# General > Birdwatching >  Housemartin

## Kenn

We are delighted to announce we have a nest, will be watching with great interest.
Are they a common summer visitor here as I read that their numbers are declining?

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## porshiepoo

Lovely little bird.
We get loads of them here swooping down over our pond for the water.
Hard to tell the difference between the housemartins and the Swallows sometimes but we love watching them.

Don't know how much in decline they are but we seem to get plenty of them year after year.
It's funny to watch their babes doing their first swooping attempts to get water too - hit and miss most of the time.

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## Gronnuck

Our lodgers have been with us for a couple of weeks now.







They're a bit messy and a bit noisey but they're delightful company!

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## Kenn

Our nest appeared whilst we were looking elsewhere! Delighted that they are here as have not seen them for many a year.

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## Kenn

They seem to be settled but don't think the eggs have hatched yet as it's still very quiet up in the eaves.

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## Liz

They are lovely birds and glad I'm not the only one who finds it hard to differentiate between Swallows and House Martins Porshiepoo. :: 

Excuse my ignorance but do they nest anywhere apart from in eaves of buildings?

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## Kenn

They build very different nests liz, the swallow's is a large cup where as the house martin makes an enclosed nest, usually with a small opening at the top, as far as I know, martins are external nesters where as swallows will nest inside buildings.
The easy way to tell them appart is to watch them in flight, the swallow has a much longer tail which is v shaped and the house martin has a very distinctive white underside right through to it's rump.

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## Liz

Thanks a lot Lizz.  :Grin:

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## Kenn

I am hearing twitters from the nest and there seems to be a little more activity by the adult birds.

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## skinnydog

I have them back for the third year in a row.  They are lovely to watch and so graceful but my golly they don't have make a lot of mess.  I have bird  by the bucket full under my bedroom window!!

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## Gronnuck

We think our Housemartins above the living room window have fledglings.  :Grin: 

Lots of noise and activity.

People get very suspicious when they see me lying on my back in the front garden with my camera pointed skyward.  ::

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## Kenn

Fledglings here too, OH saw a wee head poking out of the nest today.

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## Kenn

Parent birds now doing a shuttle service with food and much twittering from the nest, think it won't be long before they fledge.

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## Liz

How lovely that your wee Housemartin family are doing well Lizz. :Grin:

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## Gronnuck

"Ooooooo you go first."
"Nah, I'll let you go first."
"Tell ya what, lets wait for Mum."
"Yeh, good idea."



"Where is she?"
"I hope she isn't going to be long, I don't think this nest will last for much longer!"

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## Liz

What great photos of your wee visitors Gronnuck.  They can talk as well?!!!! ::

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## Kenn

Brilliant, hope we get the chance for shot like that.

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## Kenn

Now fledged 2 or 3 we are not sure, the nest is looking a little sad.Will miss the twitters if the parents just hope they make ot back next year.

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## Kenn

Spotted the pair today busy reconstructing the nest so here's hoping for another successful breeding season.

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## Gronnuck

> Spotted the pair today busy reconstructing the nest so here's hoping for another successful breeding season.


Our House Martins have returned too. Over the winter we took down last year's nests because they looked decidedly precarious, (see last years photo's below). We've got five pairs working in four areas and they're making good progress. I'm hoping to get some good photos again this year. Meanwhile we've kept a pool of mud in the veggie plot for them.

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