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Housemartins v sparrows

Bones
12/05/2023 12:39

Hello we have had Housemartins nesting on our house for as long as I can remember. Two years ago I put up artificial nests to help them out after a very dry spell. They continued to build/fix their own nest since then and have shown interest in the artificial ones, although I’m not sure if they’ve used them. However on their return this year, sparrows had taken ownership of the artificial nests, and the Housemartins own nest had succumbed to the winter weather. When the Housemartins were trying to rebuild their nest, and enter the artificial ones, the sparrows were attacking them. It seems they have now been driven away. I’ve taken down the artificial nests to try and diffuse the situation but really feel like I’ve messed up. Is there anything I can do to help the Housemartins return? Should I put the artificial nests back up? I can see there are currently building a nest on a neighbouring property. Are they likely to ever return to us?

  • 0 12/05/2023 14:49
    Thanks for your reply. I will try and get the nests back up mid July and see what happens. I’m just feeling really guilty because there didn’t seem to be any problems until I introduced the artificial nests. They’ve nested in the same place every year and it just feels very sad that they’re not there this year. I can only hope they will return. It is very concerning that BTO are dismissing your observations.
  • 0 12/05/2023 15:55
    We’ve always had lots of sparrows nesting around the outbuildings and they’ve never bothered the housemartins that usually nest in a bedroom window. But like I said, the sparrows took a liking to the artificial nests and have now made their presence known all along the house roof. We don’t feed any birds, although we are on a farm so grains etc are in plentiful supply.
  • 0 14/05/2023 09:28
    Hi


    attach a few 10 inch strings weighted with a small hexagonal nut ( in front of the plastic nests - ) to the overhanging gutter / fascia boards :

    Old trick from the 1970s

    S

    For advice about Birding, Identification,field guides,  binoculars, scopes, tripods,  etc - put 'Birding Tips'   into the search box

  • 0 14/05/2023 19:17
    Hmmmmm try B&Q nylon cord maybe ?

    S

    For advice about Birding, Identification,field guides,  binoculars, scopes, tripods,  etc - put 'Birding Tips'   into the search box

  • 0 18/06/2023 10:37
    18th of June and suddenly no House Martins to be heard servicing the three nest cups above the bedroom window. Loud repeated insistent single note sparrow chirps instead! Two or three sparrows were found to be 'loitering' around the Martins' nests, with roughly eight martins wheeling around endlessly away from the house but no longer coming in and entering the nest cups, only daring instead some swooping in and buzzing of the sparrows. Sparrows not particularly bothered. Online I found your absolutely informative discussion and consequently will just leave things to develop naturally in the hope that either the martins will win out this time, or if not, then they'll be back for a trouble free second brood in July. This is the first time this has happened since we put the nests up 4 years ago, and as per one your suggestions this is the first year I have made a huge effort to maintain bird feeding right on into summer, and indeed, in early spring we had green finches, gold finches, a bullfinch, blue tits, great tits, coal tits robins, chaffinches, brilliant; but this seemed to morph into a sparrows-only banquet around mid-May. So the feeders will now hang empty for a few weeks at least, to make life a tad harder for the sparrows. I'll post again as things evolve!