This weekend... watch the wire

I don't mean The Wire TV series (although apparently it's brilliant). I mean the real one: telegraph and phone wires. Because this weekend they could be getting very busy as house martins and swallows show off their tightrope balancing skills.

My bird book, Birds of Britain and Europe, says 'apart from using houses to nest in, [the house martin] really has no need for people at all.' However, this spring was so dry that house martins did need your help. We asked RSPB supporters to leave wet mud in their gardens so that house martins could use it to build their nests.

Now house martins are gathering together in flocks, preparing to set off on a long-haul flight to Africa. If you left wet mud in your garden, you can be proud to think that you played your part in this year’s migration.

1 house: 500 house martins
This weekend is a good time to look for house martin flocks. On Tuesday, one couple woke up to find that approximately 500 house martins had chosen their house as the meeting point. There were birds clinging onto the roof, windowsills and walls.

This is fairly unusual – you don’t usually see more than 30 house martins together. But do keep your eyes on overhead wires, where these little birds are now lining up and chattering away to each other.

The other birds to look out for on overhead wires this weekend are swallows, which are also lining up ready for their migration to Africa. They are larger than house martins, with forked tails and rusty-red chins.

Finally, here’s a nice cartoon based on this phenomenon guaranteed to make you smile. Let us know if you see any swallows or house martins this weekend by leaving comments below.