July 21, 2026

Newcastle’s first sand martin nest bank celebrates successful fledging

Five young sand martins have successfully fledged from a specially designed nest bank in the heart of Newcastle, marking an exciting milestone for urban wildlife along the Ouse Burn.

The nest bank was installed last year by Northumbrian Water and Wild Intrigue, as part of the Wild Ouseburn initiative. It was funded through community crowdfunding and support from Northumberland & Tyneside Bird Club, after sand martins were first spotted in the area in 2023.

Following observations from other urban colonies, small improvements were made to the nesting chambers before the birds returned in spring. Soon afterwards, the first pair took up residence and raised five chicks.

The young birds have now been ringed by a licensed expert from Northumbria Ringing Group. This will help researchers learn more about the species as they make their remarkable 4,000km migration between the North East and Africa each year.

Ian Cole, Conservationist at Northumbrian Water, said the team was “absolutely delighted” to welcome the first chicks to the nesting bank, describing the project as a strong example of organisations, communities and wildlife experts working together to help nature thrive.

Cain Scrimgeour, Co-Director of Wild Intrigue, said the Ouseburn Sand Martin colony is now “a new wild spectacle right in the heart of the city”, with birds also seen feeding over the City Stadium Wildflower Meadows.

The nest bank will continue to be monitored and maintained through Wild Ouseburn. It also forms part of Northumbrian Water’s five-year migratory birds programme, which is creating new nesting opportunities for swifts, swallows and sand martins across the region.

Find out more about Wild Ouseburn, which is supported by the Reece Foundation’s Ouse Burn Way fund