Flying start: South East Water celebrates rare first-year nesting success for sand martins

New artificial sand martin nesting banks, installed by South East Water at its Arlington Reservoir, have been used by eight breeding pairs in its first year.

Banks such as these are notoriously difficult to establish, with many taking years to welcome their first visitors.

Patrick Austin, Environmental Performance Advisor at South East Water, said: “We are thrilled to have had at least eight pairs rear their first brood in our artificial nesting banks, with one pair returning to raise a second. It's not often you see these banks used in the year of installation so this has exceeded all expectations.”

The bank at Arlington joins only a handful of sites across East and West Sussex where the species is known to breed. The installation of these nesting banks is part of the drinking water only company’s commitment to local biodiversity and habitat enhancement, addressing the need for a sustainable, safe breeding location for the local migratory sand martin population.

Sand martins arrive in the UK around March, having travelled up to 3,000 miles from Sub-Saharan Africa. They like to nest in sandy cliffs, river banks, and gravel pits, digging burrows up to a metre long. The nesting banks installed at Arlington Reservoir have been designed to mimic this habitat using long tubes packed with sand, as well as using acoustic lures (a device that mimics the calls and social sounds of sand martin colonies) to encourage them to nest.

Patrick added: “These wonderful little birds, weighing just 15g, will now make the long journey back to Sub–Saharan Africa. However, they often return to their birthplace, so it is hoped some of the young will come back next year and be joined by others who have recently passed through and showed interest in the bank.”

Visit our page on our work with swifts, swallows and sand martins for more information.