The Purple Martin house is done!!!

[Dumb_Polack]

....but I dunno how to post pics.  Too lazy/stupid to figger out how to post them from another site sooooooo....

if you want to see them, send me a PM and I'll shoot back a few progress pics and the final result.

(Now I need to find a place to mount it...looking online and it seems they like a place away from trees...great...our back yard is enclosed by trees...
)

Also online they said the entrance hole should be small, 1" or so...the plans have the holes @ 2" in diameter.  Sounds like I'll be getting sparrows rather than Purple Martins...oh well.  If this becomes an issue over next winter when I have it inside, I'll reduce the openings.

[Tapper]

....but I dunno how to post pics.  Too lazy/stupid to figger out how to post them from another site sooooooo....

if you want to see them, send me a PM and I'll shoot back a few progress pics and the final result.

(Now I need to find a place to mount it...looking online and it seems they like a place away from trees...great...our back yard is enclosed by trees...
)

Also online they said the entrance hole should be small, 1" or so...the plans have the holes @ 2" in diameter.  Sounds like I'll be getting sparrows rather than Purple Martins...oh well.  If this becomes an issue over next winter when I have it inside, I'll reduce the openings.

Never built one but I'm guessing the smaller the holes, the more protection for the chicks. A friend of mine down in Florida bought one several years ago, mounted it on a pole in his backyard and attracted lots of Martins. Unfortunately, when the chicks hatched, the crows dined on them - not pretty! Don't know what size holes his had.

Good luck,

Doug

[Wild Turkey]

Never built one but I'm guessing the smaller the holes, the more protection for the chicks. A friend of mine down in Florida bought one several years ago, mounted it on a pole in his backyard and attracted lots of Martins. Unfortunately, when the chicks hatched, the crows dined on them - not pretty! Don't know what size holes his had.

Good luck,

Doug

Some designs also allow predators places to perch -- that's why when I build Eastern Bluebird houses there's no "perch" on the front.

[Dumb_Polack]

Roof assembly, what it looks like unpainted and the finished result.[attachment=8370][attachment=8371][attachment=8372]

[Edwin Hackleman]

Dumb_Polack pid='7591653' dateline='1518871450']ok, ok, I didn't realize with the new site you can upload pictures from your PC (guess I missed that "Add Attachment" button....DOH!)

I'll post some pictures when I get the work PC going sometime this weekend.

Here's mine with a pair of feeders on board:

   
22 apartments. I used redwood for the house and white oak for the two feeders. The stove pipe next to the lady standing there blocks the squirrels very nicely.

[giradman]

@ Edwin - that's quite a bird house construction - congrats! 


About the 'stove pipe', I assume that the squirrels try to climb and simply fall off the metal surface?  Dave

[Edwin Hackleman]

@ Edwin - that's quite a bird house construction - congrats! 


About the 'stove pipe', I assume that the squirrels try to climb and simply fall off the metal surface?  Dave

Yes, and it works. They cannot grip the pipe and they cannot jump over it. I've watched the squirrels try and they always fail and flop to the ground. One year I tried the pole without the pipe and they had no trouble going right up. The stove pipe (vent pipe also works) stopped all that. I mounted the pipe with a hardwood flange bearing at each end that I made in my shop -- kind of looks like a belt pulley with no groove for the belt.

The winds have been as high as 75 mph around here and the house still stands. Three pipe thicknesses telescope together. The bottom drops four feet into the ground and is surrounded by concrete. Hint: do not use conduit. It has to be double-wall (standard and typical) pipe, available about anywhere at HD, Lowes, Menards, etc., the same place where you can buy the concrete.

[Cooler]

No guy wires on this?  

Looks great, but I worry about a stiff wind.