Country diary: The house martins are gone for another year. But they’re not forgotten | Ed Douglas
The author reflects on the seasonal migration of house martins from the UK to sub-Saharan Africa, noting their recent departure. The piece highlights the mystery surrounding their exact wintering grounds and the environmental threats they face, such as microplastic ingestion.
Why it matters
It underscores the ecological fragility of migratory bird species and the importance of monitoring biodiversity on the red list.
A common house martin, which breeds in Europe and winters in sub-Saharan Africa. Photograph: Alamy A common house martin, which breeds in Europe and winters in sub-Saharan Africa. Photograph: Alamy Country diary Birds Country diary: The house martins are gone for another year. But they’re not forgotten Lockerbrook, Derbyshire: Last week they were here, now they are not. Yet the details of their epic migration are still a mystery to us
Prefer the Guardian on Google T he sudden absence of something, even though you know it’s coming, can dent the heart a little. The Japanese, inevitably, have a phrase for it: mono no aware , the pathos of things – and by things, in this case, I mean house martins.
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