In previous years we have seen Swallows, Swifts and Martins visit the cliff top but this year we have mainly seen Martins – House Martins we think as they seem to have black feathers rather than brown – with a sighting of three Swallows on June 28th
They all like to swoop over the manure heaps and the path crossroads where the Cleveland Way heads off north, and the Swallows like to perch on the telegraph wires near the miner sculpture.
Please keep a look out for these beautiful birds and see if you can tell them apart. Then drop us a line at hello@cowbarnature.co.uk and tell us what you saw.
Key features:
Swallow – long, forked tail, pale underside, dark looking throat and face
Swifts – screaming call, all dark underside and proportionally longer wings
House Martins – glossy black above, completely white below
Sand Martins – all brown upper parts and dark band across the breast separating white throat from white belly