A specially-designed bird box for one of Newcastle’s most unique urban wildlife residents has been installed on the Quayside.
It’s hoped the artificial sand martin bank, which contains 48 nesting holes, will help support and boost the city’s only colony of sand martins.
Led by Wild Intrigue as part of the Wild Ouseburn project, it’s the first ever sand martin nesting site to be installed in Newcastle, and it’s ready for the migratory birds as they return from Africa over the coming days.
The small, agile birds, which nest in riverbanks and sandy cliffs, were first spotted in a sandstone wall along the Ouseburn in 2023 and came back last year to successfully rear chicks.
In the hope of the birds returning this year, Northumbrian Water has provided land nearby to house the new and improved nest, which was paid for by a successful crowdfunding campaign, and built a platform to elevate it.
The bank has back access points so that rings can be attached to the chicks to allow for understanding of the colony and its movements.
It also has a solar powered sand martin call system to help attract birds to use this new nesting site.
Cain Scrimgeour, Co-Director of Wild Intrigue, said: “The Wild Ouseburn community has been gathering wildlife data throughout the Lower Ouseburn Valley to better understand and protect local wildlife, and to create new opportunities to increase biodiversity from these insights.
“The installation of the sand martin bank at the mouth of the Ouseburn is an inspiring example of this, with overwhelming local support in surveying the initial colony and funding the new nest bank.
“Northumbrian Water’s involvement has also been invaluable, granting permission to install this new sand martin bank on their land - without which, the project would not have been possible. This collaborative, community-driven action is creating meaningful, positive change for nature in the urban landscape.”
Stuart Pudney, Ecological Team Leader at Northumbrian Water, said: “We’re proud to be part of a partnership project that supports local biodiversity and brings nature closer to the heart of the city.
“It’s great to see the sand martin bird box in place, and it’s a brilliant example of how we can work together to enhance our urban environment for both people and wildlife.
“This project is just one of many we’ll be supporting as part of our special five-year scheme to support migratory birds like swifts, swallows and martins through the provision of nesting sites.”
The Wild Ouseburn project will host a public exhibition of sand martin ecology, migration and other features of this bird species at the BottleWorks in Ouseburn from 12 to 17 June 2025.
Free sand martin safari events will also run alongside this for people to watch and discover more about these birds.