A parting gift

There is definitely a chilly autumnal feeling in the air lately. With shortening hours of daylight and dropping temperatures it will soon be time for the Aberystwyth house martins to leave us once again. This summer has passed in what feels like the blink of an eye and these birds’ familiar staccato calls will soon…

Summer skies

To me nothing signals the start of summer quite like the arrival of the house martins here in Aberystwyth. As the warmer weather advances more and more of these birds return to their breeding grounds beside the harbour inlet. The quiet skies are soon filled with their aerial acrobatics and the sound of their constant…

Nature’s architects: Part 2

Today my plan was to capture some close up shots as the house martins gather nesting materials down on the ground. Each year I eagerly await the arrival of these birds and these opportunity to improve on last years photographs. House martins return to the patch here in Aberystwyth each year, after a long migration from…

Better late than never

The House Martins have returned to the UK, having spent the winter in the warmer climate of the African continent. Each year these birds return to the same nesting sites in a fantastic feat of navigation, travelling thousands of miles over land and sea. Here in Aberystwyth, as in much of Britain, the arrival of…

Beaks full of mud

The start of the summer season heralds the return of the house martins to their breeding grounds here in Britain. Here in Aberystwyth I am lucky enough to live next to the harbour which is a favourite breeding spot used year by the martins each year. I only have to step outside my door to…