RICHARD COLLINS: House martins take their time

SPRING was late this year.

Wind and rain kept the summer migrants away.

Some intrepid sand martins, ignoring the weather warnings, turned up in early April. With few insects on the wing, conditions were particularly severe for them. Swallows arrived late in the month but house martins are taking their time — I’ve seen none yet. That’s no surprise: the house martin does its own thing.