We’re over the moon to share that Newcastle’s very first artificial Sand Martin bank has now been installed at the mouth of the Ouseburn!
Thanks to the incredible support of the Ouseburn Sand Martin Aviva Community crowdfunder in late 2024, £7966 was raised by generous donors to install and maintain the Sand Martin bank, with additional an donation from Northumberland & Tyneside Bird Club.
Initially we had thought that the Sand Martins arrived to the Lower Ouseburn Valley in 2023 for their first urban nesting attempt in Newcastle, but it turns out there’s more to their story! We were sent a record from 1952 of Sand Martins nesting in pipes in the Ouseburn, along with reports that they nested in front of of The Tyne Bar in the old quay walls in the early 2000’s before the barrage was built.
In 2024, as part of Wild Ouseburn, we began monitoring the Sand Martin colony in the sandstone wall beneath The Free Trade Inn. At least 9 pairs were observed visiting the nesting holes, and we confirmed that they were breeding, with lots of young Sand Martins waiting at the entrances to be fed.
Due to our industrial heritage along the Tyne, natural sandy banks, which the Sand Martins usually nest in, have completely vanished – replaced by hard brick, concrete and sandstone walls. Due to this change, some colonies of Sand Martins have adapted to make use of what’s available to them, and can now be found nesting in cracks between concrete and drainage pipes, but these opportunities are also limited.
The sandstone wall in which the Ouseburn Sand Martins recently made their home has been part of the landscape since 1909, as part of Quayside improvement works. They nest within weep holes in the wall, which allow moisture to escape to protect the brickwork. In total, there are only 20 holes available for them to nest in this wall.
The installation of the new artificial bank will provide nesting chambers for up to an additional 48 pairs, allowing the Sand Martin colony to expand, protecting it into the future, and providing an opportunity for the people of Newcastle (and it’s visitors) to immerse themselves in this natural wonder.
The Sand Martin Bank was built and installed by Green Future Building Ltd in late March, just before the Sand Martins returned from their winter in sub-saharan Africa.
The project would not have been possible without the incredible support of those who donated to the crowdfunder, Northumberland & Tyneside Bird Club, and Northumbrian Water who provided invaluable support by granting permission to install the bank on their land and provided support throughout its installation.
Wild Ouseburn will host a public exhibition of Sand Martin ecology, migration and other stories of this fascinating species at the BottleWorks in Ouseburn between 12th – 17th June 2025. Free Sand Martin Safaris will also run alongside this for people to watch and discover more about this unique colony.
The Sand Martin bank is located at the mouth of the Ouseburn, across the road from The Tyne Bar. It is best viewed from Malmo Quay, so if you spot any Sand Martins investigating this new riverside-abode, let us know!
