Martin house problems

I hadn't said anything here yet, but I will today. We've run into glitches with the Coates telescoping pole that holds up our purple martin house.

Last month, James dug a hole, poured concrete, and set a sleeve for the telescoping pole we ordered online. Sturdy, heavy-duty pole, or so we thought. But when we were outside, working on the new cedar fence, all the sudden, the house crashed down a notch! The bottom push-button had jiggled back inside the pole, which caused the lower unit to collapse (probably due to recent high winds). I was devastated. If that were to happen with martins in residence, they'd NEVER come back. They'd probably even get injured or killed.

So we called Birds Choice, the manufacturer, and they willingly shipped a replacement pole. We switched them out Wednesday evening, and the pole seemed very stable. I was happy.

Until yesterday morning, when I glanced over at the house as I was backing out of the garage. It didn't look as high up in the air. Sure enough, when I got home, I walked over in the rain and found the pole had once again collapsed. All the way back to the house, I cried.

Today, I'm waiting for Birds Choice to return my call or e-mail. We've got to get this problem solved once and for all! And fast! Thankfully, the purple martins have not yet arrived in our neighborhood. ASAP, James plans to drill through the pole and insert hitch pin (wire lock pins). I read about that solution on purple martin forums that I've joined through Purple Martin Society and Purple Martin Conservation Association.