How mud pies could provide a lifeline for birds as 9 day heatwave spreads across the UK

How mud pies could provide a lifeline for birds as 9 day heatwave spreads across the UK - RSPB

A house martin collects mud to build a nest with. Credit: Tom Marshall, rspb-images.com

Dry spells, forecast for the next 9 days across the UK, could be preventing returning migratory birds from building their homes, but thankfully mud pies hold the answer!
Now is the time that spring migratory birds are returning to the UK, with iconic species such as swallows, house martins and swifts needing your help.
With many now endangered, thankfully there are simple ways you can help them from your own garden - including leaving out mud for house martins to build nest cups with – of which the RSPB are sharing their top 5 this spring.

With the Met Office predicting a heatwave for the next 9 days across the country, now is the time to help the thousands of migratory birds currently returning to their homes here in the UK. The RSPB explains what to look – and listen – out for, and how we can help them after their epic journeys.

With bird breeding season now well underway, these birds are busy finding mates, building nests and bringing up broods, and there’s a host of ‘new faces’ in our gardens, woodlands, countryside and along our coastlines.

Many of these returning migratory birds have flown hundreds, often thousands, of miles from wintering grounds in more southerly, warmer countries. These include truly iconic species such as house martins and swifts - but sadly, these birds have seen sharp declines in their numbers over the last two decades – in some cases, by more than 50%.