After having the plexi on for a half hour at about 1:00 pm, only one bluebird was able to get through the hole... all these blues (9) are from broods that were hatched here this summer, I presume, so they are all around 6-7 months old. They don't seem to be able to fit through the 1.5" plexi hole. Maybe they are too fat? LOL. I could make the holes a little larger for them to fit through... what do you think? Its like they can't get their wings to fit. I don't want them to injure themselves trying to get food. I am sure its just that they are not used to going through a hole like this... to get food. The one who made it went in through a side hole (where the tape is) and then out through the end - solid. What to do?

Bulldinkie, I have tested this entrance on starlings and they cannot get through it even with the porch on the outside you see here. If the gourd is a regular gourd without no porch at all the starlings are really at a disadvantage then and it is impossible for one to enter. The plates you see here on these gourds are made out of real good plastic and S&K Manufacturing out of St.Louis and a great man named Dave McClaskey are manufacturing this entrance I invented into his martin products. There is a fine line between the sizes of the largest male Purple Martin and the smallest female starling. If the entrance is too small the martins can struggle. If it is too big the smaller female starling could get inside especially porched like you see on these big ol' gourds. The size of this entrance is very exact and they are injection molded to insure they are all the same. By having this kind of precision accuracy my entrance will stop starlings of all sizes from gaining access to the gourds or martin houses. Just as the 1 and 1\2 inch diameter entrance hole saved the Bluebirds from the nest robbing starlings I am on a mission to see my clinger entrance be the best Starling Resistent Entrance out there to save the Purple Martins from their number one enemy..The European Starling. Vampatar..Thanks.. I am glad you like the entrances. I am so proud of them I know that! It is a great feeling to watch your martins zoom in and out of these openings and know they are fully protected from starlings. I have great piece of mind now using these and the 2 inch rould hole for Purple Martins is going to be a thing of the past if I have anything to say about it. This shape is perfect for the streamlined body of the Purple Martin but at the same time it defeats the starlings by not allowing them the room to get their thicker chest and belly in enough to be able to use their chickelike legs to push inside. I know you know what I am talking about if you are using my entrances..Your martins are safe and I am glad you like them....Mike

I've submitted three counts so far - one of my yard for Friday, Feb. 12, one for the local marsh on Saturday, Feb. 13, and one more of my yard for Saturday, Feb. 13. These reports are as submitted (emailed back from GBBC) First Report Locality: 02360, Plymouth, Plymouth County, MA Observation Date: FEB 12, 2010 Start Time: 6:45 AM Total Birding Time: 1 hour Party Size: 1 Skill: good Weather: excellent Snow Depth: Less than 2 in (5.1 cm) Habitat(s): deciduous woods coniferous woods scrub rural freshwater salt water Number of Species: 17 All Reported: yes Checklist: Wild Turkey - 15 Mourning Dove - 23 Downy Woodpecker - 1 Blue Jay - 5 American Crow - 4 Black-capped Chickadee - 1 Tufted Titmouse - 1 European Starling - 3 Song Sparrow - 2 White-throated Sparrow - 4 Dark-eyed Junco - 6 Northern Cardinal - 9 Red-winged Blackbird - 13 Purple Finch - 1 House Finch - 3 American Goldfinch - 15 House Sparrow - 20 Second Report Locality: 02360, Plymouth, Plymouth County, MA Observation Date: FEB 13, 2010 Start Time: 2:30 AM Total Birding Time: 15 minutes Party Size: 1 Skill: good Weather: excellent Snow Depth: Less than 2 in (5.1 cm) Habitat(s): deciduous woods coniferous woods scrub rural salt water Number of Species: 5 All Reported: no Checklist: Canada Goose - 125 American Black Duck - 3 Mallard - 2 Green-winged Teal - 3 Hooded Merganser - 1 Comments ---------------------------------------- Drive by sightings at Shifting Lots Preserve (adjacent to Ellisville Harbor State Park) ------------------------------------------------- Third Report Locality: 02360, Plymouth, Plymouth County, MA Observation Date: FEB 13, 2010 Start Time: 7:15 AM Total Birding Time: 1 hour Party Size: 1 Skill: good Weather: excellent Snow Depth: Less than 2 in (5.1 cm) Habitat(s): deciduous woods coniferous woods scrub rural freshwater salt water Number of Species: 17 All Reported: no Checklist: Wild Turkey - 13 Mourning Dove - 17 Downy Woodpecker - 1 Blue Jay - 13 American Crow - 3 Black-capped Chickadee - 3 Tufted Titmouse - 1 Hermit Thrush - 1 European Starling - 5 American Tree Sparrow - 1 Song Sparrow - 3 White-throated Sparrow - 6 Dark-eyed Junco - 12 Northern Cardinal - 7 Red-winged Blackbird - 5 American Goldfinch - 16 House Sparrow - 25 ***************************************************************************** I have another neighborhood count almost ready to submit for today, but I've emailed a few photos to a local guru for identification. There are some birds I've never seen before and I'm not sure if I've identified them correctly. Claire

Great Red-bellied Woodpecker shot! Invasive European Starlings are gobbling down your expensive suet, though-might want to take your feeders inside until they leave to find easier pickings