Checking the nest chambers at the Sand Martin hide nesting bank
Now that breeding season is over and the martins have migrated south, our Reserve Team entered the nesting chambers of the Sand Martin hide to check how many were used this year. Many nest holes were active in the summer so we were excited to count the results.
Roosting bats
Checks were spread over two days to minimize the disturbance to any roosting bats. Licensed bat-handler (and our former Reserve Manager) Paul Stevens was on hand to help current Reserve Manager Suzi Lanaway and Senior Reserve Warden Emma Jacob check the 300 nesting chambers in the hide. Paul is very familiar with the hide as he oversaw the Sand Martin hide project in 2010 when it was built for Sir Peter Scott’ centenary.
Brown long-eared bat for roosting in the Sand martin hide
The team started with the right ‘arm’ of the nest bank that connects to the viewing chamber of the hide. Paul did find a roosting brown long-eared bat tucked away in the beams of the hide.
Kingfisher nest!
We found the kingfisher’s nest in chamber 69 (see photo above). Inside the nest box were lots of tiny fish bones and a lone egg that didn’t hatch. Kingfisher eggs are white but this one was mottled with nest detritus stuck to it. The nest was littered with shiny dark fly pupae cases. Fly larvae had cleaned up the remnants of the many fishy meals brought in by the adults for the chicks. The nest still had a strong, fishy aroma!
The egg found in the kingfisher nest
Blue tits too
In the right nest bank we also found 9 sand martin nests. Lined with fluffy feathers, these nests were built upon the sand that had been packed into the nest chambers to simulate a sandstone cliff face. We also found remains of a blue tit nest.
Even more martins
On the second day in the left ‘arm’ of the nest bank we found 11 more sand martin nests. We found a total of 20 sand martin nests in the hide. Does this mean we had 20 pairs of sand martins nesting in the hide? Yes, we think so and some pairs hatched more than one brood!
A sand martin nest in chamber 225
More chambers are in use every year giving so our sand martin colony is growing. In 2021 we found 15 nests, in 2020 we found seven nests and going back to 2019 it was just three nest. It was also surprising that the sand martins were not intimidated by the territorial kingfishers nesting so close. We are eager to see who nests next spring at the Sand martin hide!.
Kingfishers are still showing around the SandMartin hide, the Scrape hide and on the Arun Riverlife lagoon. They are onsite all year around.
