The Wellington

unbelievable. I look at these and I look at these and I’m still in awe at the beauty!!

And the cat continues to give approval :)

-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

Thanks Debbie
My cats are hoping that i build them a extreme cat house.

-- John in Belgrave ,(Slideshow http://cid-69bce320c6d8b119.spaces.live.com/ (Website) http://www.extremebirdhouse.com

John,

this is awsome !!! Do birds actually occupy the space?

How much time do you figure it took you to do one of these “chef-d’oeuvre” ?

I’m impress by the patience it takes to do this. Congrats.

pierre

I think this one is my favorite of your big houses. The top part I love the most.

Diane

-- http://s205.photobucket.com/albums/bb276/DMarcella/

Thanks Pierre and Diane
The birds move in them as fast as i can put them up.
As soon as i pull the ladder away they,re in there.

This house took about 4 weeks to build and cost about $ 50.00 nails and paint.

-- John in Belgrave ,(Slideshow http://cid-69bce320c6d8b119.spaces.live.com/ (Website) http://www.extremebirdhouse.com

Wow John

This is Eeeeem….Aaaaaam….I don’t have enough vocabulary to describe the beauty….

On the second pic, some holes are plugged, does it mean that these rooms are reserved…:-)

niki

Thanks Niki
The holes that are not drilled because they already have a hole from another side.

-- John in Belgrave ,(Slideshow http://cid-69bce320c6d8b119.spaces.live.com/ (Website) http://www.extremebirdhouse.com

That cat’s expression says: “Stay away. This is my restaurant.”

-- No piece is cut too short. It was meant for a smaller project.

ok i have a question. do the birds really use these big birdhouses? or are they just for show?

they look really nice

-- pat,ohio...http://s5.photobucket.com/albums/y198/patshwigar/

Hi Pat
The birds do use them.
I have lots of birds nesting in them now.

I have been taking lots of pics with the birds nesting in them to add to my gallerys.
There are some pics on my site with birdies hangin around.

-- John in Belgrave ,(Slideshow http://cid-69bce320c6d8b119.spaces.live.com/ (Website) http://www.extremebirdhouse.com

Pretty awesome John, Are they quite heavy? jockmike

-- Mike. mwurm13@yahoo.com

Thanks Mike
I still move this one around by myself
It weighs around 200 lbs

-- John in Belgrave ,(Slideshow http://cid-69bce320c6d8b119.spaces.live.com/ (Website) http://www.extremebirdhouse.com

I think that is quite possibly bigger than my whole house. The wife says it looks like a bird inn, not a bird house.

Great job, that is really inspiring to me.

—Rob Hix, King George, VA

-- -- Rob Hix, King George, VA

We just have a couple little houses in our backyard and twice in the past two weeks we’ve had a “flock” of purple martins visit, check out the houses, and dance around entertaining us. But, I think the hole is too small for them. I hope we can get another house up in time for their next visit, even if it isn’t until next year. They were so much fun to watch.
( I think they were purple martins)

-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

Thanks Rob

Debbie i have to build a purple martin house in the new few months .
I will post a few pics when its done.
The style is a little different then what i,m used too. They have change the hole size to half a circle 3” long and 1 1/2” high

-- John in Belgrave ,(Slideshow http://cid-69bce320c6d8b119.spaces.live.com/ (Website) http://www.extremebirdhouse.com

Amazing work. Extreme catfeeder!

-- -John "Do I have to keep typing a smiley? Just assume it's a joke." www.flickr.com/photos/gizmodyne

A marvle of aviary engineering! How do you put these up? Do they all require tree trunks to mount them on? Bravo sir Bravo!

-- Greg - Charles Town, WV

Thank you gizmodyne and Greg
I use a farm tractor to lift them up.
This one will be placed about 9 ft in the air and the post will be about 12” diameter and dug into the ground 48” .
It,s always a bonus to have a half dead tree still standing then it saves on digging to put one in.

-- John in Belgrave ,(Slideshow http://cid-69bce320c6d8b119.spaces.live.com/ (Website) http://www.extremebirdhouse.com

These are extraordinary, John. Beautiful work.

-- Jeff, St. Paul, MN

Thanks Jeff
I find them great for passing the time and it,s nice to see them fill up quickly.

The birds love them .

-- John in Belgrave ,(Slideshow http://cid-69bce320c6d8b119.spaces.live.com/ (Website) http://www.extremebirdhouse.com

now we know where all the birds are vacationing!

-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/

Very nice John. I’d offer to help with spring cleaning, but my lumbago is acting up :-)).

-- Bill - "Suit yourself and let the rest be pleased." http://www.cajunpen.com/

Thank you scott and Bill
I do have a lot of birds in my area

-- John in Belgrave ,(Slideshow http://cid-69bce320c6d8b119.spaces.live.com/ (Website) http://www.extremebirdhouse.com

Another beauty.

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

Thanks again Dick
I had some birds checking it out this morning already.
They sure don,t waste any time.

-- John in Belgrave ,(Slideshow http://cid-69bce320c6d8b119.spaces.live.com/ (Website) http://www.extremebirdhouse.com

I told Rick this morning, as we were sitting outside, that we would have to stop by and purchase a set of your plans. Rick’s reply: and where would we put one that big??
I’m sure we’d come up with something.

-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

Good morning Debbie
The 2 birdhouse plans i do have are for smaller birdhouses.
26” x 30” base for the cape cod and 20” x 30” base for the Argyle house.
I forgot the measurements so i had to go back and check.lol
I will be making some even smaller soon.

-- John in Belgrave ,(Slideshow http://cid-69bce320c6d8b119.spaces.live.com/ (Website) http://www.extremebirdhouse.com

oh good. I think I can convince Rick to tackle something that size!!

We have a metal basketball stand cemented into the ground and Rick and I were checking it out this morning as to how it could become the stand for a birdhouse.
It will be a sad day when I take down the net. So many family hours were spent at that net… yah.. I better stop thinking about that. No tears in the shop!!

New beginnings, Debbie.. new beginnings.. Focus.. Focus….. if the net is coming down, something special had better go up in its place. That is for sure…

John, we’ll be in touch!! I can see a drive coming soon. Hopefully before the end of May we can pop up and say hi (and purchase the plans!)

-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

John -

Your birdhouses are absolutely awesome! They are really works of art. I rellay ike the scale and detail.

-- http://foldingrule.blogspot.com

another masterpiece John!

-- Mark DeCou - American Contemporary Craft Artisan - www.decoustudio.com

Thanks again David and Mark for the very nice comments.
I greatly appreciate it.

john

-- John in Belgrave ,(Slideshow http://cid-69bce320c6d8b119.spaces.live.com/ (Website) http://www.extremebirdhouse.com

WOW, at first I thought you were building doll houses or real houses! John, these are amazing. You must have the largest bird population in the area. Have they elected a mayor? Is there a lady bird?

How incredibly fun and cool!
Great job!

-- Ellen -- www.goodadvertising.com/woodwork

Amazing! Can the birds get reservations, or is it first come first serve?

-- JP, Shelbyville, KY

Thank you Ellen and JP
I used to build real houses for a long time and since i can’t do that anymore i find this to be the next best thing.
I probably would of stopped at 2 or 3 birdhouses but after i saw how quickly they were filling up then i realized i couldn,t stop now. lol

-- John in Belgrave ,(Slideshow http://cid-69bce320c6d8b119.spaces.live.com/ (Website) http://www.extremebirdhouse.com

John….you are already doing your cats a great service….aren’t these giant cat feeders?

Lol…JK..These are beautiful.

I was hoisting a martin house I built up onto a pole and the cleat on the pole let go. It came crashing down on my head…nice big lump…glad it wasn’t one of yours…I’d be dead.

-- Bob, Carver Massachusetts, Sawdust Maker http://www.capecodbaychallenge.org

Thanks Bob
We had a small tornado go through here yesterday . Hail the size of golf balls
It took out my power for 24 hours and i have a large tree branch that crashed onto my roof. 12” diameter
I thought for sure that i would be picking up scrap birdhouses today but i was very lucky.

-- John in Belgrave ,(Slideshow http://cid-69bce320c6d8b119.spaces.live.com/ (Website) http://www.extremebirdhouse.com

how’s the roof—sounds like a great advertising story: roof in shambles; birdhouses unscathed.

You were lucky. I’m assuming that everyone is OK. The tornado of ‘79 hit our area. Boy that was scary. Wiped out my aunt/uncles farm (while they stood in the corner of their basement watching the furnace swirl in circles in front of them and their house disappear above them). None of them were hurt.

-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

Hi Debbie
The roof is OK , the branch was about 30 ft long and it didn,t do any damage at all.
My roof is in very bad shape anyway.
It,s missing about 20 bundles of shingles now.
I rent the house and the guy won’t pay to fix it.

I think that storm your talking about in 79 was the same storm that sucked up my uncles house and barn just outside Arthur Ont. I heard it even threw some cows around.
It completely destroyed my uncles farm and all his neighbors houses.

-- John in Belgrave ,(Slideshow http://cid-69bce320c6d8b119.spaces.live.com/ (Website) http://www.extremebirdhouse.com

that’s too bad about the roof… his insurance should pay for it, after a tornado or is that an “act of nature” and doesn’t count??

Anyway—YOU are ok and that’s what matters.

-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

that’s too bad about the roof… his insurance should pay for it, after a tornado or is that an “act of nature” and doesn’t count??

Anyway—YOU are ok and that’s what matters.

-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

This one will probably always be my favorite.

I’ve been wondering if these houses have a way that you can clean them so they can be used each year? I’ve been wondering this since the first time I’ve seen them.

Diane

-- http://s205.photobucket.com/albums/bb276/DMarcella/

Thanks again Debbie and Diane
Debbie the roof was missing lots of shingles before the storm.
My landlord will tear the house down after i move. He owns 700 acres and only cares about the land.

Diane
All the insides are removable . They all slide out from the bottom.
I use metal tongs to clean out the large houses that way i don,t have to take them down . http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/data/500/IMG_00035.JPG http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/data/500/P7230002.JPG

-- John in Belgrave ,(Slideshow http://cid-69bce320c6d8b119.spaces.live.com/ (Website) http://www.extremebirdhouse.com

I’m not sure what you are trying to show me in the first picture, could you explain it?

Diane

-- http://s205.photobucket.com/albums/bb276/DMarcella/

Hi Diane
They are the insides of the wellington. The guts are built in 3 sections .
They all come out .

-- John in Belgrave ,(Slideshow http://cid-69bce320c6d8b119.spaces.live.com/ (Website) http://www.extremebirdhouse.com

John – Very nice bird houses/mansions … what type of birds nest in these houses. I have a three small houses in our yard, they are for wrens. we normally get 1 pair to stay each year. Last year we had 2 pair.

I don’t know if we would get purple martins here.

Thanks for sharing

-- Joel Tille

Thank you Joel
Most of the houses i have done have sparrows and swallows in them .
I do have purple martins in some of the smaller houses too.
About 2 weeks ago i realized that i have around 500 or more purple martins in my area so i am going to concentrate on building them some houses next.
I have had a huge increase in birds of all types coming around in the last few years.
Most of my birdhouses are occupied now.

-- John in Belgrave ,(Slideshow http://cid-69bce320c6d8b119.spaces.live.com/ (Website) http://www.extremebirdhouse.com

Man, these are great! I like every one of them, john!

-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)

Thanks again mot.
I really enjoy building them .

-- John in Belgrave ,(Slideshow http://cid-69bce320c6d8b119.spaces.live.com/ (Website) http://www.extremebirdhouse.com

Great use of recycled wood.

I bet these houses are bigger than the one I live in John. :-)

-- Carpe Lignum - Seize The Wood,

I bet it sounds like a convention in your back yard with all those hotels full! Great work.

-- Bill, Turlock California, http://www.brookswoodworks.com

Thank you PanamaJack and Bill
I really sounds beautiful here in the mornings.

-- John in Belgrave ,(Slideshow http://cid-69bce320c6d8b119.spaces.live.com/ (Website) http://www.extremebirdhouse.com

I love your birdhouses! They are amazing! I would like to know more about the wood you use…what species is it and where do you get it from? I have checked out your website…will you be selling plans for the bigger houses too?
Beautiful work!

-- David, South Windsor, CT "I love the smell of sawdust in the morning"

Thank you Brad
The barn wood is hemlock that i use for the birdhouses.
I get it all free from my area. Whenever i see a old barn ready to come down i go ask if i can have the wood and so far they all say yes.
I have had people offer me old barns in exchange for a birdhouse .

My son takes care of my site and he draws up the plans. I send him pictures and then he draws them up.
He will be adding a few more this winter when his roofing business slows down.
I would like to add some plans for the larger houses too. It just depends on how much time he gets.
I also just got an order to build 10 of the smaller houses so i know i will be busy all winter.

Thanks again for the nice comments.
john

-- John in Belgrave ,(Slideshow http://cid-69bce320c6d8b119.spaces.live.com/ (Website) http://www.extremebirdhouse.com

This is the most awesome little house I ever saw. I know it is a birdhouse but my heart skipped a beat as I imagined being a little girl and using it as a doll house! Stunning. Would have been much better than those double LP 33 records I used to stack up to make doll houses. Hehehe.

Wow we wow wow. Incredible.

LOL thankls Karen , This is almost big enough to be a playhouse. I will be building a few doll houses in the next few years for my grand kids.

-- John in Belgrave ,(Slideshow http://cid-69bce320c6d8b119.spaces.live.com/ (Website) http://www.extremebirdhouse.com