swallows 2014

[Kidds]

Hundreds here. They've done ok this year and have been lining up on the wires for a few weeks.

 

[Sonoftheheir]

I've seen them about here, but not lots of them. I was quite surprised how many there was this morning.

 

[organic guy]

I've seen them about here, but not lots of them. I was quite surprised how many there was this morning.

They were grouping together here yesterday, lots of very young ones, which looked barely fit to fledge let alone make it to Africa.

 

[Av Gorritt]

We've had a good year too for them . Hope ours don't go just yet , their last brood is only just flying . Still, they must know best . I always wonder at them . We always get about 6 pairs , always redo their old nests, and generally breed well , so some must perish along the way . Part of the great natural order I suppose . I'm always pleased to see them and sad to see them go .

 

[Cowabunga]

I've got one special pair here that sit on the electrical cable outside the house. Car has been parked under it for two days and is now covered in swallow guano.

 

[rob1]

Been a good year here for them more returned than normal but others local have said they had fewer . Went in the wood store this wk and one nest still has chicks in that are still beginning to feather up. Normally here for another month yet, always sad and empty here when they go.

 

[ChrisB]

None of ours returned this year and haven't seen many around South Shropshire either. Blackbirds are still fledgling young, third brood? For some I think.

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

Good year for them here, but the ones who live in the garage that have had their 3 broods only have two in the last lot.
They have been flying around for the last couple of days.
Plenty of time for them yet, they don't usually leave here until late September or even October.

 

[llamedos]

1 pair only nested in the stables and the crow ate them, they started another nest, but left it, has been hundreds locally and in flocks over the fields, but they lined up last Thursday and have not seen a one since.
In fact now I have thought about it, despite being in the field the last 2 days, have hardly seen a bird at all, not even the flocks of gold finch and long tailed tits

 

[fingermouse]

Don't think we have had the numbers here as previous years , quite a lot of old nests not been used. Went to Mothers yesterday and She reckoned the finches in her garden are emptying the feeders at an alarming rate , maybe they know something we dont

 

[Cab-over Pete]

It's going to be an early and long winter. Dry and cold I reckon, drier and colder the better!

 

[Av Gorritt]

We've had an absolute plague of jackdaws this summer . They sunbathe on the roof of a building , and just swoop in like a cloud when hungry . I reckon they must eat nearly as much as a small bullock , and contaminate more . Gates and trough edges covered in muck . We had a raptor flyer around for a couple of weeks , and that frightened them off , but only for a very short time . What did put the fear of bejaysus into them was a concentrated spell of 12 bore treatment , kept up for a period . Only seen an odd one this last week , and good riddance too , but I think it'll need another concentrated dose when they forget . For the moment though -----!

 

[Kidds]

I have seen dozens of swallows today. It is like a summers day.

 

[Av Gorritt]

Our swallows went mid week . They were all lined up on the phone wires where I thought they were feeding the last batch of fledglings . Perhaps so , but they've all now gone , presumably to take their chance on the long flight to North Africa. Always sad to see them go . Oh and BTW the bloody jackdaws are back , not yet in full force - about 25 or so , but I'm sure that's only the advance guard . I think the rest will be around shortly . Need to get the shotgun out again .

 

[Cowcalf]

this week there has been a flock in the parks of about 500 peewits/plovers/lapwing which ever you call them, never seen so many together up here. Great to see them thriving

 

[North Coast]

The cold and wet aftermath of hurricane Bertha wiped out the second ? brood in their nests here. Too long a spell of bad weather and no flying insects for the parents to catch left them to starve. Nature can be so cruel! They all left here middle of last week, as said before sad to see them go.

 

[Pan mixer]

Our feed store nest has just fledged the final 3 they have produced 3 lots this year, 13 total, never seen that before.

 

[YorkshireAndrew]

Photographer friend took this last week .

 

[Princess Pooper]

We have at least 2 broods still on the nest and one that left the nest a couple of days ago. Never known them this late before, usually all gone by about 10th. Nearly all have gone but they did not seem to have mass gatherings before departing (we usually end up with 120+ on the wires). Cows still out and plenty of insects esp craneflies so they may well be OK here for another couple of weeks as long as they can get a decent flight back south to Africa.

 

[B&B Pig Man]

We have at least 2 broods still on the nest and one that left the nest a couple of days ago. Never known them this late before, usually all gone by about 10th. Nearly all have gone but they did not seem to have mass gatherings before departing (we usually end up with 120+ on the wires). Cows still out and plenty of insects esp craneflies so they may well be OK here for another couple of weeks as long as they can get a decent flight back south to Africa.

We've got some in the nest still too.
Lots and lots still flying about - I'd put it down to increased fly numbers due to being back in livestock.