Swallow

[Monika]

Willow warbler and blackcap are back - heard them singing today! The sound of spring.

[Geoff]

Monika, do you know what "sings" like a telephone ringing?

[peter]

Starlings?

[Geoff]

I know what you mean Peter but I don't think so, their "impressions" are usually mixed up in all sorts of sounds. This is definitely something calling from the edge of the nearby woods, I'll have to go have a quiet sit down in the trees and see if I can locate it.

[Monika]

I would have said starlings, too, but I will ask my son tonight. He is a volunteer at RSPB Leighton Moss, an avid birdwatcher and seems so be able to identify ANY bird by sound (his hearing is 30 years younger than mine, too).

[Johnboy]

At last a solitary Swallow absolutely on cue as the average date is about the 12th on records over thirty years.
I saw two House Martins on the 10th and that is unusual to see them before a Swallow hereabouts. The Sand Martins have been down on the river meadow since the last week in March but they are always the first to appear.
JB.

[Monika]

I nearly forgot, Geoff: I asked me son about your 'telephone bird' and he wondered if it is a great tit. Could that be? Apparently, they, too, mimic other sounds and can sound like mobile phones.

[Geoff]

Well we certainly have loads of Great Tits. It hasn't been warm enough to sit outside for brews for a few days which is when we first noticed it. I thought it might be just us but when we had friends round last Saturday we were outside for a while and one said "is that your phone?" More investigation required!

[oldherbaceous]

Just heard the Cuckoo!

[Clive.]

Whilst out visiting a NGS open garden this afternoon I spotted a Spitfire, MJ627, fly by. ..

Clive.

[oldherbaceous]

I've heard told, they have some lovely markings, Clive.

[Clive.]

This one does...it has invasion stripes...same as wood pigeons ...

Swallows now up to 4 at work on Friday.

..and noisy Lapwings now reside in the back field at home here once more.

Clive.

[Johnboy]

Hi Clive,
After an absence of more than 10 years we have a small colony of Lapwings locally this year and their nesting area has been enclosed in an attempt to prevent predators upsetting them. There are around 50 pairs which is very very encouraging. We also have an increase of upland Curlews this year and I have observed 10 birds and hope that it is 5 pairs.
Last year we were down to one pair.
JB.

[Monika]

That's one of the great things about our allotment, particularly in spring: at the moment there are curlews, oystercatchers and lapwings nesting nearby and quite often their calls are the only sounds when working there. The young oystercatchers are very trusting and come right up the the dry stone wall between the field and our allotment.

[Johnboy]

It is now 7 full days since my Swallow appeared and he/she is still here alone. It sits in my back porch twittering to itself and I think that it's mates have turned up but no joy to date. I am worried because they are said to return to the same place each year and considering more than 50 young birds were fledged here last year I am wondering what has happened to them.
JB.