Photo was taken at Rosscarbery, West Cork (Irl)

These are two young House Martins. Adults build nests on houses and other buildings. Their nests are small and round, made of mud and built under eaves, overhangs and on cliffs or in cave entrances. Females lay two broods a year, with incubation for each lasting two weeks and the chicks fledging after a further 20 days. Nests are repaired and reused each year. The adults will be migrating next month to sub-Saharan Africa for the winter.

Thought on Monday – September – 19/09/2011

‘The secret of a good sermon is to have a good beginning and a good ending, then having the two as close together as possible!’ ~George F.Burns

There is a story about a preacher who was determined to get across a message about the dangers of alcohol, smoking and over indulgence. So the preacher in question carried four jars and four worms onto the pulpit. The congregation watched as he placed the worms in four separate jars. The first was in a solution of alcohol, the second was in a jar filled with cigarette smoke, the third was in a jar of chocolate syrup and the fourth was in a jar filled with clean soil. By the end of the sermon, he reported that all the worms were dead apart from the one in the clean soil. “What does this teach us?” he challenged the congregation. An old man put his hand up: “As long as you drink, smoke and eat chocolate, you won’t have worms!”