Did you know? We support wildlife conservation
A recent ‘wassail’ event (traditional blessing of the orchard) was organised by the Arundel Community Orchard Group with funding for the house martin tower being sourced by ‘Greening Arundel’.
The tower installation is part of wider efforts to conserve and promote wildlife around Arundel, bee projects, hedgehog initiatives and wildlife gardening are all being organised and championed by Greening Arundel. This is done via local volunteers, utilising citizen science techniques. C itizen science is when non-experts take an active part in the scientific process and it’s most common in environmental monitoring where the local residents get involved by recording and identifying plants, birds and animals in their environment .
The tower is part of the wider ‘bring back our birds' (B-BOB) campaign that is introducing swift, swallow and house martin nest boxes throughout the town. Funding has been provided by the South Downs Trust Sustainable Communities fund, the Sussex Ornithological Society and the Royal Horticultural Society.
House martins are in serious decline with only four birds nesting in Arundel last season – which was previously a stronghold for the birds. Loss of insects, traditional nest sites and access to mud for nest building (due to climate change and changes to farming practices) have all contributed to decreasing numbers. So far, B-BOB have installed 50 nest boxes on houses and buildings around Arundel town. The house martin tower in the images is situated on Arun District Council land at Herington’s field, near the river.
Read more about the house martin here: Wild Wednesday - House martin | Latest news | Arun District Council
For more images and links for house martins, swallows and swifts in Arundel follow this Facebook page: (3) Facebook