Saving Souter’s sand martins

National Trust rangers and the local Coastal Conservation Group have collaborated to build an imitation sand martin nest bank in Whitburn Coastal Park nature reserve. This was made possible with backing from the Community Foundation’s Local Environmental Action Fund (LEAF).

What makes sand martins so special?

Sand martins belong to the same family as swallows and house martins. With dark brown upper parts and under wings contrasting with pale under parts, they can be difficult to tell apart when on the wing; look out for their distinctive chest bar.

They are impressively agile in the air and feed on insects mainly caught over water. Your best chance of a good view of a sand martin is when they perch to rest. These tiny birds travel thousands of miles from Africa to breed in the UK, where they can be spotted between March and October.

Why do they need our help?

Over the last 50 years the European population of sand martins has crashed twice as an effect of drought in the birds' African wintering grounds. 

Their nesting habits can make them very vulnerable too. Sand martins arrive in the UK between mid- March and mid-April and immediately begin looking for suitable nest sites. They dig tunnels in sandy, vertical banks such as railway cuttings, riverbanks and cliffs, where they lay two clutches of eggs during their breeding season. Nesting tunnels can be up to a metre long, with a nesting chamber at the end.

Ranger Dougie Holden has worked closely with local Coastal Conservation Group members for several years, surveying various bird species and improving habitats around Souter Lighthouse and The Leas. The sand martin project is particularly special to him.

The chosen location overlooks a pond, the ideal insect hunting ground for sand martins feeding hungry chicks. The nesting bank, complete with a green roof and a weasel baffles to prevent predators, offers 140 holes for breeding pairs. It is hoped that, year on year, local sand martin numbers will increase and the species will thrive in the long term. The building also allows access to the nests from inside, so that each individual nest can be monitored. In turn, valuable data will be provided to the British Trust for Ornithology.

You can step up for sand martins too

Want to be a sand martin hero? You can sponsor a sand martin nest. 

For a donation of £40 per nest tunnel (plus a £20 maintenance fee each further year the nest is occupied), you’ll receive a quarterly newsletter with updates and photos plus a children’s pack with information and activities.

For details contact Vicki Johnson at Souter Lighthouse via email or by phone on 0191 5290902.