Mud swallows and a favourite pit stop on Crossley-Hunter Line

Three years ago I stopped for a few minutes on a non-descript bridge SW of London and Belmont, and noticed something curious about the birds that darted over and under my head.

The swallows would dive under the bridge and come out the other side, but a few added seconds would pass before they reappeared.


["New works in progress under the bridge": photos GAH]

“Why are they stopping under there?” I asked myself.


["Clay for nests is a free resource for resourceful birds"]

Yes, curiosity killed the cat, but I didn’t think an axe murderer lived under the bridge, so I climbed down a short bank to explore.


["These nests - photo from 2008 - are now gone; new ones are underway"]

I discovered that the birds were mud swallows and were building nests for their young.

Each nest was a work of art, made skillfully from clay and stuffed with feathers or other fluffy odds and ends. (Anyone missing an old sweater?)


["This blackbird came to visit during my Pt. Bruce coffee break"]

Yesterday, after spotting a dozen or so swallows in the air near the bridge, I stopped again to see new works in progress.

Have you seen any unusual nests recently?

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