House martins

Hi all just wondering how many people have seen house Martin's this year. I was taking my dog out for a walk in the field next to my house when I saw about 10 flying around catching insects. It was amazing!! At my mum's house they have swifts flying above the house. I love it when the swifts and house Martin's come back in the spring!!
  • hi they are amazing to watch aren't they - I have seen them this year but there has been a lot of wind and rain recently and they have not been around for a couple of weeks. About the swifts - we have some birds that fly very high up cruising for insects I am wondering if these are swifts and not what I thought were martins.

  • Hi Shona I am in s Suffolk and have 3 HM nests on my house and my neighbor has 10 nests, their house is brick and mine rendered so I suspect the HM find it easier to get a first grip on brickwork when starting to build a nest. The BTO is running a HM survey again this year, very easy to register and monitor any local nests for them

  • Has anybody got an "at a glance" way of identifying the three in flight when silhouetted against the sky and you can't see their features.  Swallow small bird very forked tail twittering call. Swift, larger bird with sickle shaped swept back wings, screaming call, and House Martin........???

  • The house Martin has a cream coloured under side. They have a fork tail but less dramatic than a swift's or a swallow's. Also when they twist and turn in the air you will notice house Martin's have a white rump. Hope this helps!!