Hello
Our daughter spotted a young House Martin by the side of a road yesterday afternoon. It had blood on one wing and could not fly. After some water with a little sugar, warmth and a rest it seemed Ok. Today it is much more active. We have fed it approx. fifteen House flies and several spiders with numerous black flies in addition to water. It is alert and active, including stretching out its wings and chirping! We tried to contact a wildlife rehabilitation centre near Thirsk but the answer message stated they are full. RSPB directs enquiries to the RSPCA but they only want emergency cases. We wondered what any of your members might suggest as next steps. It hasn't flown and maybe is not quite big enough or fully developed. It weighs eleven grams and is eleven centimetres from beak to tail feathers so not fully grown. We considered taking it back to where we found it but a villager has told us that the nest is empty and assumes it was left behind due to its size. It has a voracious appetite and we know it is an insectivore but it might quickly exhaust our supply of garden and house insects!
It might be useful to know that we live in York. Any suggestions gratefully received!
Edward Cockburn