There have been no posts for some time as Avian Flu on site prevented any ringing. However, we've been given the green light to resume activities, which have started with work on an exciting new Sand Martin project.
The artificial Sand Martin cliff was built in 2013 when Doug Rudge was employed by EDDC to manage the nature reserve's creation. There are 252 nest chambers arranged in 7 blocks (A-G), which are accessed by the Sand Martins from the front wall via tunnels.
The Sand Martin cliff under construction (Photo: Doug Rudge) |
The Sand Martin cliff now |
Doug is now leading the project to monitor & ring the Sand Martins using the wall, in his capacity as a volunteer with the AERG. The wall was first used by the Sand Martins in 2023, when there were about 10 nesting attempts, and in 2024 about 38 nest holes were used. So far this year, 116 nest holes are being visited by adults, and the nests within the chambers are in various stages of use ranging from nest building to fledging young.
We know this because the wall has been monitored at least twice a week since 1st May, every Thursday & Sunday, with a camera being used to record which holes are being visited at the front of the cliff, whilst a team has been using an endoscope to monitor the nest chambers from the rear of the wall.
The rear of each nest chamber is covered by a removable wooden plate. The plates of all chambers that are being visited from the front have had a hole drilled in them to allow the use of an endoscope to monitor activity within the chamber. When not being checked, the hole is blocked with a bung to prevent light entering the chamber.
Doug using the endoscope to monitor activity in the nest chambers |
The nests vary in their comfort, with some being crammed with feathers whilst others are more minimalist!
A sparsely feathered nest showing an unhatched egg (the young were removed for ringing) |
An endoscope photo of young (pulli) that are too small to ring (Photo: Doug Rudge) |
Once the nestlings (pulli) are sufficiently well developed, the wooden plate is removed, and the young are briefly removed from the nest & fitted with a metal BTO ring bearing a unique number. The tunnel is blocked whilst the pulli are away from the nest to prevent the adults from returning to the nest & finding it empty.
Number | |
Nest chambers being endoscoped | 137 |
Nests chambers being visited from the front | 128 |
Chambers with nests/eggs/pulli/fledged young/adults | 66 |
Chambers with new nest material (no eggs) | 7 |
Chambers with eggs or pulli | 54 |
Chambers where juveniles have fledged | 5 |
Total confirmed eggs + pulli + fledged juveniles | 258 |
Total broods ringed | 29 |
Total Pulli ringed | 124 |
We've also already seen a couple of interesting behaviours. Birds were seen repeatedly entering a tunnel from the front, although the tunnel was still blocked with sand before the nest chamber. The endoscope was used to look up the tunnel from the front, and a nest complete with an egg was found in the tunnel itself. Several more eggs have now been laid in the tunnel. It will be interesting to see how this progresses.
Four pulli were ringed in box D3 on 15/5/25. On 25/5/25, Box G11 was opened & the pulli removed for ringing. Five pulli were ringed from the brood, but much to our amazement, there was one much larger youngster, which turned out to be one of the birds ringed in D3 on 15th! It will be interesting to see if this is a one off or a regular occurrence.
Sand Martin youngster from the wrong nest! (Photo: Guy Hayden) |
The Sand Martin cliff will be monitored throughout the summer, and more updates will follow. As this is the first year that the wall has been used in earnest, and the first time the Group has monitored & ringed the birds, it's a very steep learning curve! Systems are being developed & monitoring & processing of the birds is becoming more efficient. Soon, mist netting of the adults will begin. Watch this space!