Tag Archives: birds

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Farewell to the house martins – may they return

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This time last week these two little birds were peeping out of their nest, anxiously waiting for food and the power to fly.

Three days later that power had come. We saw the evidence high on window ledge, where one of the fledglings, white chest heaving, scrabbled for a footing a few metres below the nest. We counted the pause in seconds, and then off the little bird span, wings stiffening in flight.

That evening it seemed as if the birds had gone. The following day there was still no sign of them, or if there was we never saw it. We fretted of course.

“Surely too soon.”

“That bird needed more time.”

An anxious blog was prepared, but on the point of pinging it out into the world, the chirruping above the window suddenly started up again, together with the to and fro of food delivery as the birds prepared for the night.

The next day the nest was still full, unbothered by the passing of the autumn equinox.

Then came this morning, and with it the sight of house martins gathered, sharp as arrowheads, below the storm clouds in the distance. It looked as though there were a dozen or so birds, many more than in the nest we’d seen. Like an air squadron in waiting they soared the grey tumbling sky … and then they were gone.

Here’s hoping that next year, at least some of them will make it all the way back again.

Copyright Georgie Knaggs & The Phraser 2023

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A little heatwave and a little bird

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Here in England, the seasons should be changing, heat giving way to damp autumn. This year, in the south of the country, the normal weather track to Christmas has been diverted via a September heatwave. Lovely if you like the sun, but a little confusing even for us.

I wonder how it feels to the house martins? I imagine that by now their mud nests under the eaves are unusually hot and crowded, and possibly a little crumbly. Will this sudden heat muddle their timings? Delay their departures? Is it the heat or the hours of sunlight that tells them when to leave? Do the young birds know the route they will take? How far must they travel?

It is almost impossible to imagine that these small birds, bombing across our September skies, will make it all the way to Africa. And yet they do or, at least, so far they have.

I hope this year will be no different. That they will find all the insects they require to gather their strength for the long journey south, and that they’ll find enough of what they need to bring them all the way back.

Copyright Georgie Knaggs & The Phraser 2023

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On the subject of bird boxes

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Last year two men decided to build a bird box – and not just any old bird box, a complete terrace, built to exact specifications. The bird box was then fixed high on a wall, and the wait began.

It was a long wait, with no sign of honeymooners. The only witness who could offer any hope was the human resident of the room on the other side of the wall, who said early morning bird chat had been a summer constant by his window.

But other than that, nothing. Not even a feather. And no confirmed sightings of comings and goings.

This year, almost exactly a year later, the decision was taken to move the bird box due to apparent lack of occupation. Location, location, location – that had to be the problem. Perhaps it was too high. Possibly too hot. Possibly not good enough. So the box was taken down, and the lid taken off to check.

And there they were! Beautiful, boutique appartments, fluffed up and fancy. All but one had been occupied, and box number four still had a clutch of tiny, abandoned eggs in the corner.

So the spaces were cleaned out, the lid was screwed back down, and back the box went. A little lower on the wall, and a little closer to north … and the wait has begun again.

A few top tips for any aspirational bird box builders out there, especially if aiming at the discerning end of the blue tit market: keep the boxes facing north or east, and don’t interfere with them after February. Also, if you have any labrador fluff, or old sheepskin, lying around, they’ll thank you for it, if you leave it outside for them to find.

This link has some plans, and includes the information that unhatched eggs can only legally be removed from October to January.

Copyright Georgie Knaggs & The Phraser 2023