First sand martin chicks spotted at Washington Wetland Centre

The first sand martin chicks have been sighted at a wetland centre on Wearside, just months after the birds were introduced.

Sand martins made their home at Washington Wetland Centre in late March and quickly settled into an artificial nesting bank at the site built in October 2023.

Just a few months later, the first chicks have been spotted in the nest chambers.

Reserve manager John Gowland said: “There were lots of positive signs early on, with nesting material such as grass and feathers seen being taken into the nesting chambers of the artificial bank– all good signs of the birds beginning to settle and breed.

“Since the first chick was spotted, we’ve spent some time observing the bank to look for more and are thrilled to have seen at least eight chicks at different openings, which is great to see!”

Sand martins will typically lay four to five eggs between late May and early June, taking around two weeks to incubate and hatch.

If conditions are right, the birds will have two broods each year, meaning staff at the centre could see 60-70 fledglings from only eight breeding pairs.

In the weeks to follow, the chicks will receive regular feeding from both parents, dining on a diet of tiny insects before getting ready to take their first flight.

John added: “If they manage to successfully raise two broods of young, that will mean around 60-70 young birds potentially fledging from just eight breeding pairs.

"But the even more exciting news is that at least 16 other nest chambers look like they’re active, with adult sand martins regularly entering and exiting the chambers.

“This is looking to be a great success for our first ever sand martin breeding season and a huge boost to numbers for this bird species. We can’t wait to see what the rest of the season brings.”

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