Ready to try again!

[Vixen55]

Ok! I'm ready to try it again! I got a new gourd set, cleaned all the sparrow nesting out of my little barn house that's been closed, got a sparrow trap!! AND have the song on a timer going mornings and evenings. I think it's a little early here in the Hill Country of Texas but since I'm not sure.... Last year I had a pair that came late-I think that snow had something to do with it as we usually don't get anything but a few flurries -and the sparrows chased the two off. I tried shooting but can't do it well enough but I think this trap is going to work great! I'm hopeful!

[Dave Reynolds]

... Vixen55 .... Sounds like you are going in the right direction. Keep after those Sparrows .. I had good luck playing the Dawn Song playing .. It brought them into the area pretty good.. Good Luck. In 2022

Dave

[C.C.Martins]

Yes!! Good luck, hope you are successful this year!!
trap the heck out of them sparrows. What kind of trap are you using?
Tom

[Whippy]

Hey, Vix.

Do you have a picture of your new gourd rack as it is set up? If so please post it. We would love to see it.

Thank you,

Coolwhips

[Vixen55]

I'll take a pic of my gourd houses this evening. The trap I have is the Deluxe Universal Sparrow trap. I haven't opened my S&K house yet but the gourds have been opened since I put them up last year. Interestingly enough, the sparrows don't like them. Suits me just fine!! I watched lots of YouTube videos on how to identify female sparrows. We have tons of finches and siskins and i really don't want to trap one of them but they don't go in the gourds either. I'm going to open the S&K this weekend. The trap only fits in it. I feel like I have a good grasp on the sparrow identification though. Males are easy and so if they're around... I'll get them. I heard that martins have been spotted in Corpus Christi so may be soon!! Hopeful!!

martin houses.jpeg (38.57 KiB) Viewed 1854 times

[C.C.Martins]

Looking good! Like your area, very nice. I have those traps, cant wait to see how well they work. I followed some advice I found here on some tips on making them a bit better if a sparrow gets too smart:

https://kathyfreeze.blogspot.com/2015/0 ... r.html?m=1

I used those exact gourd set ups for 2 years, liked them so did the martins. I did find the gourds would twist on the hub because the hub doesn't lock at the top so to fix that I used to wrap the rope tight around the pole, around and around. Worked.
All the best,
Tom

[Whippy]

Hey, Vix.

Thank you for the picture.

Those look like S&K gourds. Go ahead and order the tunnels for them and add them. It'll make them a heck of a lot more attractive. I started like you without tunnels and had one pair. Once I added tunnels to everything I started getting more activity. Adding tunnels now will save you a year in colony growth.

Also. It looks like you're in a farm and ranch environment. I'd add some snake netting and predator guards as well.

If you don't get any takers this year, move the houses off of the fences and have them planted in a stand alone setting. Poles mounted on fences allow easier access to predators and the martins know this. People in my area will mount their poles on 6 to 8 foot fences and always wonder why they don't get Martins.

Good luck to you.

Coolwips

[C.C.Martins]

Vixen55,
Did you get the gourds from PMCA? They look like excluder gourds. Good gourds; whippy I think they are excluders?
He's right about that snake netting, and a predator guard don't take any chances you could get wiped out.
Keep right after those sparrows, shoot if you have to...dont be lulled into the thought sparrows don't pick gourds, they do! Trust me. Im happy to hear you can Id good vs bad sparrows, it is important to protect native species, when in doubt, don't shoot.
As far as corpus martins, I wish it were so!!! I'm in Corpus, but a week or so and they will be here. Cannot wait.

[Vixen55]

Great advice! These gourds are from the PMCA and came as a pack. I'll have to check if those tunnels fit. May be they're like a standard fit all. I have dogs and haven't had a snake problem but yes, I should probably do that too. Keepin' a lookout and as always- hopeful!

[Thomas Maddox]

Another vote for snake netting. The Rat Snakes like to hunt at night. It only takes one to wipe out your colony. Plenty of threads regarding Snakes and snake netting here. Give it a look if you get a chance. Regardless, best of luck!