Tuesday 24 May 2011

Please Welcome our New Neighbours














Remember us writing about the House & Sand Martins yesterday? Well - they've just moved into Leabank Square!!

Just in time for the RSPB's Tim Webb's visit - and the House Martins started flying in with mouths full of mud. They've started building their incredible nests in the front canal blocks - under the eaves.


It is an amazing sight to see: they just don't stop flying in & out of Leabank Square with the mud. Occasionally they have a snack of mozzie & a sip of canal water - and then it's right back to building.


The only snag - is that these are the walls that the kids normally kick balls against. There is a really big possibility that some of the nests might get hit by the balls. Please could all responsible adults alert the kids to this fact if they see them kicking against the walls.


In the meantime - go & enjoy this annual spectacle - we are so lucky to have these African visitors!!



5 comments:

Matt said...

You gardeners prove that if you create the right environment, nautre will follow.
You cannot get more urban that Hackney Wick just now, and with all that racket being made across the canal, I'm so impressed taht you've managed to entice so many exciting birds into Leabank.
Thanks
Matt

Mohamed said...

Wow! I saw them doing arial acrobatics on the way out this morning. Amazing. I love these close up pics as well. The birds look a bit too large for the nests don't you think?
Mo

Paul said...

Aren't these great feats of engineering? They start off with a blank wall and an eave. Then they construct a mud nest for a whole family. Isn't nature wonderful?
Paul

Fiona said...

They are so busy! I can see them from the kitchen window and they just never stop.
I think that its wonderful that despite all the terrible noise coming over from the olympics, all these birds and bees still want to make leabank their home.
Fi

Anna said...

I just love the way that this summer all the birds have come into the square.
Of course it must be that all their nests that were acroos the river went with the trees, but at least they now have new homes to come to.
Between the olympics and thames water, we only have 3 of the original 83 trees left on Arena Fields.
Shocking isn't it?!
Still, they are more than welcome to come to Leabank.