Wetland Word of the Week 19

Our wetland word today is...

... bitterie which means sand martin in Scots. The word comes from 'bite the bank' because this is the technique they use to remove material from the sandy cliffs to excavate their nests. Sand martins are a summer visitor to the UK and their tunnels can be up to a metre in length!


Words by Marianne Nicholson

Feature image of a sand martin by James Lees

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