After temperatures in the high 20°s it was a relief to have a lack of sunshine for our walk along the river Otter.

We were on the lookout for sand martins, who are members of the Hirundinidae bird family which includes house martins and swallows - Hirundinidae comes from the French word for swallows Hirondelle.

Sand martins darted over our heads as we stood near Harpford Bridge. They were then joined by Swifts, who lived up to their name - making it very difficult for Mike and Edward to get clear shots.

Although Swifts look very similar to swallows they are not part of the Hirundinidae family. As we walked back we saw flights of House Martins flying down to a muddy patch - were they catching insects or collecting mud to repair their nests?

Jennifer