The Sand Martin – Riparia riparia is such a lovely delicate little bird that I am always so pleased to see at home on the River Exe and close to my home.  When I saw this species (above) I thought it actually was a  Sand Martin because you do get them here this far south in Africa. But in actual fact it is a very closely related species, the Brown-fronted Martin.  This is a bird that breeds here in South Africa and is only a partial migrant whereas the Sand Martin is a migrant in the UK and spends the winter months in the African summer.  Here is a photograph of a Sand Martin that I took on the River Exe in the UK.