House Martins: where are they?? ? ?

Oh god it is all so depressing

P.S. I haven't seen a house martin for years. Perhaps they don't get as far as the North East.

We've been in our house for 25+years now. We have lots of outbuildings (stables and sheds). For most of the time we've been here we've always had a few nesting pairs of swallows but in the last few years it's been down to one pair and they arrive very late. In fact, this year's pair only arrived a few days ago and started building a nest. So they'll only be able to raise one brood where in the past, earlier arrival has enabled the swallows to raise two broods. So that could be affecting numbers.

I find it very sad because I love to see them swooping around.

I have a huge and very old oak tree in my garden, home to what must be hundreds of thousands (millions?) of insects which attracted housemartins and pipistrelle bats every year. It was lovely to sit in the garden and watch both species swooping around day and night. They both disappeared twelve ago after the orchard opposite went under housing development. Despite much campaigning, the bat roosts (unoccupied at the time) were allowed to be destroyed so long as the new houses had articifical bat boxes attached. I have not seen a bat or had housemartins nesting since so human encroachment in urban environments, as well as weather, is a factor.

OakDryad oh no. That’s so sad.

Kitty I know that you aren’t that far from me, so perhaps it’s a regional thing

ixion they were brilliant weren’t they. I remember their excellent dancing to Happy Hour on TOTP

Shep I really hope that you are right and that they’ll be here soon

The house martins are back here. Also the swallows and swifts. Down by the river there are also sand martins.
I have noticed that they are fewer in number though.

We used to see swifts swooping around especially at dusk but I haven't seen them in years.

Alive and well, Fanny

www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/celebs-tv/iconic-80s-hull-band-housemartins-5077128

The 58-year-old band co-founder is now a Bristol-based grandad of seven and has become a passionate advocate of the UK’s stunning waterways

We had 2 lots in different eaves on one side of our house. We haven't had any for about 5 years. The path is a lot cleaner but that is the only advantage. I miss them too.

The are in serious decline and now have red list status:

RSPB:

From 1970-2014 there was a 47 per cent reduction in numbers of house martins with a 10 per cent reduction between 1995-2014.

House martin populations are affected greatly by weather.

They require rain so that there will be plenty of wet mud to build their nests as well as warm weather to ensure there are plenty of insects for them to eat. When weather is either cool or dry this causes problems with insect presence and mud availability impacting on their ability to breed. In dry weather, making an area of wet mud can be beneficial to them to make their nests.

Their numbers have also been impacted by reduction in suitable nesting habitat due in part to barn conversions.

Their habitat in their overwintering grounds in Africa is also being degraded.

Large-scale mortality is regularly recorded during and after periods of bad weather, during both breeding and migration. On the other hand, hot and dry weather can result in mortality through dehydration and heat stress.

They arrived in the skies here (Norfolk) in early May. Perhaps they haven’t quite got up to you yet Fanny. Must be exhausted after that long journey and have stopped off to recover! ?