One of the problems of not having been in the UK for about a month this spring is that I have not seen spring build as I normally do. And I am still catching up.
The few pairs of House Martins in my street aren’t there this year. And there aren’t any just around the corner either where they usually are. Perhaps they have shifted to new sites but I can’t see anything wrong with the old ones. And an evening spent in the garden doesn’t suggest that there are normal numbers flying around collecting aerial plankton overhead. As I walked around delivering leaflets for my local Labour candidate, Beth Miller, I don’t remember seeing House Martins anywhere.
I had a quick look at Birdtrack and can’t see much support for my local observations (which were similar on my second BBS square too – I saw one House Martin where I would normally expect to see more).
But I wonder whether the image above gives us a bit of a clue – in a dry spring there may have been fewer opportunities for House Martins to build nests or renovate old ones.
What do you think of House Martin numbers near your home?
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The house martins in the eaves outside my office window seem to be as numerous as previously but mud availability certainly makes a difference (anecdotally). When we had a building site behind our home, the next door house had double figures of house martins nesting on 3 walls. As an aside, while waiting outside the railway station in Perth at the weekend I watched a pair of sand martins snuggling up and mating while investigating an opening in the pointing on the soft sandstone wall. I don’t think it was deep enough or whether they will excavate a burrow but not seen sand martins prospecting on a building before.
A blue tit popped out of a hole above a poster while I was watching the martins and over the next 5 minutes 2 of them were very busy flying back and forth over the car park to the nest, presumably feeding young.
Birds are great!
Bimbling – very interesting Sand Martin observation – thank you. And I’m glad to hear that you are seeing deent numbers of House MArtins.
I have walked many streets in Watford delivering Lib Dem material but have yet to see 1 House Martin during my walks. I already knew they didn’t occur round me but I have delivered to many different areas of Watford with not a single House Martin to be seen.
They were one of the species I searched out during the BTO atlas as they were already declining & many of the small colonies I found then were not seen in later years.
Seen one nest locally, but ours are not back. They were late last year too (June 4th), and only raised one brood.
(Noticed last year that more than 2 adults fed the young birds, don’t know how unusual this is.)
Hilary – well spotted! It is usually birds from earlier broods who ‘help’.
Joan – gosh, that sounds dire.
I think you are right Mark it is a poor year there don’t seem to be that many as I go around locally in Harrogate and Knaresborough, certainly far fewer than there usually is.
Paul – thanks
I monitor an HM colony in Mid Wales as part of the BTO House Martin Survey. All the nests monitored last year that were used for at least one brood, are currently in use this year, apart from one which has been usurped by Wrens. Three new nests have also been started in the colony this year, at least two of which I suspect will be completed and used.
Having said that though, I have heard comments that HMs in other nearby sites are late and seemingly less numerous.
John – that’s somewhat encouraging. Thank you.
Dearth of house martins around where I live in Newcastle.
Jonathan – maybe they are just late, but it feels very late now.
Definitely fewer in Clun. Also fewer shallows I think, but swift numbers seem to be holding up well.
Ros – it’s not just me then!
I’m glad you posted this Mark, I can sadly say it’s much the same in this part of the county too. Welford Reservoir can normally see 30-40 House Martins this year 10! Cogenhoe the houses on the high street normally have circa 20 but none this year.
But interestingly I’m seeing House Martins in some really bizarre locations. On four different building sites I’ve seen a lot of nesting activity one of the sites even uses a Housemartin as it’s corporate logo. One on the edge of Kingsthorpe has not had Housemartins at this area and is perfect, the houses unusually for new builds have good eaves and from watching there’s plenty of wet mud laying on the ground for nesting material which has been in short supply this year thanks to the dry year so far.
But weirdly there is a lot more Sandmartins
Douglas – many thanks.
I’ve not see one House Martin in Shropshire yet. Only Swallows, Swifts and a few Sand Martins (there’s not many Sand Martin nesting sites around my local patches). Usually I see quite a lot of House Martins cycling around the local lanes. With the last few years some farms having Swallows, and others more House Martins, but not a single one yet.
SteB1 – that doesn’t sound good.
Mark, I’ve still not seen one. I’ve been looking around carefully for them, but still only Swallows and Swifts, which seem to be around in good numbers. I tend to stick to my local patches, and so I can’t speak for the wider picture. As I said before, lots of the farms I cycle past used to have mainly House Martins. In fact I was just thinking last year about why on the wires outside some farms you’d see mainly House Martins, and the next farm would be mainly Swallows.
An update Mark. I was cycling back after doing my butterfly transect today, and outside one farm were 10-12 House Martins wheeling about. The first ones I’ve seen this year. I remember in the past that this has happened. Mind you, nowhere near as many as when I was young. In the village I grew up in many of the older houses used to have House Martin nests under the eaves. Rare you see that now.
I live in a small village in Cambridgeshire, and my house backs directly onto a farmyard where they collect mud for their nests. Arriving about a week ago we now easily have 20-30 locally, which is very typical of what we get each year. Always a joy to see them.
House Martins were present in reasonable numbers on passage in Greater Manchester but I only saw my first ones at a colony I monitor yesterday. They’ve definitely only come back in the last few days.
Hi Mark,
I have been spending a holiday on the Suffolk coast, where I have visited at this time for the last 27 years. For the first year ever, I have not seen a single house martin – swifts, swallows and sand martin in large numbers but no SMs. Even on a trip to West Suffolk ending at Lakenheath Fen (which has developed into a fantastic site), not an HM to be seen. It has been very dry here until recently and I would guess that the cool spring has not helped.
Nick
I was worried that the house martins wouldn’t return this year as very late, but eventually turned up a week late and three pairs have finally started rebuilding their nests on our house on the edge of Exmoor. We have around 15 pairs in the village, 10 pairs of swifts and around 10 pairs of swallows, all about the same number as previous years thank goodness
Sue – thank you. That is reassuring news.
Mine haven’t arrived either. I thought they might have gone elsewhere because their nest came down in the Winter, but I haven’t noticed the other ones that normally nest in my street either. WV7.
No house martins or swallows seen here in South Hampshire yet. A number of swifts seen though.
The house martins arrived in early April here in my part of Somerset and were seen flying over the canal and river Tone feeding. There were plenty of midges for them. However, they have not returned to mend the nest they have used for the last two years at least and I put this down to the very dry April. I hoped that they would find enough mud in May but perhaps they had already moved further away to a moister area? By the beginning of July they are still not back.
On a nearby newer estate where they have previously nested there are fewer flying around and I can only see two nests.
There are about a half a dozen swifts which are seen flying over our house and garden and a few swallows but I am sad to say, still no house martins.
Jane – thanks. It does seem like a poor year in many places.
I’m in mid-Wales near the border with England; year before last we had 13 nests, last year 6 but his year only 3. I’ve just inspected this morning and only one is occupied. It’s very very sad. They make my summer and it just doesn’t feel the same without those beautiful birds sweeping and flying around the house. Honor Glasbury-on-Wye
Honor – thank you – but that’s very sad. Maybe they’ll bounce back next year. I hope so.
Hi i live in hapton a village in Lancashire we have always had a few house martins about but this year the sky is full we have around 20 new nests in places where thay have never been before. Ist brilliant.
Don – that is good to hear, thank you.
There’s a colony of about 30 where I live in Darwen, Lancashire in what have been established nests for many years.They give a nightly aerial display and seem to be flourishing.
Gillian – good news! Thank you.
At Warstock on the southern edge of Birmingham, around 12 HMs return every year. They raise 2 broods. The maximum number I see in the air is 20.
With the survival rate of young HMs calculated to be 20% – reference Theunis Piersma ‘Guests of Summer’, I’m always surprised that any make it back here in May.
They are currently just finishing rearing the 2nd brood. I expect them to depart mid-September, a sad time for me.
Geoffrey – thank you. You seem luckier than many this year. It’s definitely a poor year for them.
I live a very short distance from Overstrand (Nfk) cliffs and at 7.45 am today, the sky and power lines were literally full of hundreds of sand martin type birds (not brilliant at identiying) ..it was a truly wonderful sight. I have watched them before, congregating on these power lines some years back but never in such abundant numbers as today. A sight I will never forget… hope they have safe journeys !!
Ann – it’s that time of year. Such sights used to be much more usual. Enjoy!
We live in NI, near Banbridge and this year we haven’t had nearly as many swallows and housemartins. Also they seem to have left much earlier, we only have a couple still with us, when would you expect them to leave for the winter?
Helena – thank you for your comment. House Martins often stay until into October but they are thin on the ground (or actually in the air) hereabouts this year. Haven’t seen one for c10 days above the town.
Thanks Mark.
Last year we saw hardly any swallows, martins or swifts (Galmpton, Brixham). This year the sky over the fields behind our house has frequently been black with huge gangs of them, which, following last year’s dearth, we were delighted to see. But are still puzzled about the vast difference in numbers.
Patricia – thank you for your comment and I’m glad to hear that good news.
Hi just seen this thread, sadly the martens that usually best under the eaves of my house in Wiltshire, did not return last year- we usually have around 20 bests.
It was very sad and I mourn their loss. Will they came back this year I wonder.
Hi, we normally get them nesting just above our bedroom window. Sadly last year the nest fell, they did manage to rebuild but it was getting quite late for more than one brood! We usually expect them to return around the beginning of May, but today I have just seen the shadows of housemartins looking at the nest! They’re back already!!
Geraldine – good! I have yet to see one and they seem late to me. Good to hear your positive news.
Hi. I live in West Yorkshire WF13 and usually the birds return about April 26th. Where I live we usually have lots of nests under the eaves of the houses, last year my nests remained empty but there was still a lot of activity around, not seen ANY this year yet, and my Spring seems poorer for it. Reading this thread, still think there may be time, I really hope so.
Denise – I hope so too.
I live in Sherborne in Dorset. I always see Martins and Swallows early part of April. This year they were late arriving, late April to early May. They are very few in number, just the odd few birds in flight. By now, in past years, in four or five sites I commonly visit there are plenty to be seen on the wing and their numbers grow incredibly through the summer. I’m not expecting that increase this year. Very, very disappointing. Is there a general explanation for the shortage this year??
This I should the first year in my 25 years in North Yorkshire when house martins haven’t been flying above my house on summer days. It seems strange without them.
I have had a very upsetting morning today. I have had house martins nesting in the eaves of my house for three years now. I love watching them arrive in the spring and hear their babies when they start calling for mum and dad. I have been lucky enough to have a good few pairs over the past three years. My pair this year have had two clutches and I actually think there was a third. I heard them all last night but my mum had, just yesterday, informed me that people had been aware of nests falling due to the dry spell we have had….I awoke this morning to the chicks in my garden, where my cats had obviously got them, and when I looked, yes my nest has fallen down. I was absolutely devastated!! These are the loveliest little birds. I hope they will build again and return to the same spot. Does anyone have any ideas how I could avoid any future nests drying out to the point of dropping off the wall:(