This evening I was speaking to a lady who has been nursing a young house martin and was looking for a site that has nesting house martins in order to release it ‘back into the wild’.
Which got me thinking – I can’t recall seeing or hearing house martins over Gravesend this year. Swifts yes – I have them in my road and I’ve been of the opinion that while swifts occupy the ‘airspace’ house martins stay clear. But elsewhere in Gravesend, I used to see them. Maybe I’ve not been looking very hard.
So here’s a bit of social participation science: post your election ward name and either “yes – we have house martins” or “no – ain’t no house martins here” and let’s see if we can find out where they are!
(Never posted a comment before? It’s easy. If you’re reading this as an email just click the title to head over to our website. At the end of this post – just below here – is a comment section. Enter your name, (as you wish it to appear), your email address (this does not appear) and your comment. If you’re a newbie it will be moderated first so you won’t see it straight away.
Or, even quicker, if you’ve read this on Facebook you can comment directly from there!)
Paul
PS – do it now!
Pelham : no – ain’t no house martins here
Meopham north: Yes we have House Martins but getting fewer every year.
What’s your area Stuart?
Greenhithe: YES – nesting in the houses along Greenhithe promenade. I’ve watched them collecting mud on the foreshore.
Several times in the last ( ) years Folly Wildlife have contacted us (New Barn) about releasing wild birds that they have nursed to full health and maturity. Stand out memories for us are swifts … we phone and tell them when there are some overhead and they arrive rapidly. It is a real privilege to peep at a wild bird, watch as its attention is caught by overhead “screaming” swifts and watch it fly up to join a flock.
Alas only one swift seen yesterday (7.45pm) .
House martins …. used to nest on up to ten houses in New Barn, including twice our house. This year we have located just one nest (perhaps two) locally. Evening HM feeding flocks … this year maximum of four birds seen …. . Folly talked to us a couple of weeks ago about HM release sites in Bexley (if possible they always try to release at the site of collection).
The decline of swifts and house martins that we note in New Barn mirrors the catastrophic loss of all wild birds in our lifetime…. despite the efforts of all conservation bodies. We have been privileged to see flocks of birds …
The pollution from our life styles, events like operation stack, more and more buildings and loss of wild space, even scruffy areas …. all contribute to this decline.
Make sure your children and grandchildren get to see house martins and swifts before they are simply tales of old.
So yes, Paul, a few nesting HM in New Barn near Longfield . ( not a Gravesend ward)
Pauline
Only a couple of pairs this year in Meopham Cheyne Walk DA13 0PF. Sorry don’t know my ward!
On Riverview, sorry no house martins here.
Painter’s Ash – Quite a lot of swifts but no swallows or martins this year.
Correction to earlier post … Peter says it was Brambles Wildlife Rescue!
No, no house martins here in Painters Ash ward, but do get swifts flying overhead.