Swallow, Swift and Martin watch!

[labrador77]

Heard the first cuckoo today, thought I'd heard a call very early this morning but definitely calling now.

 

[Overlay]

See the first swift of the year in north kent and a fly catcher as normal in the same exact nest site, hawk moths on the honeysuckle, sheldwich area, have seen 3 places for the hawkmoth this week in less than a 3 mile circle, things are looking up

 

[Feugh]

Saw my first osprey of the year ten days ago, flying above the pub I was sitting outside in Aviemore. However I have not seen a single swallow, swift or house Martin in Aberdeenshire yet, and have not heard a single cuckoo.

I posted too soon . First cuckoos of the year the very next day and martins and swallows the day after that. No swifts yet but they are always a bit later.

 

[GBR66]

Very loud cuckoo just heard - West Tipperary - hadn’t heard one for 2 years in Wiltshire.

 

[camodog]

First swifts arrived in the village on Thursday I also noticed one or two passing through yesterday and today.

 

[GBR66]

Very loud cuckoo just heard - West Tipperary - hadn’t heard one for 2 years in Wiltshire.

I am unreasonably excited by that! Miss the Red Kites and herds of Buzzards over Wiltshire but have the odd Buzzard and we are doing well on songbirds and heaving with starlings....

 

[GBR66]

Hi Bogtrotter,
Saw another Osprey this morning, heading over Novar towards the bottom of Fyrish way.
Don't know when the swallows will arrive as like you say there will be nothing for them to eat, I suppose they just hang about the temperature friendly bits of the south until it warms up a bit more.
Baltic East wind and Haar up here today.

Our nut feeders have been pretty busy with an addition to the usual mix of a pair of long tailed tits who have been coming since Christmas time, bonny wee things.

We also had a rat last week at night but the Airsporter sorted it out from the vast range of 5' whilst the wife's Staffy was doing circuits of the bird table.

The hen blackbird has been darting in and out of the box hedge for more than a week with moss and grass and the starlings were picking up the pampas grass and heading in to the big nest box on top of the shed on sunday. I suppose they will stop now that the cold has returned.


We were off for a run on Sunday, Drumnadrochit, Invermoriston, Ratagan, Dornie, Kyle, Plockton, Achmore, Lochcarron and home via Achnasheen and Garve, the wife commented on how many dead deer she had seen at the side of the road and how quite a few that we saw feeding off the road looked pretty thin.
There were 2 hinds in Achnasheen on a grassy bit between the road and the station eating the grass for all they were worth, totally ignoring the tourists 20 yards away.
They will be struggling for a bit yet.

Cheers

A.M.

My feeders very busy since winter, as I said on here before I have bought some "cage" ones to keep the corvids out - great results, Great Tits, Bluetits. Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch as well as robins, wrens and sparrows that were here already.

 

[TringSaint]

Saw my first swallows today so spent the afternoon killing crows so that the little ones have a fighting chance once they fledge

 

[Mr Tree]

Good sized colony on the house this year, all using the concrete nest boxes I put up, just as well precious little mud around this year.

 

[Foxyboy43]

Nest lining and chick rearing full-on chaps. Put some pigeon feathers in an old onion string bag and watch the fun. Handy things these Zulus….

 

[Fosbery Holster]

First swifts spotted in the village, what a magical sight.

 

[Foxyboy43]

First pair of swifts overhead on the Antrim coast today - magical sight!

 

[Suilven]

We spotted our first swifts yesterday, Perthshire.

 

[Phil fox man]

swifts have been here for a week and numbers are growing, Warrington.

 

[dryan]

Swallows are here now darting about. I was away in Africa, I came back and it seems they beat me home!

 

[ndt man]

Swallows and house Martins numbers up by 50% on last year downside the house Martins are going to struggle nest building this year with it being so dry ?
no swifts at all this year. .

 

[Swedish]

Swifts heard today for the first time this year

 

[Fosbery Holster]

First swifts spotted in the village, what a magical sight.

Adding to seeing the initial two swifts on May 12th today that number increased to three and l could hear them screaming (is that the correct term) what an absolutely wonderful sound, not heard that iconic sound for more years that l care to remember, I’m hoping more arrive to boost numbers.

 

[75]

We seem light on both swallows and swifts this year. There are a few about but we've had them next in our barn as long as we've been here (usually 2 broods) and nothing this year. That makes me rather sad. Hopefully they'll make a late appearance.

 

[Plummer]

We have for the first time a swallows nest on our house, I was amazed when I saw them starting to build, so I made a mud patch in a paddock gateway, and within a day they were taking the mud for their nest, incredibly intelligent..