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Good advice, thank you. I will bookmark this thread, so I can refer back to it. (And I will go back to the DRST thread and read it all the way through.) We want to encourage the songbirds to stay, and would love to minimize the HOSP. We are in Central PA, too (Lancaster Co.).
I’m wondering if the remaining birds will figure out what is happening, and avoid the trap, after some of their colleagues disappear? I want to leave it out 24/7, and catch them all, but your idea of being “strategic” sounds wise.
In the beginning, when there were zillions of HOSP here, I left it out months at a time. I only brought it in if we were going to be away. It was out maybe 6-8 months straight! Let your catch rate determine how long it’s out. Last spring I had it out and was catching like 1 a week (very slow rate for me). But each time I’d think I’ll put it away, I’d catch a burst of 2 or 3. So just wait and see. But that’s why I treat the decoys with TLC. They are effective bait.
When I first put it out, I usually catch a native song sparrow and/or white crowned sparrow. Occasionally a catbird. I just try to check it frequently thru-out the day. But once I catch them one time, that’s usually it. I keep a saucer of the seed with 1-2 bread bits on top of the trap, right over my inside feed dish (to help with any rain showers I miss), and the native sparrows eat from that. The longer the trap is out, literally they come running to greet me each morning when I remove the tarp and refresh that seed. It’s comical. But they’re smart enough not to go near the elevator. I had a mourning dove wedge itself inside the elevator once. It survived, but that was a nightmare I hope you don’t experience! That was the original reason I added the saucer of seed on top–doves! Most of the native birds aren’t real keen on the HOSP, at least, not in my yard.
Best wishes to you as you embark on this adventure!! You’ll learn lots and figure out what works for you.
Just placed the order…..! Thank you for all of your advice. Interesting that the native sparrows keep away from the trap. I’m so glad to hear that. One of my concerns would be trapping the “good” birds.
Julie, quick question for you — the DRST instructions recommend elevating the trap. What do you think of keeping it on the ground instead? There is a small tree in the yard that the HOSP congregate in, and placing the trap on the dirt underneath would be very convenient. Plus, it is often quite windy here, and the trap would likely blow off any platform it was placed on.
Also — do you remove the birds from the trap right there, in plain sight so to speak of their free “relatives”, or do you take the trap someplace out of the way, to perform the disposal? I’m wondering if the watching birds might be leery of the trap if they see what we’re doing.
I keep mine on the ground. I’ve tried it on a small outdoor table, but I rarely caught HOSP in it that way. The gang of HOSP hang out in my neighbor’s giant arborvitae hedge. They’re often flitting around the veg garden, which faces neighbor’s hedge, to pick seeds out of the straw mulch. So I just made a spot on the one end of the garden where I could sit the trap. The ones in the trap cheep a lot, and it seems to draw the others from the hedge. The proximity seems to have no bearing on any of it.
I don’t move the trap to empty it. I just remove the birds there. Now you’re going to whack them on a wall, so I would do that out of sight. The big thing on the Sialis site is to never make eye contact with the male HOSP you’re trying to trap. I usually wear my straw hat when I’m emptying the trap and keep my head down coming and going.
The trap is pretty heavy duty, and I only move mine when I’m swapping out the cardboard I keep under it. I’ll be excited to hear how you do!!!
Thanks Julie, for the helpful information. I’ve elevated the DRST a few feet off the ground, with cardboard underneath, and the HOSP haven’t seemed to notice it at all, which is odd because it’s right next to a favorite gathering spot of theirs. I sprinkled seed all around the trap, on the perch, and on the inside. I will give it a few more days, and if no luck, then will put it on the ground. Good to know that I don’t need to lug the trap someplace else to remove the birds, but as you suggested I will “shuffle off their mortal coil” in the shed.
I’m so curious, why to avoid eye contact with the male HOSP? I hadn’t heard that before!
Hope you enjoy the beautiful spring day outdoors!
I would just be consistent with keeping seed around. It might take some time for them to discover it and then to eat the seed, and then to discover the goodies just beyond the elevator! Fingers crossed for you!!! Enjoy the day, too!!
I transfer them into a mesh laundry bag and a swift quick swing to a hard surface does the trick. I have accidentally let them sneak out on the transfer so it us very important to not allow the slightest escape hole. They are sneaky devils.
Thank you, that will be my preferred option. I’m a little uncertain about how to get him in the bag, and close it, without him slipping out. Will try to be very careful not to lose my grip before I can cinch the bag shut. Still awaiting my first catch…….
For the ground trap i just hold the bag over the exit side and shake them in very hard up and down until they fall in. Wear gloves. Grab the net and shake them to the bottom.the box i find trickier because you can’t see them until you open the door and they rtry to get out any exposed hole.
That sounds like a good strategy you’re using. I have a DRST trap, so I’ll need to manually reach in there, and stuff them into the laundry bag.
I have disposed of two HOSPs inside one of my BB boxes this weekend – I let them build a very smallo amount of nest, set the trap & within 5 minutes got them. I find you must wait until you have a pair (usually the male will be there first and then call for a female) with a very small start of nest. I use the mesh laundry bag (it is large enough to go over the whole box) and like Philly Blues smack it on a hard surface (I usually smack it 2 or 3 times, since one time the male wasn’t deceased). I do it very quickly so as not to just hurt it and have it suffer. I do this without touching the HOSP at all, just hold it with the mesh laundry bag around it. I missed two HOSP nests this past month in other boxes (I have four) and waited too long because there was an egg in them – I don’t like that.
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