Sand martins arrive at WWT Arundel in early April each year. They have been nesting in the artificial sandbanks of this special wildlife hide on the nature reserve since 2019. Every autumn the Reserve Wardens at WWT Arundel open the nest banks after the sand martins migrate to clean out the nest chambers and see how many were used. There are rooms behind the nesting holes where the Wardens can access the chambers when backing boards are removed.
Reserve Manager Suzi Lanaway said: “All the nest holes in the top row of the left nesting bank had nests in them! The left side had 49 sand martin nests while the right side had 34."
Sand martins depend on sand banks next to rivers or lakes, or sometimes in sand pits to create their nests. These are often temporary banks because of erosion or development, so artificial banks like this one at WWT Arundel provide a reliable place for sand martins to return to in the summer.
The 83 nests in the Sand Martin hide counted in 2024 are more than double the 38 nests found after the 2023 sand martin breeding season. The colony has increased to fill almost a third of the 300 nest chambers in this unique hide with its two artificial nest banks that surround a bird hide built between them. The entire hide has a sand-effect finish, with plants growing on the roof to look like a sandy cliff along a riverbank.
The sand martin colony has been growing since 2019 when only three nests were found in the chambers. In 2020 seven nests were discovered, increasing to 15 nests in both wings of the nesting bank in 2021. Twenty nests were recorded in 2022.
In the autumn and winter months after the sand martins depart, visitors can watch many other types of wintering wildlife. Lapwings, snipes, and herons can be seen on the islands across from the Sand Martin hide.
Arundel Wetland Centre is open from 10 am through 4.30 pm and only closed on Christmas Day. The Centre closes at 2 pm on Christmas Eve. Paths are buggy and wheelchair friendly and the centre has a well-stocked gift shop and café.
