• Firecrest
  • 29 Apr 2019 11:43 AM
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House Martins

  • Dave - CH

    In reply to einastronaut:

    Not sure Will, but there are some posters on here who seem pretty clued-up regarding the law in the UK.

    If you don't get an answer fast enough, try posting a new thread.

    All the best -
    Dave
  • Dave - CH

    In reply to Gardenbirder:

    That's a nice story Ann. And I do hope you get to come here at some point.

    There's still lots to see (I think), and if you manage the trip carefully it can be affordable.

    Rainy today, with one of our local Black Kites calling from the nearby Canadian Poplars. Always nice to hear them. They're are 5:30 alarm call.
  • Firecrest
    Hello Will
    As Rob says, It is unlawful to interfere with the nests because numbers of these birds are declining fast and definitely need our protection. Sorry if I am being offensively obvious but could you use ear plugs, just while they are at their noisiest, or possibly move bed rooms for a while? I know you would be happy for them to use the other nests but destroying the nest mid-build will just drive them to find a totally new nesting site (or give up altogether)............and there may not be one, as more and more people destroy nests.

    All this spring we have been woken at about 4 am by a bird that has a very limited song.....in fact it just repeated one note over and over again. Sometimes it was replaced by another bird that sang two notes, over and over again. :-D I love birds but there were times when I threatened to throttle them. Yes, I kept forgetting to put ear plugs in!

    I now think it was a pair of sparrows, they are feeding young in a sparrow terrace we put up several years ago which I am really excited about. We had no sparrows here for years, then we planted a hawthorn hedge, left one to grow into a tree and sparrows returned. Thankfully, the one-note 4 am horror has now stopped.

    I hope your housemartins breed successfully, I know you will get so much pleasure from these beautiful, happy little birds. Good luck with evading the noise!
  • WendyBartter
    Sounds as if you may have a male Chaffinch calling for a mate Firecrest!

     

     2013 photos & vids here

    eff37 on Flickr

  • Firecrest
    Thanks Robbo, the sparrows have used one of the housemartin nests for last 2 years; but early. The chicks had more or less fledged just before house martins returned. That is why I am so pleased the sparrows are using the sparrow box I put up probably 10 years ago. Great tits use it every year and this year are still using it with the sparrows (going in a different entrance obviously).
    I will keep an eye on the situation though as I would hate to loose the housemartins. I only ever get one pair of sparrows nesting...possibly because I have 2 rescue cats? They dont bother the HM but obviously the sparrows are wary. Anyway, thanks for the warning I will definitely watch the situation.
  • Firecrest
    Wendy Thank you, we did wonder if it was a chaffinch but could never spot the bird in the trees! I am sure you are correct and it was a chaffinch not a sparrow, mystery solved! We do have loads of chaffinch feeding in our garden.
  • WendyBartter

    This one obligingly sat on fence post in garden whilst it drove us slowly insane! Lol