Off season project

[C.C.Martins]

We got our lonestar goliad house last month, Preserve agreed the trio mini was to be retired. These houses are stunning! Wow what a treat to work on.
Order got mixed up, came with round holes...im not quite sure who they ordered from, but PMCA hooked me up with 12 modified excluder plates a week ago and with a bit of s...l...o...w...cutting, adding vents, and porch dividers courtesy of the trio mini blank doors, she is done! Perch rods are tucked into one of the cavities.
I dug up the old trio ground sleeve, and left quite a hole...no kidding 240+ pounds of cement the new ground sleeve is in place as of Saturday. And will never, ever move.
12 rooms, cannot wait to see what she looks like when she is up.
Best off season to all,
Tom

[flyin-lowe]

Nice looking house. Curious to see how you like next season.

[C.C.Martins]

Me too, if it weren't for the influx of martins last season I'd be a bit worried they won't accept it. It will be interesting to watch their behavior.
Tried putting in a universal sparrow trap last night, turns out the vents are about an inch too close to the door. Ill make it work somehow. May just cut the PVC, dunno yet.

[G Saner]

Tom,

That looks beautiful. Were you going to add a fourth floor?

Gary

[C.C.Martins]

Gary! sir, I believe they go right in the middle. lol. You got me with that one; yes I believe adding one more layer is the plan...yep guess its good there's so much cement. Iv 40 nest treys, think I need to make some more...

I think the preserve is (God willing) going to have a booming colony.

This is sorta neat: I like looking for arrowheads, always have...even in Germany Id go out and find a few, stone axes, flint, all kinds of stuff. once near Trier I found a Roman glass "house" they called it. Farmers and time plowed it flat, but Id find roman glass chunks in the area, would get bags full of all kinds of colors. In new mexico Id bring a few pieces and leave them in place of the arrowheads-gift to the spirits and those who made them. I now put that glass in the base of the martin poles, right in the cement, just pressed in. 2,000 years of forgotten history at the foundation of a home for purple martins-Im sure they both would approve.

Tom

[Unk Bond]

Hello Tom
This new house How does there room floor space
Compare in size with a T 14 house room floor space Thanks [ Later

[C.C.Martins]

Hello Tom
This new house How does there room floor space
Compare in size with a T 14 house room floor space Thanks [ Later

Lone star Goliad house rooms are 6x6x12, may be the same as the T14; I dont know. I know its real light, lugging the trio mini around is a bit of work glad for this one.
Tom

[Thomabear]

Really nice house and modifications Tom. The Golaid was the 1st house I put up and we had Martins right away with full occupancy after a couple seasons. Hoping you have the same good luck we had. The martins really like the Golaid.

[C.C.Martins]

Thats good news thanks! was hoping some folks who had one would chime in. Good to hear, ill be happy if they take to it.

Added a 4th level, now my cool numbers are all jacked up.
Tom

[Gary-La]

Ive had a Goliad 24 for over 10years now and its 100% full every year! Usually its occupied first then the Alamo then my 3 gourd racks. Yours looks spot on I bet it'll be a popular nesting site next season!!

[C.C.Martins]

Ive had a Goliad 24 for over 10years now and its 100% full every year! Usually its occupied first then the Alamo then my 3 gourd racks. Yours looks spot on I bet it'll be a popular nesting site next season!!

Gary, great picture! Fantastic looking house, and what a nice way to provide perch rods, was going to use dowels but yours are perfect and look to fit nice and tight in the gutter on top. Those are the green plastic coated plant stakes I think?
I appriciate you chiming in.
I think its going to be very popular!

[Gary-La]

Tom , Yep those are the green plastic coated plant stakes. They fit really snug and cut easy. The cut end I touch up with paint and they last quite a while. I have them on my Alamo too.
Gary-La

[C.C.Martins]

Awesome, they look great. Gonna use them. Appreciate it!

Do you have a favorite trap you like? Iv got quite a few universal insert traps to use, just leery about the nest tray getting in the way. My genius brain didn't account for the trap size before I stuck in the vents, just cut a 1 inch hole in the trap to fit the vent. works ok...we'll see. Cant shoot at the public site so rely on traps heavily.
Tom

[Gary-La]

Tom, I have the Universal Sparrow Trap for the Goliad and Alamo. I do have to take out the nest tray for it to fit but it works great on sparrows and starlings. Got two starlings this past summer!
Gary

[C.C.Martins]

Perfect thank you, you have helped a ton. Got those plant stakes, nice tight fit. Plenty of perch space. Appriciate your help Gary,
Tom

[Bird Brain]

The only thing I dislike about the Lonestar is the 2"pole. I've seen too many of those fail during a bad storm. I think the Trendsetter has the only 3" pole option. It's 3" or nothing for me.

[C.C.Martins]

Always been a fear of mine...not unfounded being in a hurricane prone area. I rarely raise them to the top even at the public site, excluder gourds are heavy too so far, so good. Think the house and pole will be ok.

[Martintown33]

Great house and great modifications Tom! Looks good!
Rob

[Dave Duit]

Great work CC Martin. Always frustrating when you expect and order and it comes in not as planned.

[Dave Reynolds]

…. Great looking house, like the entrances. Good lock in 2025.. The season will be on us before you know it..

Dave