A Troublesome Youngster

We were walking down to the village this morning on a much colder, greyer day than yesterday when we noticed a large flock of house martins, perhaps as many as twenty, swooping and twittering around one of the gable ends of a neighbouring house. This house wasn't one used by the martins for nesting this year, so it took a few moments to identify the cause of the excitement - a young martin at top left in this picture, a youngster that seemed very loath to take to the wing.

It was never left untended. If they weren't swooping around it, the martins were gripping the wall just below it, calling it, encouraging it to fly - but it was adamant it wasn't doing anything of the sort.

We had to leave them with their problem, but what this scene confirmed is how well the summer has gone for the house martins, despite the miserable weather, and lack of sun and insects.

The martins are gathering now, feeding up ready to fly south. They've given us a great deal of pleasure over the last few months: we hope to see them safely back again next spring.