THE SAND MARTIN 
COTYLE RIPARIA 
Loca. names in surrounding counties : 
Stratus IN British Avirauna: A common yet some- 
what local summer visitor of almost universal distribution. 
RapiaL DisrRisuTION WITHIN FIFTEEN MILES OF, ST. 
Paut’s: Gilbert White tells us that in his time the Sand 
Martin resorted to the dirty pools of Whitechapel, and 
he thought that they nested in scaffold holes in some 
buildings near by. ‘The bird has long deserted the city 
precincts, although it is an occasional visitor to the 
Thames near Westminster and Lambeth, to the sheets 
of water in St. James’s Park, Hyde Park, Regent’s 
Park, Battersea Park, the tank in the Stadium, and so forth. 
The Sand Martin is recorded as breeding at Hampstead 
and Pinner. It certainly does so near Wormwood Scrubbs. 
There are many breeding colonies along the banks of the 
Thames in the outlying portions of the Metropolitan area ; 
another at Coombe Warren; others wherever suitable con- 
ditions are presented in the Surrey and Kentish suburbs ; 
whilst the same remarks apply to Essex. In autumn espe- 
cially large gatherings of the Sand Martin congregate over 
such large sheets of water as the Welsh Harp, Kingsbury 
Reservoir, Elstree, Hampstead Ponds, the lake in Wimble- 
don Park, the Penn Ponds in Richmond Park, and many 
of the reaches of the Thames, notably near Hampton 
Court. ‘These birds in many instances appear to roost 
in osier- and reed-beds, and often consort with Swallows 
and House Martins. 
The Sand Martin is the first of the ‘‘ Swallows ”’ to 
reach us in spring, often being seen in London towards 
the end of March, and in greater numbers early in April. 
Its uniform dull plumage will readily distinguish it from 
its allies. “The general actions of this species are very 
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