A nine-year-old girl in Norfolk has witnessed the return of house martins to her street after a 20-year absence. Freya, from Norfolk, spotted the birds nesting right outside her bedroom window, much to her father's surprise.
Unexpected return
Freya first noticed movement outside her window and went to investigate with her dad. He told her that house martins had not been on this street for 20 years, and their sudden return was unexpected. The birds are now building a nest next to her window.
House martins are small birds, about 12cm long, and are known for their swift flight. Freya observes them swooping past her window all day, suggesting they may have chicks inside the nest. House martins typically lay four or five white eggs, which hatch after about 14 days, and they may lay eggs two or three times in a summer, feeding their young on flying insects.
Observations and questions
Freya describes how the birds dip down near the bottom of her window and fly up quickly to enter the nest, revealing their bright white bellies. When she sits quietly, she can hear high-pitched cheeping, as if they are chatting to one another. She wonders why they have returned to her village street after all these years and where they have been spending their summers.
Freya learned that house martins are on the bird red list, meaning they are endangered. She feels lucky to have them and hopes they return every year. The birds migrate from Africa to breed in the UK.
