Purple Martins

[Maxthompson]

Ray,

I know you can help. Mama brought home a twelve apt martin house from Wally World yesterday for ten bucks. I know it's too late this year but I have a couple of questions. Obviously for ten bucks it didn't have a pole. What do you suggest? I live on a beaver pond, should I put the house near the water or further away in a more open area?
Inquiring minds want to know.

Mike

[carpetman]

Max--For $10 that is a real bargain even if made of paper machette. Go to www.purplemartin.org for more pointers on placement. Here, a lot of people that live on the lake(Lake Nasworthy)have martin houses near the water and they do well. You do want it in the open as a martins instincts about predators if near a tree for example,will keep them from using it. Martins do like people and seem to like to be close to your house(within 50 feet). For a pole,if you cannot raise a martin house(easily)straight up and down you don't have a martin house. If it requires for example you have to go get a ladder---people wont do that and neglect them. If you have a tilting pole,thats no good as you would disturb martin nests too when tearing out sparrow nests. I build some houses with an opening in the middle to slide up and down a pole. Using different sizes of pipe and making a telescoping pole works as long as you can lower it enough to get to it easily. I do have a wooden house(heavy)and a 24 compartment steel house(heavy)that I have mounted on same pole and use a boat winch to raise and lower it. In your situation,I'd suspect(since it didnt come with pole)that the house was not built for a pole through it. In that case you could use a larger pipe that slides over the main pipe and attach platform to the slider. That would have the problem of being off balanced and make it bind when trying to lower it. So as a counterbalance,you could extend the platform to both sides and from same link I gave,order a couple of super gourds and then have 14 compartments. The top of the main pole would have a pulley and the rope attach to the slider pipe. I dig about a 3 foot hole and place a 6 foot pipe with a threaded end sticking up and cement it in. I use a coupling and thread to the coupling the main pole(about 9 feet)with pulley welded on top. This coupling will serve as a stop when you lower the unit and the slider pipe reaches that point. Tell me more about the house,what material is it made of? If it doesnt have perches on top,I'd add some for two reasons. (1)for the martins and(2)make a good place for sparrows to lite and be a clear target. Depending on material its made of,you can attach a facade to the door opening to make the opening smaller. Making the opening 1 1/2".a sparrow will enter,but a martin will not. So when a sparrow builds nest,put the facade over that compartment and place mouse trap inside. Having a martin house means full time war against sparrows. Get a good air rifle,you'll get lots of practice. You are correct, too late this year and for some strange reason,you may or may not get martins next year but even if not,could the following year.

[9.3X62AL]

Ray--

Purple martin house maintenance sounds like running a liquor store in South Central Los Angeles.

[Maxthompson]

Ray,

One of the nice things about being out in the woods is that I only seem to have wild birds. We've got three feeders out and have yet to see either a house sparrow or a starling. Lots of the chipping and song sparrows, cowbirds and grackles but none of the city birds so far.
How far off the ground do I need to have this aluminum house? It has starling blockers or some such name and a kind of veranda type perch. I'm at work now and only looked at the box this morning. Would it be worth while to give up a little space inside and insert a pvc pipe slider through the middle of the house?

Mike

[carpetman]

Max Thompson--Cutting holes into an already built martin house will have some difficulty. Besides the floors and roof,you'll have the partions to deal with. Not an impossible deal---on the partitions,you can just cut them away and let the PVC fill the gap. If you go that route,I'd put two more smaller pieces of PVC to either side for the rope to go through. www.purplemartin.org site says 10-20 feet on the height. I find 12' to work fine. Dep Al--I dont think Calif has purple martins---they are too smart to go there. Yes,there is work to it,but I think worth it.

[Scrounger]

Ray,

I know you can help. Mama brought home a twelve apt martin house from Wally World yesterday for ten bucks. I know it's too late this year but I have a couple of questions. Obviously for ten bucks it didn't have a pole. What do you suggest? I live on a beaver pond, should I put the house near the water or further away in a more open area?
Inquiring minds want to know.

Mike

Ray, wouldn't cans of tuna or fish heads serve your purpose just as well?

[Maxthompson]

Ray,

I'ts plastic. I figure mastic and a wood base with holes should be the ticket for raising and lowering. I'll keep you posted. I may pick up a couple more tomorrow.

Mike

[nvbirdman]

I'm almost ashamed to say this, but since I live in Nevada, I would put it on the ground next to a cat house.

[waksupi]

...just how many people on this board are related to Carpetman...

[StarMetal]

Baaaa Baaaaaa Baaaaa Baaaa Baa BAaaaaaaa.

[carpetman]

MaxThompson---If more are available at $10.00, I'd jump on them. You could mount two on same pipe by having arms go out either side of the slider pipe and that would keep it balanced so that it doesn't bind as you lower it. You'll have much more expense in the poles than you do the houses.

[carpetman]

Starmetal---You apparently have been practicing your baaa baaa baa to lure in the sheep. Possibly some of the notes aren't exactly right? PM Waksupi and he can tutor you---he has ear for music, and lots of experience in calling in "game". He could advise as to decoys too---lots of experience.

[Scrounger]

Starmetal---You apparently have been practicing your baaa baaa baa to lure in the sheep. Possibly some of the notes aren't exactly right? PM Waksupi and he can tutor you---he has ear for music, and lots of experience in calling in "game". He could advise as to decoys too---lots of experience.

This from Bwana Gato, the world renowned expert at "luring' in "game'????

[StarMetal]

Apparently Bwana Gato is luring more then just animals, with the use of his ******! Close encounters of the FOURTH kind if you know what I mean.

Joe