We are proud to announce the completion of our new sand martin bank near Pickup hide. This is the press release we sent out for it.
Real estate on RSPB reserve
Property developers have created 50 new homes in a prime lakeside location at a Castleford nature reserve.
And the new properties at Fairburn Ings have the blessing of the RSPB, as they will become desirable residences for the reserve’s sand martins and kingfishers.
“We could write a wonderful advert for these new homes”, said Laura Bentley, RSPB Fairburn Ings visitor experience manager. “Fifty executive suites for rent, fantastic views, must be able to get on with the neighbours, free supply of insects on your doorstep. This exclusive stone built property is a must for any young couple looking to start a family.”
PA Kirk builders, of Kippax, have battled freezing temperatures throughout the winter to build the 20-ft sand martin wall with limestone facing. The wall has been specially designed to keep the birds safe from predators,
Sand martins breed in colonies, excavating tunnels in vertical banks of sand or gravel. Loss of habitat has reduced the number of suitable nest sites and artificial banks have been increasingly used over the last 20 years as a good way of providing safe breeding sites.
The wall has been filled with drain pipes in order to provide nesting tunnels and each of these has been filled with sand for the birds to excavate.
Laura added: “We have lots of sand martins coming onto the reserve to feed during the summer and it’s brilliant that we have been able to create a safe nesting site for them.
“They spend the winter in west Africa and return to Britain at the end of March, so we are hoping that they will use the nest bank this spring.”
The sand martins are quite special, as they breed just off of the reserve in the limestone walls of Fairburn village, which is unusual for a species that usually nests in sand banks. The new wall has been constructed from the same material in an attempt to provide even more safe nesting places for the birds. The drain pipes will also make an ideal nesting site for kingfishers. The sand martin wall is only a short walk from the visitor centre and visitors will get good views of the bustling colony once they move into their new home.