Swallows 2018

[Princess Pooper]

Glad to hear you are keeping the muddy puddle - we used to assume that as we are close to a rural river the lack of mud was not an issue but then realised that when we did get a bit of rain they were in the puddles immediately. Also pleased to hear of the house martins, we never get them. Swallows down a little here - we normally have about 12 nest sites, I think 9 this year, but lots of broods being raised. Seems a bumper year for flies so plenty of food for them. Cleaning out calf boxes yesterday and getting shouted at and dive bombed by a brood just off the nest.

 

[renewablejohn]

Feel sorry for our swallows. With all the silage land around us going brown it seems all the swallows and swifts in the district are using our land.

 

[Old Spot]

Our swallows turned up late 21/04 built their nests and disappeared three weeks ago I think without even bringing anything off. It is very depressing to have a summer with no swallows.
We farm below the 30ft contour have a canal and farm ponds with water.
We mob graze cattle over herbal leys some of which is still over 3ft tall.
So a bit of a mystery maybe they thought they were still in Africa and headed north.

 

[Landy Nick]

A few swallows and house martin's here, as we do every year. What we do get a lot of is Swifts.
Have no idea where they nest, although at this time of the year the Swifts with their young can been seen and heard overhead. Literally in there hundreds at times. Such an amazing bird.

 

[glow worm]

Although very few swallows compared to normal, we feel lucky compared to other farms locally who have had none at all. It looks as though our three pairs are nesting again, prompting a query from OH .. what do the young from the first brood do now whilst the parents are nesting again? Something I have never thought to ask before. I just love seeing 5 young sitting in a row at the back of the parlour watching us milk! I am convinced that my puddle that I keep filling up has kept the house martins with us this year and some evenings, when they and the few swallows all club together and are zipping around, you could almost think it was a 'normal' summer!

 

[primmiemoo]

Saw two housemartins zooming around here within the last half hour. It's very unusual to see them ~ the nearest nesting birds I know of are a good 7 miles away in the middle of a bustling village.

Still only two swallows around the buildings, and I'm not sure they've had any successful young. There's a small flock (a dozen maximum) that gather over the most densely stocked field on the holding for part of most days, so I don't feel as deprived of their chatter as I might.

I've been keeping ears peeled to hear swifts. It's from around now that they flock above the place far, far too high to be seen ~ presumably hunting for insect plumes above the livestock.

The spring fed trough in the main yard has been set to overflow for weeks now. Several birds, from house sparrows to collared doves drinking from it. Saw the sparrowhawk the other evening, so she's well aware of it, too.

 

[two-cylinder]

We have at least as many swallows as normal.

 

[glow worm]

We've been sort of concentrating on the lack of swallows but has anyone noticed that there is also a decrease in other summer migrants as well? we started off ok with early Chiffchaffs but for at least a month now, we have had a noticeable lack of Chiffchaff, willow Warbler, Blackcap and Garden Warbler. As for Spotted Flycatcher. Used to have loads but none at all now for years. Haven't heard a cuckoo either for years. Glad to see that our Robin population has recovered and also that the nuthatches have returned, having been absent for about 3 years.. Ours fared very badly last winter. Treecreepers appear to have vanished altogether. However, that endangered species !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! House Sparrows are THRIVING and usually totally drown out any dawn chorus!

 

[primmiemoo]

Afaik, there have always been house sparrows here. I love hearing the minutiae of their lives. The population does fluctuate, though, according to how much mature ivy there is around the place on buildings and trees. Where are they considered to be rare?

Chiffchaffs sound around the normal number, and earlier, practically every willow seemed to have a willow warbler singing from it. I've noticed they're singing later in the day when it's a little cooler, I guess.

The grasshopper warblers were about a fortnight late. I heard two this afternoon, and attempted to get close enough to see one, but they throw their voices so well it's very difficult to find them.

I've seen a pair of nuthatches just after dawn on what appears to be a regular route for them.
Robins are aplenty. They declared a widespread truce in the freezing weather ~ I've never seen so many in the lambing sheds and in with the bullocks.
The wren population is, I feel, even higher than usual.

Two cuckoos heard this spring, but I haven't heard a female or a youngster. State endorsed obliteration of a chunk of their traditional habitat means they haven't bred in the immediate locality for nigh on 20 years. This year's birds were off to a large area of moorland some miles further on. At least they do arrive.

Yet to see a spotted flycatcher irl, and really must learn to identify more birds. Treecreepers, f'rinstance.

 

[Campbell]

A nest of Swallows on a roof beam have just left home all intact, had to work round them a bit while doing some building work. They seem to come back at night to roost.

 

[WillH]

decline is in more urban areas for house sparrows I think but saying that where we live in my parents childhood there were swallows and sparrows nesting here now we've neither but 2mins up the road there is a farm and they're still there and further up all around as that's where all the farms are dotted around. Both sparrow species are still present in the hedges round that area. Population musn't be growing enough for it to expand out towards us because there is lots of ideal habitat for all small birds.

As builders dad has come across so many sparrow nests over the years but there hasn't been any present it is usually when doing repairs so any future bird won't have anywhere to nest as all the holes have gone old farmer who rents a house off us said in his old spot the landlady used to grease the walls to stop house martins nesting can't believe it. There is a pub up the road and they nest on that only local ones I know of but clearly there are other sites.

Personally I think there needs to be a big push towards new builds requiring nesting sites to be built in

House above us has had starling nesting the past two years which is an improvement. I've got a couple of swift boxes up and try attract them with a cd playing their calls but no interest don't even fly down to investigate

We've an old 17th century cruk barn in the middle of a local village and all the holes in the walls are used by house sparrow and the bigger ones by starling so they've a solid place to live there have put a number of sparrow boxes up as well just in case nesting space was limiting the numbers although all I seem to have done is provide perches for the white doves who nest in the big holes. will put some swift boxes up here as they regularly fly low round here and I've seen them flying right up to the barn walls looking.

We built some house in the land joining on to it perfect for some swift boxes under the guttering might be

Nuthatches seem to have become an infrequent visitor to the garden now but had a pair of treecreeper regular in a patch of trees also had pair of blackcap in same trees not seen for a while though few years since Blackcaps were in garden

Can't say as I've heard many Chiffchaff either but last year was loads about

Heard grasshopper warbler on a walk few days ago but it wasn't in the immediate area did have one in an abandoned field that borders us a couple of year ago

Not heard a Cuckoo here for a couple of years

I've seen Barn Owl in three different places locally this year up to that never seen or heard any I am only 27 though. One was flying over a road between fields the other was in a field somebody turned into a wild area and put up loads of owl boxes the other was bit of land yorkshire wildlife trust own they repaired the owl boxes this year funnily enough also Skylark on that site too

Is a site about 20minutes away that has breeding flycatchers only spot I know of

Had Hobby in a wood just up the road earlier in the year for a couple of week then seemed to disappear it is usually September when I see/hear them

Partridge with chicks crossed the road ahead of me yesterday I slowed down there was one lagging behind made it across lucky as freelander came round bend just after and would have flattened them

Had three SongThrush fledgling dead this year which is disappointing suspect Magpie for at least two of them third might have flown into window but I have seen parent getting worms again so hopefully another brood will be more successful.

Oh and there are a number of cats round here prowling around hate them kill everything birds insects amphibians mammals dogs don't seem to deter them too old to catch them or give a good chase now

 

[glow worm]

decline is in more urban areas for house sparrows I think but saying that where we live in my parents childhood there were swallows and sparrows nesting here now we've neither but 2mins up the road there is a farm and they're still there and further up all around as that's where all the farms are dotted around. Both sparrow species are still present in the hedges round that area. Population musn't be growing enough for it to expand out towards us because there is lots of ideal habitat for all small birds.

As builders dad has come across so many sparrow nests over the years but there hasn't been any present it is usually when doing repairs so any future bird won't have anywhere to nest as all the holes have gone old farmer who rents a house off us said in his old spot the landlady used to grease the walls to stop house martins nesting can't believe it. There is a pub up the road and they nest on that only local ones I know of but clearly there are other sites.

Personally I think there needs to be a big push towards new builds requiring nesting sites to be built in

House above us has had starling nesting the past two years which is an improvement. I've got a couple of swift boxes up and try attract them with a cd playing their calls but no interest don't even fly down to investigate

We've an old 17th century cruk barn in the middle of a local village and all the holes in the walls are used by house sparrow and the bigger ones by starling so they've a solid place to live there have put a number of sparrow boxes up as well just in case nesting space was limiting the numbers although all I seem to have done is provide perches for the white doves who nest in the big holes. will put some swift boxes up here as they regularly fly low round here and I've seen them flying right up to the barn walls looking.

We built some house in the land joining on to it perfect for some swift boxes under the guttering might be

Nuthatches seem to have become an infrequent visitor to the garden now but had a pair of treecreeper regular in a patch of trees also had pair of blackcap in same trees not seen for a while though few years since Blackcaps were in garden

Can't say as I've heard many Chiffchaff either but last year was loads about

Heard grasshopper warbler on a walk few days ago but it wasn't in the immediate area did have one in an abandoned field that borders us a couple of year ago

Not heard a Cuckoo here for a couple of years

I've seen Barn Owl in three different places locally this year up to that never seen or heard any I am only 27 though. One was flying over a road between fields the other was in a field somebody turned into a wild area and put up loads of owl boxes the other was bit of land yorkshire wildlife trust own they repaired the owl boxes this year funnily enough also Skylark on that site too

Is a site about 20minutes away that has breeding flycatchers only spot I know of

Had Hobby in a wood just up the road earlier in the year for a couple of week then seemed to disappear it is usually September when I see/hear them

Partridge with chicks crossed the road ahead of me yesterday I slowed down there was one lagging behind made it across lucky as freelander came round bend just after and would have flattened them

Had three SongThrush fledgling dead this year which is disappointing suspect Magpie for at least two of them third might have flown into window but I have seen parent getting worms again so hopefully another brood will be more successful.

Oh and there are a number of cats round here prowling around hate them kill everything birds insects amphibians mammals dogs don't seem to deter them too old to catch them or give a good chase now

Very interesting. Never heard of walls being greased to deter Sparrows. Sparrow here have started using nestboxes that were intended for Tits etc and not just on the buildings but some distance away in trees. They are very abusive to other birds and will readily take over a nest / box already earmarked for use by another species. I think the only reason they did not steal our House Martins nests this year is because of my puddle as they seem to do running repairs on the nest all the time and I think that deters the sparrows. As for providing starlings with nestboxes!! Sorry! Not for us! They are a PAIN and an expensive pain at that, eating huge amounts of feed out of the cows diet, introducing disease, plastering everything with their droppings and stopping me from hanging out any laundry for months at a time. Some people may admire them for their glossy plumage and sheer tenacity but we spend a lot of time and effort trying to block up all the entrances and keep them out of the buildings. Before I became a dairy farmers wife and had time to do things other than farming! i used to do a lot of birdwatching and some 'twitchers' used to play recordings of birdsong in order to attract certain species closer so that they could see or record them, especially if there was a rare sighting in the area. This was very much frowned on as the recording is always louder and stronger than the live bird, is seen as a threat and generally makes the bird move on, away from the threat, which is probably why your recordings have not had your desired effect.

 

[Av Gorritt]

We have a stone trough in the yard as overflow for the supply well . This is well patronised by all and sundry , collared doves , wood pigeons , feral homers , VERY few sparrows and used to have big flocks of them , no starlings , but an absolute crash of jackdaws and magpies , and visiting Canada geese ( PIA) just enough pheasants to be comfortable , used to have partridge but none now , no skylarks either , and I really miss their soaring song on summer nights . Blackbirds , robins and wrens OK , We had an owl that came in through a broken window and roosted in the workshop , never seemed to worry it hammering or banging or even a limited amount of welding . A few less swallows this year , but what we have seem to have prospered , rearing certainly a second , and possibly a third brood . quite a nice lot of pied wagtails , and a very nice flock of goldfinches that drink and bathe in a shallow depression in a small stream at the edge of the yard . Spotted woodpeckers too in the wood , and I did hear a cuckoo earlier - the first for a long time . We used to have a few curlew up on the moor , but I should think the fires have put paid to them ., grouse as well I shouldn't wonder , but unless I get "mechanised " I can't get up there any more ! Just as a point of interest "our" skylarks were very highly prized as competitors in the bird singing contests that they used to have in the pub's "top rooms" on Sunday mornings many years back . They used to take the birds in a small cage , covered in black cloth , and when the judges and timekeepers gave the signal , the cloth was whipped off , and hopefully the birds started to sing . The longest lasting song was the winner ! A golf club has that particular piece of ground now , and with the constant fairway mowing and golfing traffic , the larks haven't a chance . On the subject of jackdaws , I bought a cd and a spare cd player with corvid distress calls , and put that on a staggered loop playing . Did it work ? No chance , in fact I think it encouraged them . We also tried a "fake " raptor on the roof of one of the cattle buildings - neither did that , nor strings of shiny cd s hanging in the doorways , gave it up as a bad job in the end .

 

[Danllan]

A few swallows and house martin's here, as we do every year. What we do get a lot of is Swifts...

Have only seen one swift here this year whereas in Herts, when I was a boy, the noise made by a 'swift storm' overhead could be deafening. Lots of swallows here this year, I think numbers are up from last year.

 

[Surgery]

Everyone keep a few puddles around your yard so they have water for nests drinking

 

[Sonoftheheir]

100’s of them swooping over our neighbours beans!

 

[Landy Nick]

Just looked up at the eves only half an hour ago. House martins feeding another fresh of youngsters

 

[glow worm]

100’s of them swooping over our neighbours beans!

That's both great and sad! I've seen the autumn lines already gathered on the wires. They have been such a pleasure this year, and so few, it will be hard to see them go and the ****** starlings come in!!

 

[Lazy Sod]

The pair of swallows that nested in our stable block have successfully reared and flown broods of 4 and 3 youngsters. The second brood originally consisted of 4 chicks, but unfortunately one fell from the nest when small. Our pair of artificial house martin nests have yielded 2 broods each, but of course, we can never know how many chicks there were.

In my previous post ,#119 page 6, I showed a photo of the swift box that we put up some years ago, but it has never been used by swifts. It has always been of interest to house martins, as the picture shows, but this year a brood is being reared in it. The parents are still feeding. Earlier this summer, as in previous years, the box has been used by house sparrows.

Compared to a house martin nest, the swift box is huge, but that has not put them off. I imagine that the accumulation of sparrow nesting materials has reduced the capacity somewhat.

 

[Princess Pooper]

No room at the inn here.... but next door neighbours have already moved on.