Friday, June 26, 2009

Sand Martins breeding in Weep Holes

Hi Jeff,
Very interesting! It seems to be happening here in Bradford as well. This colony has been active at one of our reservoirs just over the hill, to your north for c15 years. Here is one of a series of snaps I took a few weeks ago.



Dave

PS


Here is the nest hole with five chicks in! they look to be nearly falling out!... just a bit further away so not as clear.

Dave

2 comments:

Jeff Cox said...

Hi Dave - our chicks must be a little behind yours as they weren't visible at the entrance but I'll have a look next week to see if I can see them. Great picture by the way.

Dave Barker said...

Cheers Jeff,
Checked ours today and chicks gone from the two holes that had them a few weeks ago. However adults still going in and out of most suggests there may be some second / later broods? The chicks I photographed were constantly at the entrance and appeared to be watching the adults hunting as they could tell when their own adults were approaching with food from afar. Interesting that the chicks did not react to the adults coming to feed those chicks in adjacent holes. One hole had five chicks in but it was a bit further away than the one on this photograph.... I will find and post even though its not as clear.

Dave