This July, I became mum to three orphaned house martins after their nest tumbled off a rooftop. Ruby holding the house martins in the palm of her handThe first time I saw them, they looked impossibly small, huddled together in a state of confusion. They had no business being alone - house martins belong in bustling colonies, surrounded by the constant chatter of their own kind. Maybe it’s because house martins had taken up so much space in my thoughts, but suddenly they seemed to be everywhere. While I slept, all three house martins had unanimously decided that the hollow beneath my chin was the perfect snuggle spot.