What's going on here?

[redfinch]

I have a question and I hope you can help.

Several years ago after we moved to our new home, we put up a martin house and we were lucky because in no time the house over the years was filled with martins. We put up a second house for the overflow. Now, we are experiencing a dwindling number of martins in the older house. Last year we had our original male and 3 others. No babies, but nests were built. The other house is now filled martins. Will they switch again to the older house?

Maybe someone else has had this same experience. Thanks for your help.

[Louise Chambers]

I wonder if a snake raided the older house, perhaps more than once? Do you have pole guards on your poles?

What about starlings, house sparrows? Are they bothering either house?

[~Ray~Gingerich]

You might have one or more ASY males dominating several nesting chambers, same as porch domination, they will do it in a vertical bank of nesting chambers as well.

[flyin-lowe]

Do you have any pictures of the house in it's current condition, also in relation to the other house? There are lots of things that could cause them to abandon a site, predators, deteriorating conditions, encroachment of trees etc.