Summer is finally here - sometimes. It seems that the weather this season just cannot make up its mind. Wet and miserable days followed by days of intense heat with no rain. I cannot tell if I’m coming or going some days! Must be the heat messing with my mind. Or is it the rain? I have no clue!
With the hot (and cold!) weather comes the spring / summer birds. You may have noticed that the birds that were around in the winter season have disappeared for the summer months and that other birds have arrived to settle into their summer breeding grounds here in the UK. You may also have noticed that a great deal of the birds which are around this time of year will have also taken on more of a vivid hue. Breeding males take on their full colours which makes identifying birds a lot easier and it’s a great time of year for beginners to take up birdwatching.
Having said this, there are a few exceptions to the birding ‘rule’. A great many people stumble when it comes to identifying the often-airborne hirundine. (Sorry, I wasn’t showing off there; hirundine is an official term for the swallow, house martin and sand martin.) Another bird that is often thrown into the mix of confusion is the non-related (but equally airborne) swift.
I had a great deal of trouble identifying these birds at first and still get lost at times. I find that learning the difference between size, colour and tail shape often helps. Some people also become familiar with the different birds by using the times of year that they arrive. I will try and elaborate further and as you have probably guessed, will provide a few fun facts along the way.
By the way, if you want a quick guide on this, go here.
The sand martin is typically the first bird to arrive to UK shores, arriving as early as March. It tends to favour wetland sites where it will either dig burrows into cliff sandy banks or cliff faces, hence the name. The sand martin is a social bird which likes to nest in colonies. Feeding is done on the wing and the diet consists of insects. It is the smallest hirundine and can be identified by its brown upper and white underparts with a brown breast band. Unlike house martins, there is no white area on the rump. It is tricky to distinguish by song as its raspy tones are similar to that of house martins and swallows.
The sand martin is swiftly (get it?!) followed by the house martin in early April. Like the sand martin, it’s a social bird with records showing nesting colonies of up to several hundred birds! An even cooler fact is that the house martin prefers to build the nest under the eaves of houses using around a thousand tiny lumps of clay! The house martin likes to use the same nest each year, although it will often return to find that their nest has already been happily occupied by a house sparrow family. The house martin also feeds on insects on the wing. It is a stunning glossy blue-black colour, with a white patch on the rump.
Next up is the swallow which usually arrives almost simultaneously with the house martin (some years they have been spotted even earlier) and are often considered to be indicators of good weather to follow. This bird is often easiest to recognise by its pronounced long forked tail or ‘streamer’ and beautiful glossy dark bluey-green upper and white underparts. It exclusively drinks water by swooping low on the wing with a display that is truly aerobatic and wonderful to watch. It prefers to nest in places such as barns and horse sheds or anywhere that has farm animals close by. Unfortunately, the recent decline in arable farming has created a fall in swallow numbers.
Swallow by Elliot Montieth
And the last to arrive to Britain’s shores, in early May, is the swift. This perpetually airborne bird is easily identifiable by its pure brown sickle-shaped body and piercing scream-like call. You will often see swarms flying at high speed around your garden whilst they forage for insects. A swift rarely lands and does everything it needs to on the wing, including sleep and mate! It is thought that the only time they are not completely in flight is during nesting. Nests are often located inside old buildings and the young can survive up to two days without food, thus giving them a better chance of survival even during bad weather conditions.
Swifts have tiny feet and can barely walk. Should you see a swift on the ground then it’s not usually normal. See this article on how to deal with a grounded swift.
So there you have it, a quick foray into the brilliant world of martins and swallows and swifts (oh my!) And the best thing about these birds? They can all be seen at Burton Mere Wetlands of course! A great spot to see them is at the reception hide, swooping and diving over the front scrape, where they fly close enough for a budding birdwatcher to identify.