
- Posts: 500
- Joined: Mon May 22, 2006 5:27 pm
- Location: Illinois/Millstadt
Do you have wrens in the area? We have had that too!
Larry and Judy Kronemeyer
est. 1999
1-12 compartment Trendsetter and 8 gourds(crescents)
12 gourd rack (crescents)
Member PMCA
est. 1999
1-12 compartment Trendsetter and 8 gourds(crescents)
12 gourd rack (crescents)
Member PMCA
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Kuemic
- Posts: 176
- Joined: Fri Jan 15, 2016 7:17 pm
- Location: Topeka, KS
- Martin Colony History: 2015 1 pair, 2 eggs destroyed by HOSP
2016 1 pair, 2 fledged, HOSP 46
2017 1 pair, 5 fledged, HOSP 14
2018 daily visitors, HOSP 12
2019 1 pair, 2 fledged, HOSP 14
2020 1pair, 5 fledged, HOSP 17
2021 2 pair, 7 fledged, HOSP 21
2022 3 pair, 12 fledged, HOSP 18
2023 8 pair, 35 fledged, HOSP 16
2024 13 pair, 55 fledged, HOSP 11
Feel your pain, happened to us our first year...little knowledge of how to trap sparrows at that time, but we were fast learners. It can happen so quickly, especially with the birds off feeding. We did have wrens on and off our trio house last year but they did not do any damage, we chased them off as soon as we saw them, but they are FAST! Hope your season gets better...
--Michelle
--Michelle
Michelle in Topeka
My money is on sparrows! I've had the same problem at Lake Buchanan and it's always sparrows. I use a trap under my gourds that I purchased on this site-highly recommend it! I get catch them regularly which controls the problem until the next male sparrow locates a gourd. A pellet gun works too if you're a good shot!
My feeling it male English sparrow. Listen for his mate call, I bet he's somewhere close setting in tree, roof, or near by line calling for mate for the new cavity he just took over. If you seen English sparrow in the area recently you can bet it him.
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~Ray~Gingerich
- Posts: 2122
- Joined: Mon Jan 05, 2004 10:24 pm
- Location: Delaware/Dover
Have seen a single female house wren go from gourd rack to gourd rack randomly tossing out eggs and for no apparent reason, In just a few minutes she did a lot of damage.
~Ray~ Gingerich
1999 1pair, 2006 2 pair, 2008 2 pair,
2009 23 pair, 2010 39 pair, 2011 67 pair,
2012 115 pair, 2013 160 pair,
2014 152 pair, 2015 174 pair, 2016 178 pair
2017 187 pair, 2018 200 pair, 2019 171pair
2020 233 pair
1999 1pair, 2006 2 pair, 2008 2 pair,
2009 23 pair, 2010 39 pair, 2011 67 pair,
2012 115 pair, 2013 160 pair,
2014 152 pair, 2015 174 pair, 2016 178 pair
2017 187 pair, 2018 200 pair, 2019 171pair
2020 233 pair
I am trying to attract martins to my gourd house with Dawnsong and a decoy. Only 3 gourds are open and there's a Bewicks wren nesting in one. My inclination is to wait until the little wrens fledge. What do you guys think? Will the wrens keep the martins away?
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Laverne
- Posts: 2216
- Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2004 1:58 pm
- Location: TX/Alvin
- Martin Colony History: Erected 1st house in 1997. Birds were checking it out before Mike got down from the ladder. Six cavities had a little colony 1st year. Grown to 88 cavities all gourds with near 100% occupancy. Most important factor for success is rain = bugs.
I am totally unfamiliar with Wrens. The Starling, House Sparrow and sub-adult Martins have always been our culprits. SREH stopped the Starling, pellets stopped the HS and subbies are tolerated. Keeping the nest competitors out of your PM housing will allow your colony to grow and eventually the colony becomes a force of it's own. They chase away any intruders and are much better at it than I am.
Keep after them and best wishes for a great season.
Keep after them and best wishes for a great season.
Sincerely,
Laverne
Laverne