swallows and swifts

donsider

Well-Known Member
Not sure whether its's just me and my lack of observation but this year I notice that there are not so many swallows and swifts about. We are well on into the summer just now and whilst fishing on both rivers Don and Dee I noticed, compared to previous years the distinct lack of these birds hawking for flies on the river. Equally, whilst out stalking and especially last night a rather pleasant if not a muggy evening what I usually see at the farm are lots of swallows flying in and out of the various sheds. Not so this time and the lack of swifts hawking above the trees. I live in Aberdeen and my observations are in the neighbouring countryside and I would be interested to hear if other members of SD have noticed the same.

Donsider
 
now you mention it ,i have to agree, not the same number of swifts screeching in the evening,but on another note this year i watched my first ever nightjar, which was pretty good !
 
Less swallows here.
Not heard nightjar for a couple of years.
One cuckoo this year, none last year or year before - used to be loads.
Hardly seen any butterflies in last 2 years either.

Something's definitely going wrong with the world!

2 earthquakes here in last couple of weeks. I tell you, we've ****ed off our planet and now she's trying to shake us off!
 
must be very patchy seen and heard more cuckoos than for years only the odd swift in the village plenty of swallows and house martins.
I thinks the swifts have nowhere to nest now new roofs are pretty bird proof i put swift boxes in the gable of my new house but never got round to getting a disc to play to attract them:doh: must make more of an effort next year
 
I'd agree and have commented on this before. We have them all here in North Wales but all seem to be in low numbers. I've had house martins nesting on my house for the last 10 years but nothing this year. The only place I have seen them in numbers was whilst fishing at Brenig a few weeks ago where all the species were present and feeding low over the water but you'd expect them to home in on places like that.
 
Not sure on the swallows, they are definitely around as usual in the old steadings we have. I would say there are more sand martins and they are nesting in new places, so would say on par we probably have more birds this year
 
I've never heard a cuckoo for a few seasons now,One or two swallows about but definitely in smaller numbers as well as house martins,Butterfly's are non existent in my garden and i've only seen a hand full of bees as well.pretty sad really.
​Atb John
 
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