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AssetID: 32126359

Headline: Sand Martin Birds 'Pose' For Camera

Caption: These stunning images show sand martin birds seemingly posing for a camera in Yorkshire. Amateur photographer Paul Steele managed to capture the amazing spectacle in July by setting up his tiny GoPro camera by the River Ouse. Paul, also know as The Bald Hiker, explains: "The sand martin shots were in the moment. I was walking the dog along the riverside and saw the flock of sand martins swooping in and out from their nests in the bank. I am never without a camera of any sort even if just a smartphone. But that day I had the very adaptable GoPro in my pocket. I simply placed it where they were all flying near, without disturbing any nests, and with the ability to snap the photos remotely via the app began to shoot. I took hundreds of pics just to get these. Patience gets results. "People often think of the Swallows arriving being a sign of Spring, but their smaller cousins, the Sand Martins tend to arrive first. All the swallows and martins come from the same group of birds more technically known as hirundines. Sand Martins can be found by Rivers all over the UK and hard to miss when you see them, flying around in huge flocks of maybe 200 or so, over the water, making their nests in the river banks. If you see lots of holes (burrows) together in and along the side of sandy river banks, I can bet the sand martins have made their homes there. "I set up the GoPro to see if I could get some images of the birds in action. And it worked. In they came by the load seemingly to get a good look at the camera. Sand Martins are known to get very gregarious in their group, not as elegant as swallows to be honest but a spectacle to behold. On a sunny day by the river it is fascinating to watch them coming and going, catching insects and coming back and forth to their sandy tunnels. "They are busy on our riverbanks breeding, the frenzy is to raise their chicks that are safe within the holes on the river bank. Those tunnels range from half a metre to a metre in depth to keep the little ones safe. Normally laying approximately 5 eggs, incubating for 2 weeks until hatching, raising chicks for another 3 weeks then the youngsters are off. This can be repeated a second time in the season for a pair of Sand Martins. "At the end of August and early September they will leave our shores heading over to Africa, south of the Sahara where warmth and water is abundant creating a haven for feasting on insects. In the meantime I will enjoy the rest of the time they are in UK, joining me on parts of my dog walks then look forward to them showing me the next Spring is coming."

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