The sight of sand martins soaring overhead is one of the many joys of summer at Morton Marsh nature reserve. Every year they arrive in their hundreds the majority of which are passing through after their long journey from sub-Saharan Africa.
New nesting bank created
Now work is underway to encourage these charismatic birds to extend their stay by constructing a specially designed nesting bank on the site.
Sand martins are fairly common summer visitors to the UK and one of the earliest to arrive, the first turning up in early March or even late February.
Colonies of hundreds
These gregarious birds nest in large colonies which may contain hundreds of pairs, and they dig deep burrows in steep, sandy riverbanks and cliffs.
The tunnels they bore can be up to a metre in length and in a chamber at the end of the burrow, an average of four or five eggs are laid in a nest of grass, feathers and leaves.
However, suitable nesting sites are becoming increasingly difficult to find. Riverbanks are often reinforced with man-made materials to reduce flood risk leaving little space for sand martins to make their burrows.
Wetland Restoration project
With this in mind, the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust set out to help our local population of sand martins as part of their Wetland Restoration project.
Material excavated as part of the construction of new ponds on the site has been piled up to create an artificial bank graded on its southern side to provide a vertical face.
Pipes will soon be inserted into this southern face in preparation for the return of the sand martins in 2020, when we hope to bring you more positive news.
Peter Fellows shares this interesting news on behalf of Down to the Coast. Ed
Image: © RSPB
