A few weeks ago, in early August, we visited the National Trust-owned Berrington Hall near Leominster in Herefordshire. This Georgian mansion is set in typical landscaped surroundings including gardens and lawns, a ha-ha, then acres of pasture with specimen trees and a lake. What struck me most on this visit (that was made at a time of year we hadn't visited before), was the flocking of house martins around the pediment of the house's main elevation. There were dozens. Many had clearly fixed their mud nests to the undersides of the architectural mouldings, and most had raised young which were now flying. I had never seen such a density of house martins before, and was particularly surprised to see an albino bird among the navy blue and white of the majority.
photo © T. Boughen Camera: Nikon D5300
