This year we have had three house martin nests on the end of the Cossham Hall. Below each nest is a pile of droppings. Some people object but I think it is a privilege to still be valued by these birds.
They build their nests on the ends of the roof purlins, using beakfuls of mud.
I saw about a dozen over the High Street yesterday- presumably parents and offspring. Soon they will be off to Africa.
Swifts, on the other wing, have already left us. They mate for life and always return to the same nest site each year, which is usually in a narrow space in the roof of a church or house.
There is one such nest in the Age Concern building in the High Street.
I have seen the adult bird squeezing under the fascia board directly above the Age Concern notice.
unable to fit the arrow on the photoUnfortunately both these buildings are likely to be 'developed' or demolished by Thornbury Town Council who need to change it all to housing as they need the money.
Our resident house martins left 2 days ago - we watched them assemble on the phone wires before leaving. We had about 30 nesting in our eaves this year. Most years they don’t leave til mid September, so they are a month early. They left just before the weather broke this week so they obviously knew what was coming
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