Friday 13 November 2015

Crooked Spire 2 Birders 0

Hello

Out of the blue the Crag Martin reappeared at the Crooked Spire in Chesterfield town centre (Derbyshire) today, which caused a car-load of Northants birders to head up north along the M1! Typically this rock-loving hirundine had disappeared again by the time we arrived at 3pm. We watched the light disappear rapidly in the vain hope that it may show but to no avail! The much cooler air and lack of insects and the wet weather of the week-end causes me concern for it's welfare, albeit the Crag Martin is probably one of the hardier of the swallow family. Will it be third time lucky?

Regards

Neil M







Images of Crag Martin
taken in Georgia earlier
this year. A chunky brown
martin with creamy underparts
blackish auxiliaries and pale
tail spots. The typical habitat
is rock-dominated and they
particularly like gorges, rock-
strewn upland valleys and low
mountains. The eastern population
is at least partly migratory but many
birds in the west will endeavour to
winter north of the Mediterranean Sea.

No comments: