House Martins and mud (1 Viewer)

david2004

Well-known member

• Apr 5, 2006

• #1

I have a colony of House Martins nesting on my estate, and they seem to be creeping closer to my house each year. Last year a pair investigated the House Martin nest cup and seemed to investigate nesting in the eaves above my window.

I've heard they can be encouraged to nest by providing mud, for example in a puddle or dustbin lid. If I did this in my back garden, would this improve the chances of them nesting on my house?

Also, about what time do they get back here (not back to wetlands where they go first), to their nesting sites?

Thanks.

 

Richard W

Well-known member

• Apr 5, 2006

• #2

my neighbours think I'm mad because I make a puddle for the House Martins outside my house every year, the nests are already there with a pond nearby but I like to give them a hand, and it's great to watch them using it from our kitchen window.

is definitely worth doing something to help them.

they're already arriving in Herts but I dont see the birds that nest here investigating old nests till late April/early May, sometimes later.

 

david2004

Well-known member

• Apr 5, 2006

• #3

OK thanks Richard. I'll give it a try. I can't wait for them to return! Heralds summer for me!

 

Richard W

Well-known member

• Apr 6, 2006

• #4

seeing all the youngsters & adults flying is one my highlights of the year, the noise is great too.

there are several large trees on the green outside my house and they're often out there early evening just flying around, dont appear to be feeding & it always looks like they're just playing to me in a good year there are dozens out there.

got some artificial nests up this year to replace some nests that painters knocked down :-C , be interesting to see if they take to them.

 

david2004

Well-known member

• Apr 6, 2006

• #5

That's terrible that painters knocked them down! How careless is that! There are loads of House Martins on my estate, and some Swifts too. It's great, I've had artificial HM nests up for 5 years and only last breeding season did they begin to show interest!

I hope they nest in them this year, and I've got a Swift nestbox too now, so fingers crossed!

 

david2004

Well-known member

• Apr 8, 2006

• #6

I know that you can attract Swifts to prospective nesting sites with call CDs, but what about House Martins? Could playing their calls attract them to build nests?

 

C

Chris Oates

Why does a Black-headed Gull have a brown head...

• Apr 8, 2006

• #7

david2004 said:

Also, about what time do they get back here (not back to wetlands where they go first), to their nesting sites?

Click to expand...

Don't know the answer to that but they are certainly at the wetland sites down here - hundreds of them over pools, marshes, reservoirs - made me quite dizzy watching them zooming around like little jet fighters.

 

david2004

Well-known member

• Apr 9, 2006

• #8

OK thanks Chris. They should be back soon. Can anyone else answer my question?

 

Richard W

Well-known member

• Apr 19, 2006

• #9

dont know whether a tape lure would work...

2 pairs of House Martins checking out old nests on my house this morning.

 

david2004

Well-known member

• Apr 19, 2006

• #10

OK thanks Richard. Great news for you! Mine should be back soon!

 

david2004

Well-known member

• Apr 30, 2006

• #11

An update, I've had the mud ready for a few weeks now. Recently one House Martin alone came back and was feeding above the estate, which was then joined by one more. Then over the past few weeks groups of between 2 and 4 House Martins have been feeding at the colony site, only to disappear almost immediately after returning!

Last year they were all back and building nests on the 1st May! Swifts joined them then too. I really want them back after last year when they investigated the eaves and nest cup, and I've put up a Swift nestbox!

What's going on? Could they be abandoning the colony, or are they just later than last year?

 

Richard W

Well-known member

• May 3, 2006

• #12

3 pairs looking at last years nests on the front of my house this morning, does seem to be later than normal so wouldn't give up hope yet, am still seeing a lot of Swallows & Martins passing through.

 

david2004

Well-known member

• May 3, 2006

• #13

OK thanks Richard. About 1/5th of the colony are back which is a bit worrying, they seem very late! The ones that ARE here are all building nests in the same place as last year, so I don't like my chances this year!

 

H

helen santilly

New member

• Apr 7, 2016

• #14

House martins and mud

We provided some mud in the field next to our house last year but we are not sure it was good quality. The last few years the 25 nests on our house have crumbled and needed a lot of repair. martins used to nest right down our road but they all seem to be on our house now. I did read that they can only carry mud about 200m before it loses its usefulness. We used to have a muddy field with cows in but now the birds have to go as far as the river to get mud as the cows have gone. We are closest to the river. You could try artificial nests we have put up 6 this year to replace nests that have totally fallen down. Fingers crossed! There are several types try and buy those that look like mud. As to arrival times ours arrive anytime from early to mid April and often keep coming into early June so do not despair!