Opportunistic Sand Martins
by Ian on Jul.19, 2009, under Bird Watching, Materials and Construction
These sand martins have found a sand pile between two piles of crushed concrete, on the site of the M74 extension. Is this a statement of desperation for nesting sites? I believe this is the case, should not parks, national trust ground and other publicly held ground not erect artificial nest sites?
see links
http://www.rspb.org.uk/ourwork/conservation/advice/sandmartins/index.asp
http://www.users.freenetname.co.uk/~sandmartin/page2.html
Needless to say the birds have been protected by those cuddly construction chaps.
David Welsh, I know you are a busy man, but the artificial site on concrete legs would be an easy construction project using mostly spare materials. If you could place this in the land made available near where the martins are now with client permission, how green? how good? how lasting and a precedent for others to follow.
July 23rd, 2009 on 8:39 pm
Why not simply just leave it the way it is now.
July 25th, 2009 on 10:34 am
Well, I’m guessing the land will be ear marked for something else, plus the artificial ones are more predator and weather erosion proof. Also if one is man made and successful, the engineers and workmen will carry that knowledge throughout their working lives.