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22nd of March last year down here in South Wales, I'm yet to see any yet this year, are they coming back?
Geese just went past here.
Swallows, Swifts and House Martins, none seen yet.
The swifts are all still here in Cyprus, shedloads of them
Think I saw some sand Martin's last week in Scottish borders. I remember thinking "hooray".
Along with the clocks going forward it has signified summer is on the way for me since being a child,
I still remember doing the regular Saturday morning road loop with the club one late March and after a desolate winter riding through the Vale and along the coast seeing a Swallow swooping over the pond opposite the Lamb and Flag in Wick gave me a massive inner grin.
Still waiting for the swifts here. And I’ll know, they’ll be nesting in the eaves again with any luck! Last year it was swallows That turned up first here in West Sussex.
Date is in my calendar from the past 20 years. I think around 13th April would be our earliest swallows which was in fact last year. I look forward to it every year. My faves, the Pied Wagtails, came back about 2-3 weeks ago, though I am not sure how far they go from here in Winter. And once the swallows arrive, the cuckoo is never far behind.
My faves, the Pied Wagtails, came back about 2-3 weeks ago, though I am not sure how far they go from here in Winter.
Plenty of winter residents here in Sussex, so perhaps not far at all.
Yeah, just been Googling them. Seems they are resident. Our rural upland population must go on a city break somewhere as they are definitively absent all winter 🙂
The swifts are all still here in Cyprus
Just managed to snap a couple:
There was a Cuckoo that nested behind my old house and woke me up at 6am every morning a few years back, lovely alarm clock. I reported it to the BTO at the time as they're starting to get quite rare in these parts.
Still seems early for them. I did wonder if some would have arrived with the southerlies we had last month when it was really warm and the Saharan dust was in the air.
The Pembroke swifts are definitely in decline; we used to have 20 or 30 belting around in high summer but there were only 5 last year.
@cb200 - those look suspiciously like swallows to me, not swifts. I always thought they usually migrate all the way south of the Sahara, but there are reports of a very few over-wintering in the south of England this year. Which means you could very well have them in the Med all winter.
Geese and curlews are back here as of about two weeks ago, they are later than last year though.
We had a largeish murmeration of swallows at Gronant Beach about a month ago.
Nowt yet, fire/goldcrest (won't sit still long enough for me to identify) nesting in the roses next to the front door though.
Saw my first Swallow yesterday, just the one - Stafford.
Saw first swallows yesterday in the Chilterns. Brightened the evening no end!
I was just thinking about this over the weekend. No sightings yet, but I reckon they'll probably have set off by now.
I can't wait for the eye-watering luminous greens of late May, early June.
😀
Passerines are my favourite type of bird too. Evolved to be perfect in the air, to the point of being useless elsewhere. No compromise evolution.
When on hols in Portugal a few years back we went to a nearby town for a day. My wife thought I was crazy when I spent ages watching the Alpine Swifts around the sandy cliffs. If you can't stop to watch the world's fastest bird (nearly) in level flight, what can you do?
Peregrines? Yes, super impressive, but it's just falling really!
😀
Martins are usually the first to arrive here in north Notts, typically around April 4th. Saw my first martins of the year today so maybe a few days late or maybe I just didn't spot them
We get loads here. None yet though.
Saw our first swallows today darting over the Arun near Amberley. Also spotted a Peregrine near an old quarry.
Sunny windy day out with the kids. Super day!
We get swallows on our street, usually on May Day, give or take a few days.
Loads of Curlews and Lapwings about.
Passerines are my favourite type of bird too. Evolved to be perfect in the air, to the point of being useless elsewhere. No compromise evolution
Sparrows are Passerines, pretty good anywhere. Over 50% of birds are Passerines.
My mate saw 2 Swallows over his house near Leyburn on Saturday.
Saw our first swallows today darting over the Arun near Amberley.
Had my eyes peeled at Chichester today - dunno why but felt like they could arrive any minute. You’re about 10 miles away so
I wasn’t far wrong!
@cb200 – those look suspiciously like swallows to me
Agree they’re swallows. Fast camera work to grab them!
Sparrows are Passerines, pretty good anywhere. Over 50% of birds are Passerines.
More fun bird facts for gardentiger: swifts are largely unrelated to swallows and martens. The latter are indeed passerines, as are sparrows. But swifts are apodiformes (had to look that up), not passerines. Also in the order of apodiformes are hummingbirds!
Well, I've been genuinely schooled here. Good knowledge STW.
We've seen swifts disappear from around us, sadly. They used to be a staple of mid to late evening in the summer, absolutely scorching through the sky after insects. Loads of swallows still, though.
Spotted Sand Martins on the River Lochy by Fort William about a week ago.
Just put up two swift nest boxes on our barn. Call system about to go in to try to attract them.
No swallows yet (Aberdeenshire).
@mikejd do you have any resources for the kit you’re using for that please? We had swifts check out our gable end a few years ago but they didn’t stay…I wonder if they would with some help?
We’ll see none for a few weeks yet. I was confused by the geese, lap wing and curlew spottings but that’s because they’re resident here.
We’ve seen swifts disappear from around us, sadly. They used to be a staple of mid to late evening in the summer, absolutely scorching through the sky after insects. Loads of swallows still, though.
Swifts are in massive decline. Use of insecticides & habitat loss mainly to blame. New houses aren't bird friendly in the least, although I heard that Barrat homes were using 'Swift bricks' in some of their builds.
It's not good is it.
Just seem a pair of house martins...Gower.
We have a local swift group in Huntly who sell the boxes and have loaned us the sound system. Unfortunately I don't know where they resource these from.
You could try https://www.swift-conservation.org/Local_Swift_Groups.htm
There might be a group local to you
So i saw my first Swifts (2) on Sunday, followed by my first Martins (4) on Monday - have seen a few more Swallows since, but they all seem very sparse still.
Are they more evident elsewhere?
Swallows are back on it gable end. They seem to like shitting on my cars rear quarter too for some reason.
We have small numbers of swifts most afternoon’s & evenings at the mo. (rural mid-Suffolk) Lovely they are too.
First swallow spotted about a week ago, first swifts seen yesterday.
Swallows or Swift's not sure which screaming around in Chichester these last few weeks. Love sitting in the garden and watching them smash around the sky.
If they're charging around the sky, screaming madly, it's swifts.
The storms we had a few weeks ago were slowing down the birds progress. Wind was blowing the poor things off course.
As mentioned, too many houses are renovated and repaired, meaning many birds now have loss of habitat (mentioned above). Many barns or out buildings now converted and these were the type of building that nests were built in.
We heard swifts screaming last night in the centre of Macclesfield, but worryingly these along with the curlew cry, are going to be rare sounds in the future.
We are part of nature, not in charge of it. We can change things, it's in our capability to change things and we must do this before it's too late.
Bit of a poor showing for our housemartins at work this year, only 2 nests so far, however I think some maybe nesting inside one of the roof spaces. When I started working there 3 years ago we had about 12 nests then gradually fewer each year since
Swifts are back in Hurstpierpoint, maybe not so many yet, but weather still quite cool. They've never taken to our swift box, may be that it faces the wrong way for their approach.
Cycling on Underhill Lane yesterday, a swallow came v low over my head and then dipped down and followed the surface of the road (10cm altitude?) for 20 meters and then upped and over the hedge. Great sight.
We have noticeably fewer insects these last few years, so food sources for swifts and swallows dwindling
You can get this CD to attract swifts to nesting boxes.....
www.amazon.co.uk/Vogelstimmen-Mauersegler-Gezielt-Ansied-Kaiser/dp/3935329407
Swifts are back at mine, which is good because the flies were getting to be a PITA. I find it times exactly with the arrival of the St Marks flies, which given they're only around for a week or so a damned fine act of timing on the Swift's part. St Marks day came later this year than I think it normally does, which would explain the lack of swifts too.
I saw my first Swallow back on 16th April.
I live in a rural village and usually have 2 or 3 House Martin's nests on our property. I've seen the House Martins and Swallows around but for the 2nd year running none looking to nest in our property. Which is a shame but I assume is due to the reported decline in numbers. Have heard a few Swifts about.
lots of swallows out over the neighboring field earlier when I was walking the dog.
then I stopped, about 10m in front of me a kestrel dropped and made a strike, grabbed what looked like a mouse and flew off.
wowsers.
lovewookie - I've got a feeling it was a 'Hobby' that you saw. They are a small bird of prey, similar to a kestral, but they don't hover. They are fantastic at catching birds in flight (usually Swifts, swallows and birds of the Martin family).
If it was a hobby, then good spot.
lovewookie – I’ve got a feeling it was a ‘Hobby’ that you saw.
just looked up hobbies, this was definitely a kestrel, that lovely light brown colouring.
we had one a couple of years ago that used to circle round and sit in our tree outside our house.
The Swallows are back nesting in the log store at one of properties I look after, been nesting there for at least 10 years. Its a low entrance and they seem come out at full speed , gave the new owners a bit of a shock 😲 😁
lovewookie - how lovely.
I was reading your post too quickly and thought the bird you saw had grabbed a swallow :O)
Noticed my first House Martin today, I'm out in the mornings and evenings with the dog so I'm surprised I hadn't seen one up until now.
So reviving this thread as have a swift box on order and wanted to ask the like-minded on STW what they'd do...
The box has a side entry to allow the swifts a decent approach across the garden ( https://peakboxes.co.uk/shop-1/swift-corner-box-double-lh). the previous box had an entrance that faced next door, with not enough room for an approach. That box has been used by starlings, and I noticed a starling going in this morning.
Ideally I want to hang the new box where the old one is, but the old one might be occupied with nesting starlings - i don't think they have a brood yet.
So question is should i risk disturbing starlings by hanging the new box just below the existing for this season, and relocate both in the autumn? I don't really want to waste a swift season and not hang it.
TIA
And while we're talking swifts - this is worth signing as well....
Petition Make swift bricks compulsory in new housing to help red-listed birds
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/626737
I'm sorry but 68 quid??
https://www.rspb.org.uk/our-work/rspb-news-original/news/stories/swift-box-page/
Done the petition
House martins in SW Scotland last weekend.
susepic - you can get lots of advice on sites such as the RSPB or wildlife trust. The swifts do indeed need a clear run in, also positioned to face North (check this advice as no one wants a fried chick in the summer heat). Please don't disturb the starlings, they are pairing up and building nests atm.
Today's ride past Ludworth moor near Rowarth, was full of birds. We spotted a Martin (probably a house martin), several lapwings, 3 Curlew, a buzzard and a few sky larks. Hoping to see a good flock of golden plover soon.
I’m sorry but 68 quid?
PK13 - I'm know, but that's GVFM when I think about my joinery skills and time commitments
Bunnyhop - Thinking about location I guess I could place it on a different wall, but access is more challenging, and above a path which might put them off. But both north facing walls so good from that perspective.
Rspb do sell them as well fella I made one last year so fingers crossed
Lots of sand martins busy at the end of the Llyn Peninsula yesterday.
They weren't here 2 weeks ago
susepic it sounds like the entrance hole on your first box maybe too large. The crucial dimension is height and off the top of my head I think it should be less than 30mm, the ones I do are 28mm by about 60mm wide. This should keep starlings out. It won't stop sparrows but the swifts will often throw sparrows out.
This is a good resource for swift based questions http://actionforswifts.blogspot.com/
First swallows sighted in south of France….
Saw my first ones yesterday on a walk near Barnard Castle.
Maybe they were testing their eyesight before moving on?
And while we’re talking swifts – this is worth signing as well….
Thanks for the link, I'd managed to miss that. Signed & shared.
Swallows and martins were racing around the coast of south Devon earlier this week but I haven't spotted any in Surrey yet...I don't blame them!
First swallow showed up this morning here in the Black Mountains
I was in Porlock Weir in Exmoor Thurs/Fri and there were a handful of swallows buzzing along the coast. And the woods were alive with chiffchaffs too.
Out for a walk around Biddestone during the afternoon (actually yesterday afternoon now), and I saw loads of buzzards, at least ten all circling around over a bunch of trees, actually over Nick Mason’s house, and there were various groups around all the time I was out. There was one kite around, and four or five skylarks singing away, but so far no swallows, and I haven’t heard any swifts about either.
Heard one chiffchaff, but no yellowhammers, and they’re often along the hedges bordering the footpath.
I want to put up several swift boxes under my front gutters, that’s north-facing which they prefer. Apparently painting the entrance black helps as well, better contrast so the birds can identify the entrance better.
Loads of skylarks up on the Ditchling beacon ridge this weekend, and woodpeckers giving it large in Stanmer Woods.
No swifts or shallows yet.
@lesshaste, yes the hole on our swift box is largish, but the aspect is wrong as swifts have no clear approach, hence going for a side entrance one this year.
Have used the Lewes swift page, they seem very active and have good info there too.
A lone martin swooped past us this morning in Doune.
Couple of house martins briefly in the Goyt Valley two days ago, and a swallow around one of the farms this morning
Two Swallows above Midgely in the Calder Valley on Sunday....
House Martin spotted above my garden yesterday, South Devon.
Several swallows in the rain at Yorkshire sculpture park yesterday. 👍
Yesterday one swallow only, but it's a start (The Peak District).
Swallows swimming the surface of the Kennet and Avon Canal Near Thatcham Berkshire.
Saw 3 housemartins or swallows ( I was driving and didn't get a good enough look for a species ID) over a field near the Aberdeenshire/Angus border a couple of weeks ago. Saw probably the same 3 birds flying over our back garden ( we live in Fettercairn) yesterday.
It seems way too early for them to be so far north, my theories are they got caught in a storm or overwintered eating flies in a cowshed?
First I've seen here just north of Cardiff yesterday (10th April)
Seen our first swifts up here in Angus at the weekend. We have sand quarries out the back and they were whizzing about like whizzy things. Also saw them at the local nature reserve loch when we were looking for the returned ospreys.