Housemartins

[waning10]

Hopefully someone can cast some light on this. Last year I had some housemartins raise 5 babies in an old starling nest in my loft. They returned this year and laid 5 eggs. The other day I saw some egg shells on my patio immediately below the nest and on closer inspection found 5 baby birds too, all dead of course.
There are two adults still visiting the nest and carrying on as normal. However a couple of weeks ago I found a dead adult at the front of my property and someone has suggested that perhaps one of the pair died and the new partner has ousted the young.
Any ideas ???

[Ladywell]

Reaaly don't the answer but we have a swallow nest in a passage near to our kitchen door. When the babies were only 2/3 days old, next door's cat killed one of the adults. I was really worried if the chicks would survive but the lone parent carried on feeding them (there were 4). They have now fledged and come back each night to roost on the washing line in the passage. I think the urge to feed when they have babies is very strong. I do hope someone comes along with an answer for you.