Swallows and Swifts

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reohn2
Posts: 45158
Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

Swallows and Swifts

Post by reohn2 »

Precious few sightings of Swallows this year and I still haven't seen a single Swift what are other people's sightings?
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"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
Jdsk
Posts: 24635
Joined: 5 Mar 2019, 5:42pm

Re: Swallows and Swifts

Post by Jdsk »

Same in south Oxfordshire.

Article from 30 April saying that swallows and martins were very late:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... ens-future

Jonathan

PS: Alpine swifts in the UK:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... ate-crisis
Pendodave
Posts: 531
Joined: 3 Jun 2020, 8:27am

Re: Swallows and Swifts

Post by Pendodave »

We have had our swifts in Hertfordshire for at least 2 weeks now. A wonderful sight above the town on a summer's evening.
reohn2
Posts: 45158
Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

Re: Swallows and Swifts

Post by reohn2 »

Yes Swallows are usually here the first week in April but due to the cold sand late Spring were two weeks late,my first sighting this year was 18th April ,my first sighting of Martins was a week before.
As for Swifts I've yet to see one.
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"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
sjs
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Joined: 24 Jan 2010, 10:08pm
Location: Hitchin

Re: Swallows and Swifts

Post by sjs »

Here in North Hertfordshire just a few swifts. Nothing like the screaming flocks we used to admire (even in quite recent years) in the evenings.
Pebble
Posts: 1934
Joined: 7 Jun 2020, 11:59pm

Re: Swallows and Swifts

Post by Pebble »

Swifts arrived here 4th May it is usually the 5th (seriously in the last 10 years they have arrived on the 5th on 7 occasions) But sadly numbers are low

Swallows, very poor numbers so far this year, worryingly low.
Here is my arrival dates, up to 2019 it was the date they were seen at home, they always nested in the garage, since then it is the date I have seen them out on the bike. Very sadly they seem to have stopped using our garage, (we had a year when 4 nests produced 25 little ones)
Image

Sand Martins seem in reasonable numbers, arrived early march. But not seen a House Martin yet, although they are alwys the last to arrive for us. They also used to nest on the house, but they stopped doing so in 2013
peetee
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Re: Swallows and Swifts

Post by peetee »

Pebble wrote: 4 Jun 2023, 10:16am
Sand Martins seem in reasonable numbers, arrived early march. But not seen a House Martin yet, although they are alwys the last to arrive for us. They also used to nest on the house, but they stopped doing so in 2013
Yes, saw Sand Martins on the river Wharfe and House Martins in Nidderdale a couple of weeks ago.
The older I get the more I’m inclined to act my shoe size, not my age.
rjb
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Location: Somerset (originally 60/70's Plymouth)

Re: Swallows and Swifts

Post by rjb »

We seen swallows for about 4 weeks down here on the Somerset levels. Mrs RJB says she's heard Swifts in the last few days too.
At the last count:- Peugeot 531 pro, Dawes Discovery Tandem, Dawes Kingpin X3, Raleigh 20 stowaway, 1965 Moulton deluxe, Falcon K2 MTB dropped bar tourer, Rudge Bi frame folder, Longstaff trike conversion on a Giant XTC 840 :D
reohn2
Posts: 45158
Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

Re: Swallows and Swifts

Post by reohn2 »

Yippee!
I saw half dozen Swifts squealing overhead today when I was sat having a coffee at Dunsop Bridge,Lancs.
Summer has finally arrived! :D
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"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
pwa
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Joined: 2 Oct 2011, 8:55pm

Re: Swallows and Swifts

Post by pwa »

Yesterday evening, my wife and I were walking the whippet when we passed a group of semi-disused stone-built farm buildings, the sort that look quite picturesque but are crying out to be converted into attractive homes, and in the air above them were maybe twenty swallows, hoovering up the insects. Perfect.

This is the location, on NCN 88, for anyone who is interested
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.43379 ... ?entry=ttu

My wife did the identification. I knew they weren't swifts because I could see flashes of white. But that leaves us with the question of the shape of the tail, to distinguish between martins and swallows. And they just move too fast and change direction too quickly for me to get a really good look. I thought they were probably swallows but my wife confirmed it for me.
VinceLedge
Posts: 565
Joined: 12 Dec 2020, 9:51am

Re: Swallows and Swifts

Post by VinceLedge »

The usual amount of martins have returned here and a have seen a few shallows as well. The cuckoo seemed to be late arriving this year though
reohn2
Posts: 45158
Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

Re: Swallows and Swifts

Post by reohn2 »

VinceLedge wrote: 13 Jun 2023, 8:30am The usual amount of martins have returned here and a have seen a few shallows as well. The cuckoo seemed to be late arriving this year though
Not heard a Cuckoo yet but I've seen one in flight a couple of weeks ago 🙂 a rarely in itself to see one on the wing


pwa
FWIW Martins are a little more full bodied/fatter than Swallows the tail isn't as foeked and the darker parts aren't as bluish,there's also a white bar across the rump noticeable when flying away from you.

Edited for clarification
Last edited by reohn2 on 13 Jun 2023, 8:03pm, edited 1 time in total.
-----------------------------------------------------------
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
Pebble
Posts: 1934
Joined: 7 Jun 2020, 11:59pm

Re: Swallows and Swifts

Post by Pebble »

pwa wrote: 13 Jun 2023, 7:34am
My wife did the identification. I knew they weren't swifts because I could see flashes of white. But that leaves us with the question of the shape of the tail, to distinguish between martins and swallows. And they just move too fast and change direction too quickly for me to get a really good look. I thought they were probably swallows but my wife confirmed it for me.
This time of year it is fairly easy, Swallows will have streamers on their tails, problem arrives a little later on, when young Swallows fledge, they do look very much like Martins, at least in profile (Swallows won't develop the streamers until after their first migration)

(I guess there will be some fledged Swallows, but not many in mid june, by July and Aug they are everywhere and they like sitting in groups on lines)
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