Swallow, Swift and Martin watch!
- Thread starter Lampwick
- Start date
TringSaint
Well-Known Member
No swallows et al yet, but saw my first bat of the year on Saturday evening!
BenBhoy
Well-Known Member
Yeah I saw loads of bats Friday night through thermal, brilliant to watch.
TringSaint
Well-Known Member
It’s a bit early for them - usually another 3 weeks or so (had to pay for a bat emergence survey last year and they only start in May!)
It seemed as if the bats barely hibernated at all here in West London, they were out & about at least once a week right through the "winter"
I watched Pipistrelles when out after CWD this season, including a very active couple of Pipistrelles in February - they showed up very nicely in the thermal, their flight muscles gave a very strong signal, made them easy to pick up
However, I wouldn't expect the inhabitants of the main roosts to fully get going for a couple of weeks yet, mid-late April is the norm down here
I do amateur surveys for the Bat Conservation Trust, and occasionally for our local council and/or wildlife groups, this is the first year that I didn't put away my bat detectors or plug-in microphone for my phone
Most years there's not many or no bats about Dec-March, but there has been bat activity of some kind right through this past winter hereabouts
As for the thread title, I saw the first House Martins of this year about a week ago, over Stockley Park direction
No sign of Swifts yet, but I keep an eye out for them every day between Kew Bridge & Chiswick Bridge, they tend to show up there or South Ealing but usually not until late April most years
Maybe they'll be early this year too?
Two here in North Wilts this morning. That is 7 days earlier that usual.
Bat of the year ?
They can be active right through winter you know ?
Frequently watch them
TringSaint
Well-Known Member
I was told by the ecology company who did our bat emergence survey last year that most species only become active once it’s warmed up in late April.
I was (for the first time in my life) in Portugal between the 3rd and 8th February and saw swallows every day whilst there. It made me wonder if some had visited the southern hemisphere at all or if they had overwintered there?
I have regularly seen swallows in France in March making their way northwards - early March in the southern half of the country and in the north in the latter half.
Here I have yet to see a swallow (West of Ashford in Kent) but I suspect that as soon as we lose this Northerly (and NE'ly) airstream and we have wind from any other direction then the birds will arrive quickly.
We have had a few bats (irregularly and infrequently) flying round the house and garden all winter.
I have regularly seen swallows in France in March making their way northwards - early March in the southern half of the country and in the north in the latter half.
Here I have yet to see a swallow (West of Ashford in Kent) but I suspect that as soon as we lose this Northerly (and NE'ly) airstream and we have wind from any other direction then the birds will arrive quickly.
We have had a few bats (irregularly and infrequently) flying round the house and garden all winter.
Maybe thats towards peak activity - but they are about many many nights in the winter months
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