Make mud for swallows!

In the news is a report that the warm, dry spring has meant that the birds are swallows and house martin's are struggling to find enough mud to make their nests. Indeed England and Wales have recorded the lowest rainfall in March and April since 1938 with the warmest spring in centuries. The water levels in some rivers are already being compared to those during the record drought of 1976. April was also the 11th driest month, with on average just half the usual rainfall. And in parts of south-east England, there was less than 10% of normal precipitation.

At last night's Parish AGM is was suggested I blog on this as we can all play our part - pouring buckets of water onto dried-out soil to make muddy patches for the swallows or better still filling seed trays with mud. See the RSPB's news release calling for mud makers here (photo of house martin pinched from their website).