Photo by R.L.

As many of you will be aware the Sand Martin colony has been in a state of disarray

for some time now and the floods of 2007 devastated a large part of the bank displacing some of the pipes and making others unusable.

Over the years the refurbishment of the colony has been discussed many times but no progress has been made. This latest disaster however made repairs a necessity, but ideas regarding the best way to proceed were lacking.

Pete Drury contacted the Sand Martin Trust who supplied plans of boxes they had used in Scotland. After discussing the plans the HVWG gave the go ahead to build something similar.

The next problem was funding. The Group approached the Environment Agency (the land owners) who appeared favourable towards the project and hopefully will provide a grant, the rest will be provided by the Group.

Work is now underway to reconstruct the colony using a system similar to the one used by the Sand Martin Trust .   

The work involves the use of a series of 6 boxes on long legs which are then inserted into bank. Member Richard Sears has been instrumental in the construction

of the boxes.

Richard applying the finishing touches

                     Some of the sand martin boxes           Pete Drury drilling holes through a section to hold pipes in place

Rows of holes are then drilled through the front face of the boxes, pipes are then inserted from the front and through a centre panel to keep the pipes in place and keep the boxes reasonably lightweight. A sloping roof will then be added. The pipes are then filled with sand and finally a faceplate with smaller holes fitted over the front to allow the birds access.

Once built the boxes had to be moved to the site at Watton Nature Reserve. This work was undertaken by volunteer group members, Pete Dove who kindly brought his tractor, Richard and Mandy Sears, John Leason and Cliff Teal

                            Loading up                                                    not like that, like this

                               Off they go                                                  Unloading at Site

  

    

                       Moving to location                                           Boxes awaiting next stage of work

            

    

See the team in action

Work started on the 19th March digging out the holes for the sand martin box legs Eric and Cliff doing the hard work.

The bad weather over the Easter Weekend which delayed the main placement of the boxes returned

on the 6th April but our intrepid volunteers braved the elements and continued the erection of the unit.

 

All six boxes are now in position and work has begun inserting the pipes, filling them with sand then afixing the facia plates. A gravel roof is then attached

The construction of the colony is now almost compete the roof and facia plates have

been attached. All that is needed now are Sand Martins to inhabit it. Well done to all

volunteers who helped with the building, lets hope their labours were not in vain.

Here are a couple of photographs of the new colony taken from the Environment Agency

hide at Watton Nature Reserve

As the project is almost at an end the next update

will be with regard to the success in attracting Sand
Martins to the colony, if and when this occurs.