The house martins left and never said goodbye

[betternextyear]

I think we have had the best year for housemartins for decades in our part of North Shropshire ,has any body else noticed increasing numbers? I love their skillfull flying displays and their cheeky chatter and will miss them for the next 7 months

 

[Still Farming]

Swallows are just about going if it was'nt for this heatwave come in.

 

[A1an]

Both the Swallows and House Martins have been a poor show here this year.

 

[Muddyroads]

Very few here this year, sadly.

 

[upnortheast]

Although there appeared to be less than usual turned up in spring, they have a very good breeding season. Big numbers swoping about this last month

 

[Water Wheel]

Very few arrived in spring, but seemed to breed very well, plenty now.

 

[borderterribles]

I think we have had the best year for housemartins for decades in our part of North Shropshire ,has any body else noticed increasing numbers? I love their skillfull flying displays and their cheeky chatter and will miss them for the next 7 months

Yet, less than thirty miles away both House Martins and Swallows have been very scarce this Summer. At least you had some, to not say " goodbye"!

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

We started with very poor numbers but many arrived late and only had one hatch. The last ones have just fledged, so hopefully the weather will stay kind for them to get strong enough to make the long journey.
Insects numbers in the drought here are very low though.

 

[davieh3350]

Not had any on the house this year.

 

[PSQ]

Took a picture last Sunday of the last of the swallows getting ‘ready for the off’ (to use as a computer background when the days get miserably short). Also recorded the sound of the house-martins sitting on the pole (out of shot), sounded like they were having a ‘domestic’ over the route south... ?

 

[Hfd Cattle]

Ours have gone but they have been amazing to have around

 

[Bury the Trash]

35 or so Swallows departed sometime on Weds. / Thursday. its been an average to good year for them breeding here , despite only 3 or 4 or so pairs arriving in April.

What is interesting is that There are actually half a dozen or so still here, as one clutch / nest full that only fledged a few days ago, very late , the latest ones I can ever remember ..they didn't hatch until well into September....
They are going to have to mature bloomin quickly this coming week if they are to have any chance to survive the journey South , with weather being set unusually warm and hopefully a few more flies hanging around for awhile ….. so fingers crossed....hope it doesn't get to stormy in the next few weeks from here to Africa or where ever they go....

 

[Gone Shooting]

Always look forward to their chatter but wish they could sh!t on the lawn and not the house and cars

 

[yellow belly]

The swallows were late and less in number but have produced bigger numbers of young 2 or 3 clutches each pair

To day having lunch there were hundreds if not a thousand flying over my beans
Never seen so many

 

[Kidds]

They are still here and haven’t checked lately but expect there’s some still in the nest

Swallows that is.

 

[DaveB]

Don't see many here , but these came and stayed for a couple of days back in 2012, before moving on. Never seen before or since.

 

[badger nadgers]

Probably happy hour again.

 

[Renaultman]

Probably happy hour again.

First thing I thought when I read the title too.

 

[Yale]

There were hundreds of either swallows or house martins on the wires here this morning.

Looks like they are gathering in earnest to leave.

 

[Whitby.2008]

House Martin’s still here, (North Yorkshire moors) odd nests under the eves with young in still