56 SAND MARTIN 
COTILE RIPARIA (Linn.). SAND MARTIN, 
As early as mid-April, but perhaps most conspicuously 
about the first week in May and again towards the end of 
summer and into autumn, parties of migrating Sand Martins 
are to be observed along our coast and the lowland portions 
of our larger streams, as Sulby, Glass, and Silverburn. Mr. 
Leach mentions the appearance of two Sand Martins at 
Douglas Bridge as early as 26th March (1903), and Mr. 
Crellin of two in Bride on 6th April (1894). In May 
1901 we saw one on the Calf. | 
The Isle of Man is rather deficient in suitable localities 
for this bird’s summer habitation. Up to at least 1885 a 
colony was settled at the earthy top of the large quarry 
behind the Battery Pier, Douglas, and the birds used to 
hawk over the salt waters of the outer harbour, but this 
is now unoccupied. Another Douglas nesting place was in 
a sand-bank where Hutchinson Square is now situate; 
there was another at Ballacreech, Onchan, and another 
probably at Ballafletcher, near Braddan Cemetery. In the 
west the sandpit at Ballaharra, German, was a station, now 
forsaken. Dr. Bailey tells me that in 1904 Sand Martins 
attempted to nest in a sandpit at Mount Gawne, but their 
tunnels were destroyed by the carters in removing material. 
The high sand-cliffs of the northern coast, from Orrisdale 
round Ballaugh and Jurby to Andreas, and again in Bride, 
are abundantly utilised, the nesting holes being usually at 
the steep summit just under the edge of the brow. Eggs 
are laid about the end of May or beginning of June. 
It is well distributed, making allowance for its restricted 
choice of nesting localities, in Great Britain and Ireland. 
Sand Martins have bred in Orkney, and even in one 
instance in Shetland; they nest also in several of the 
Outer Hebrides. 
