THE SAND MARTIN 



COTTLE RIPARIA 



LOCAL names in surrounding counties : 



STATUS IN BRITISH AVIFAUNA : A common yet some- 

 what local summer visitor of almost universal distribution. 



RADIAL DISTRIBUTION WITHIN FIFTEEN MILES OF ST. 

 PAUL'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 



p 225 



