Fairy Martins

[Michael Lenz <>]

Many thanks to all who have responded( via the chatline or directly to me) to my request for information on active or no longer active Fairy Martin (FM) colonies in our area this season

What had prompted my request was on the one hand the experience of seeing large numbers of FM breeding in areas well to the West of Canberra, and on the other hand learning that a couple of local colonies were no longer active.

While it is well possible that some of our local birds may have decided to breed inland rather than in our area this season, several reports indicate that FM have returned to known local colony sites and are nesting. The reports with  good news (active colonies, even a newly discovered one) and with bad news  (no birds at sites or nests destroyed) balanced each other out.  There is certainly no clear case to be made that many local FM had moved inland.

However, I would fully support the comment Mark Clayton made in response to my request: "This is a species that I have thought for a long time is in serious decline in the region and one that we need to keep records on."  

So, for this and coming breeding seasons, it would be good to record the fortunes or otherwise of any FM colony in COG's Area of Interest observers know of or discover. 

Michael Lenz