Hi Chrissy,
I too celebrate their return as great heralds of the season to come.
As I suspected, this morning they have gone. I said my farewells yesterday with a request to come and brighten my life up next year.
If anybody had witnessed me talking to about 60 birds sitting on the power wires above I rather feel that the men in white coats would soon be with me.
I raise my mug of tea to them, "God speed and a safe return."
JB.
Swallows
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I know exactly what you mean Johnboy.Ours were here over the weekend. Tuesday - I thought they'd gone but no - one flew in over our heads into the pigsties, but tonight there's no calling or swallows flying so they must have gone. It seems that there's nothing in between us and winter now.
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Geoff
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Ours nest in the garage and when they first fly they can't tell the difference between the garage and the kitchen then a few weeks later they find Africa! I wonder if these will be back next year?
Hi Geoff,
Thank you for posting the really super picture.
Aren't they just wonderful!
I, like you, often wonder the same thing because last year the last lot fledged and they were about for a few hours but were gone before dusk. That means they really learned to fly on their long journey.
The earliest I have seen Swallows in UK is 9th February over Chew Valley Reservoir in Somerset and on the way home I got caught in a blizzard and till my dying day I will always wonder if they survived that day.
JB.
Thank you for posting the really super picture.
Aren't they just wonderful!
I, like you, often wonder the same thing because last year the last lot fledged and they were about for a few hours but were gone before dusk. That means they really learned to fly on their long journey.
The earliest I have seen Swallows in UK is 9th February over Chew Valley Reservoir in Somerset and on the way home I got caught in a blizzard and till my dying day I will always wonder if they survived that day.
JB.
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Geoff
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Not sure if I've posted this question before.
If swallows do return to their place of birth why don't they suffer from inbreeding and genetic deterioration?
Perhaps they pick up a mate in African and invite them back to their place.
If swallows do return to their place of birth why don't they suffer from inbreeding and genetic deterioration?
Perhaps they pick up a mate in African and invite them back to their place.
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Jenny Green
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We're getting regular 'V's of geese migrating over the house now. Makes me a bit sad.
It's funny, I used to always like autumn - the lovely colours, the soft, rainy days. Now it makes me melancholy. DH says it's because I'm in the autumn years myself.
It's funny, I used to always like autumn - the lovely colours, the soft, rainy days. Now it makes me melancholy. DH says it's because I'm in the autumn years myself.
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Jenny Green
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I know! But he's a year younger than me and a cheeky s*d!
http://blx1.bto.org/bt-dailyresults/res ... 20-06.html
Received this today in email from BTO Birdtrack.
I.
Received this today in email from BTO Birdtrack.
I.
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Geoff
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All our Swallows had gone some time ago but yesterday while having an afternoon brew we saw several straggly groups of 10 or 12 fly past. Not as a flock, well spread out and obviously feeding but generally moving North to South. I guess we saw 50 in half an hour.
I don't record the last sighting of the year, difficult to do like following navigation instructions that say last road on the left, but here are some first sightings / hearings :
........Swallow Cuckoo
2006......9/4....27/4
2005....10/4......9/5
2004....22/4......9/5
2003....17/4....30/4
2002......3/4.....3/5
2001....16/4....29/4
2000....19/4....23/4
I don't record the last sighting of the year, difficult to do like following navigation instructions that say last road on the left, but here are some first sightings / hearings :
........Swallow Cuckoo
2006......9/4....27/4
2005....10/4......9/5
2004....22/4......9/5
2003....17/4....30/4
2002......3/4.....3/5
2001....16/4....29/4
2000....19/4....23/4
Hi Geoff,
We too have had a flow of Swallows over flying us and as you say not in a flock but a constant one or two every few minutes.
The birds of the day have been the Skylarks and they have been going over in small flocks of about 20 and I guess probably two flocks to the hour.
The Jays have come out of the forest and they have been in evidence most of the day.
Being October it will not be long before the Redwing are in closely followed by the Fieldfares.
I leave any fallen apples on the floor for the Fieldfares otherwise they have my Coxes and Bramleys off the tree but if you leave sufficient lying on the ground they prefer those to those still on the trees.
JB.
We too have had a flow of Swallows over flying us and as you say not in a flock but a constant one or two every few minutes.
The birds of the day have been the Skylarks and they have been going over in small flocks of about 20 and I guess probably two flocks to the hour.
The Jays have come out of the forest and they have been in evidence most of the day.
Being October it will not be long before the Redwing are in closely followed by the Fieldfares.
I leave any fallen apples on the floor for the Fieldfares otherwise they have my Coxes and Bramleys off the tree but if you leave sufficient lying on the ground they prefer those to those still on the trees.
JB.
When we moved in there were lots of empty barns, lots of owls, lots of swallows and housemartins. Now the last few barns are being converted to "desirable residences" we have lost almost all such wildlife. The people who say thay want to live in the country are destroying the very things that made the country what it was. It doesn't help either when the use their 4x4 Chelsea tractors heading for the nearest Tesco to buy imported vegetables at half the economic price to produce them They then get on their ride-on mowers and get busy converting the verges outside from wildflower sanctuary to lawn.
Allan
Allan
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Geoff
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I suppose I should rise to the bait as I live in the barn I converted 21 years ago.
We did most of the work in the Spring and when the Swallows returned we redesigned the garage to have a permanent opening and they have nested there every year since. We never found any evidence of bats or owls so didn't make any provision for them. My builder is a member of RSPB and monitors populations where he lives for them so was as concerned as us. The land was rough pasture and now carries a large number of trees and shrubbery areas. We feed the birds all year and have a large population of small birds that I doubt were there before. I think our species count for the garden is about two dozen. We do ride on mow some grass and strim some more but with rough areas and nectar producing flowers and shrubs we also have a large butterfly population. We have stick stacks that keep up a healthy hedgehog population. etc etc. I am sure local nature is in a better state with us than it was without us. I live in the country and work at a factory only 5 miles away. Allan, don't tar us all with the same brush - have you tried educating your neighbours instead of criticising them?
We did most of the work in the Spring and when the Swallows returned we redesigned the garage to have a permanent opening and they have nested there every year since. We never found any evidence of bats or owls so didn't make any provision for them. My builder is a member of RSPB and monitors populations where he lives for them so was as concerned as us. The land was rough pasture and now carries a large number of trees and shrubbery areas. We feed the birds all year and have a large population of small birds that I doubt were there before. I think our species count for the garden is about two dozen. We do ride on mow some grass and strim some more but with rough areas and nectar producing flowers and shrubs we also have a large butterfly population. We have stick stacks that keep up a healthy hedgehog population. etc etc. I am sure local nature is in a better state with us than it was without us. I live in the country and work at a factory only 5 miles away. Allan, don't tar us all with the same brush - have you tried educating your neighbours instead of criticising them?