Nature Table: Sand Martin

It’s the time of year when many people are looking out for the first swallows, an iconic sign of the arrival of spring. But the appearance of the swallows is normally preceded by the first sand martins, their smaller and less common relatives.

Sand martins have a less deeply forked tail than swallows and their plumage is a subtle blend of brown, grey and white.

Like all the members of this family of birds they live by catching insects on the wing and they tend to be associated with water, particularly with rivers.