House Martins. ( Delichon urbicum )

I was out giving the summerhouse another coat of preservative/colour and the House Martins were being a bit noisy.  Two heads were poking out of the nest then wriggle wriggle wriggle and out came a bird.  I was convinced this was one of them fledging so I took some shots.

I was wrong!  later in the day the adults were back and forward feeding so it must have been an adult leaving the nest.  I am amazed we have had any takers for the nest box.  We only put them up at the start of August and by the third the adults were prospecting the site.

For those not familiar with the nest boxes they are made of "woodcrete" a sort of concrete made with sawdust.  We have had natural nests before but they always fall down over winter.  House Martins have declined over the last 50 years the population now being a quarter of what it was.   Some of this is possibly caused by householders not allowing nests on their property.

It is impossible to tell how many are in the nest the opening only allows two heads in view at a time.