The RSPB is urging the public to get their hands dirty this weekend and create mud pies to help endangered birds such as domestic martinis, rapids and swallows get enough sludge to build their nests.
A nine-day mini-heat wave is hitting the United Kingdom, coinciding with the return of migratory birds here to breed. Many of these birds have flown thousands of miles during their journey. But conservationists are concerned that the ground is becoming so hard that it could prevent them from shrinking their nests.
By leaving mud pots mixed with water or creating small puddles in the garden, the public can make a big difference, said Becca Smith of the RSPB. “This is the easiest thing people can do to help these birds after they have flown all the way from Africa to our shores. Plus, making a mud pie is fun for the weekend. ”
Placing dishes with fresh water will also ensure the drinking and bathing of various birds. Homemade martinis – which require the most mud to build nests – can mix the water with the soil themselves, which they then combine with things like grass, feathers and fiber to make small cups of nests under the eaves of houses.
Swifts are among the migratory birds that return to the UK at this time of year. Photo: Ben Andrew / RSPB
“Having mud already created for them is the easiest option for these birds,” Smith said. “It’s a bit like taking McDonald’s, instead of having to go out and get all the ingredients yourself and try to recreate Big Mac.”
Mud pies should not be too careless, but also not dry out. Smith recommends checking them several times a day to make sure they are still wet enough. She says it is good to leave the birds water and mud every year between March and May, especially if it is dry, because it is a very busy time of year for them.
Some migratory birds arrived later this year because there were constant east and northeast winds that made it difficult for them to fly north. According to Marco Petagna of the Met Office, temperatures in the UK are “several degrees higher than they should be at this time of year”.
In December 2021, fast and domestic martins joined the UK Red List of Endangered Birds in the latest IUCN update. Populations of rapids have decreased by 58% since 1995. These migratory birds have suffered from the loss of nesting sites as old buildings have been renovated, as well as the loss of insects – their food. A study in the UK this week found that the number of flying insects has fallen by 60% since 2004.
The RSPB also recommends placing artificial nests and boxes to provide more nesting opportunities for these birds, as well as creating gardens suitable for insects.
Alexander Lees, a senior professor of conservation biology at Manchester Metropolitan University, said the RSPB’s recommendations seemed useful. “Generally speaking, we need building regulations that require places for rapids and homemade martinis, and to make sure that all nesting boxes are appropriately cited on cooler and shady walls facing north or east,” he said.
“Given that the loss of an abundance of insects is likely to be strongly affected by artificial light at night, then we can all make an effort, when possible, to turn off the lights, saving insects, their predators and saving our energy bills. . We must stop stealing the darkness from the natural world. “
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