First Sightings

[ranchonodinero]

Originally Posted by Robert Mohler

Hey Marty,

That new gourd rack should be a nice place for the martins this year. Do you modify your gourds with a 90 degree PVC elbows for venting the hot interior air of the gourd? We installed them on our gourds last year and I believe it made a big difference. This year, we covered the exterior part of the elbow with screen and fixed a hose clamp over to hold the screen in place. This way if there are any mud dobber wasps around they can't get up into the elbow and block the vent.

Keep us posted if you see any Martins over there in Parker County.

Robert

I don't know if I've seen your modification-the only mod I did to the gourds, was to drill 4 additional holes near the top under some protrusions-should allow circulation without letting water in. The nice thing about my location is that we usually have a breeze-even if it is hot, it is still moving air.

Marty

[ranchonodinero]

Originally Posted by John Pearson

Hey Marty,
I got the plans and built mine too. I did buy the teeter toter and then just built a box around it. It's only up about 10 feet in the air on a 12 foot 2X4 I cut 2 feet off to mount on the bottom of the box/ controller. Then I attach the controller to the longer 2X4 with screws at 90 degrees through the piece attached to the box into the 10 foot piece from the ground. The funny thing is that I swear the S&S vermin seem to be more attracted to the trap than the colony compartments. I think that is especially true when the martins arrive because they are competition for the colony housing but have no interest in the trap. The trap is shorter and closer to a tree in my backyard. I tell other landlords that I couldn't live without mine. Good luck.
John

John,
Where did you get the teter totter? I got one of the "deluxe repeating traps" but I've never caught a starling in it-I've caught some sparrows and some "chipper" sparrows but no starlings. Around here, the starlings are already about-the neighbor had several in his shed.

Marty

Marty

[John Pearson]

I got it at The Birds' of Paradise catalog-800-872-0103. They call it a see-saw and it cost's $22.95. If you're handy you almost don't need the plans because you build a box around the see-saw. You drill a hole on the side of the box near the top where the bird would enter and another hole on the opposite side where the bird exits.

I bought 4 inch round plastic pipe in a 10 foot length at Home Depot. It's not hard plastic and it's easy to cut. The pipe has a collar at one end so that you can connect another pipe to it. I cut the collar off and turned that section upside down, drilled a hole in the side of the pipe and mounted it on the box over the exit hole. You put chicken wire over the end of the pipe and clamp it to the pipe.

Now when you put the trap up -the pipe connector collar will be facing the ground and you can easily stick the long length of pipe into the connector collar. That way the bird will enter the trap- the see-saw will move down to the lower hole where the sparrow or starling will try to escape by going thru the bottom hole. If they look up they will be stopped by chicken wire so they will fall down the tube into your waiting holding pen. It works real well.

I've seen some real basic 4 inch PVC nest box traps that involve a few pipe elbows and no see-saw but I don't know how good they work. Good luck.
John