Swallow and House Martin in Porthmadog, Wales

I have just spent a lovely week in Porthmadog, Wales, and now I know the difference between a Swallow and a House Martin as I managed to photograph both.

This beautiful Swallow, with a beak full of insects for its young, was perching on a metal railing at the edge of the estuary.  It was just below the balcony of the house where I was staying.

On another day, I went for a walk round the harbour and saw a House Martin on the wet sand.  It had a beak full of sand and was, presumably, gathering this in order to patch up its nest.