House martins feel the April chill

SIGHTINGS of returning house martins this spring have been down on previous years.

Members of the public using the Birdtrack website have recorded fewer numbers than average. It is possible the cold, dry weather and prolonged northerly winds across much of the country during April held the birds up and stifled the start of breeding activity.

House martins build a circular nest using beakfuls of mud – which due to the cold, dry weather would have been lacking in many areas. Variation in nesting activity owing to the weather is normal but, due to the species’ “amber-listed” conservation status, it is being closely monitored.

The British Trust for Ornithology, which is backing Birdtrack, wants more volunteers to record house martins’ nesting activity to help understand why they are in trouble. Samantha Herbert