Thanks for the kind words. I'm just a helper-- the guy who heads this project is Dr Bo Kite. He doesn't post here much.
This year some of the volunteers want to do nest checks and report them to PMCA. I hope they are able to do it.
If you look through the photos you can see how the houses have changed a bit from 2009 to present. Bo added better perches, porch dividers, predator guards, and a better vent cap/topper.
Bo's condo balcony overlooks houses 17 and 18. He's got a great view from his spot.
These houses attracted MANY martins the very first year. Last year (2011) was the first year I was involved in setting up the houses in Feb. I went out there a couple of times to check things out. Once- in May - the martins looked about as thick as lovebugs. I was stunned. I figure many of the extra martins are likely visitors from nearby sites.
I think this place would be a gold mine for an ornithologist looking to do research.
Here's a pic showing the hosues lined up .. if you look really close you can see many more in the background:
I like this one-- I think it's Bo "walking the line." You need to use the house as a balance beam.
When we did this last year, the winds were out of the south and caused the waters to be choppy. I got pretty wet. Plus, the jetties get kind of slick, so we now try to do this with a light north wind or calm.
I wish I could spend more time out there. It's a fun project.