Every year, at almost exactly this date, the house martins visit our house to say goodbye before they set off on their long migration to Africa - see last year's entry on September 1st, here. I had thought that they had already gone but yesterday evening just after seven we were alerted by their excited calls.
There were upward of twenty of them, and they were doing something which we simply cannot explain - flying around above the house calling to each other, then swooping down to an old nest site under the gable end, often clinging to the wall beside it for a moment or two.
One pair nested there the year before last but the nest fell off soon after the chicks hatched, and last year the site wasn't used. So why do they come back to it? Is it those who have nested there in previous years or, as is perfectly possible, youngsters who were raised there before our time? Are they checking out the site for use next year?
Last year was even more peculiar as the house martins were accompanied by swallows. Why?
Whatever the reasons for the visit it was lovely to have them say goodbye, though as I watched I wished that I could have sprouted a pair of wings and joined them.
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