House Martins

[theeggman]

We erected artificial for "our" martins last year as the normal nests kept falling down when full of chicks. Probably too much sand in the mud mix as they collected building materiel from puddles in our stoned drive.
This year the b**ody sparrows moved in ahead of the martins, we kept adding extra obstacles and beat the sparrows but when the martins returned they checked out the nest sites and went elsewhere.
So we removed all obstacles AND the clay nests and still no sign of martins returning.

Today we have mud nests being built on 3 of the normal 4 locations, did they nest elsewhere and this is 2nd. brood time or what? They returned from the overseas holiday about 6 weeks ago so we are puzzled as to where they've been in the interim.

Even if we do get the car and patio/windowsills covered in bird manure. Any thoughts folks?

 

[MartinL]

You're birds are very lucky, we have just watched some on the house opposite evicted with a yard broom an bucket of water!


http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=34102&page=3

 

[theeggman]

Martin, this world is full of a***holes, do what you can to get the b***ds taken to task, but don't hold your breath.

I came back on to ask if anybody tried attaching 'expanded' zinc mesh to the wall to give the birds a better foundation. It's been used on our bungalow to re-attach the render as the original builder forgot to add the enough cement to the mix, very long and costly story.

P.S. 4 out of 4 old nest locations with mud on the wall.

 

[Stiffy]

You're birds are very lucky, we have just watched some on the house opposite evicted with a yard broom an bucket of water!

If they have destroyed an active nest then call the police wildlife crime officer for your area as they will have committed an offence. Just call the non emergency police line and ask for the local officer to investigate.
There is absolutely no excuse for this type of behaviour, makes me so cross
S

PS sparrow numbers are decreasing so don't be hard on them. I love hearing them chattering away.
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[MartinL]

It wouldn't be zinc.
Zinc plated or stainless steel.

You can get a fabric or glass fibre mesh for reinforcing lime render. It's easy to cut with scissors and could be stuck on with PVA. Would be more economical on the mud & Spit for the birds too.

 

[theeggman]

PS sparrow numbers are decreasing so don't be hard on them. I love hearing them chattering away.

Not around here I'm afraid. Thousands of the little brown jobs, any hole into a shed and you have 2 or 10 nests in there. I don't believe the RSPB figures on this.

 

[Stiffy]

I would imagine you have a similar scenario as we have, we have lots of herring gulls which can cause a nuisance but they are on the decline.
S

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[bontbee]

Don't sparrows have a western distribution in the UK?

According to the BTO, suburban areas have the highest densities. Here they seem to be doing very well...noisy, argumentative little b.....s!

As for house martins, I'd love some please. I am lucky enough to have the thrill of watching a pair of swifts nesting somewhere under a neighbours fascia though. They have been returning for at least five years that I know of. Absolutely brilliant. Now, their screeching I could listen to all day.

 

[theeggman]

Don't sparrows have a western distribution in the UK?

According to the BTO, suburban areas have the highest densities. Here they seem to be doing very well...noisy, argumentative little b.....s!

As for house martins, I'd love some please. I am lucky enough to have the thrill of watching a pair of swifts nesting somewhere under a neighbours fascia though. They have been returning for at least five years that I know of. Absolutely brilliant. Now, their screeching I could listen to all day.

They all appear to be nesting in/on our bit of Devon, but we want to give preference to the martins.

We have 2 ex- chicken sheds that are open to any birds that need a nest site, but the "rare" sparrows are a PITA. When we had free-range laying hens and swallows were in the litter area at "turn-around" time we would pressure wash around the nests. It gave the RSPCA an issue but tough s**t.

 

[MikeT]

No house martins this year, Only1 swallow nest under the car port, 3 last year and none in the new sheep shed, 4 last year. No sparrows and have never seen one in our garden. However, Kestrels are nesting in the owl box, pied wagtails under the roof, great tits fledged from the camera box, lap wings and oyster catchers nesting in sheep field.

The great tits took over from a pair of blue tits in the camera box. The blues laid 3 eggs followed by 3 from the great tit. All 6 hatched but the 3 smaller blue tits disappeared