A Couple of Hours with the Sand Martins

22nd June 2020

There can be little doubt that the happiest place on earth is a Sand Martin colony. Apart from the buzz of their flight calls there is the constant chatter to each other both in flight and at the nest holes. Very therapeutic.

Amid all the chaos along the cliff face some individuals took the opportunity to have a well-earned rest on an old root, at the base of the cliff or at the nest hole itself.

There was always plenty of action with birds returning to the nest holes to feed young.

Here are two fledged juveniles, with one begging for food from the other. Juveniles can be identified by the orange fringes to the wing coverts.

Can you possibly imagine what goes through the mind of a young Sand Martin when it peers out of the nest hole for the very first time?

And of course Sand Martins are very gregarious and when the young have been fed like to meet up for a chat.

And let's finish off with some flight shots.