Swallows

[bogtrotter]

There has been a distinct autumnal feel these last few mornings,Rowan trees are heavy with fruit
and the leaves are already starting to turn on a Beech tree across from my house.

I can remember as a youngster the Swallows gathering on the telephone wires( not many telephone wires left for them to gather on these days) in September prior to departing for sunnier climes.

This year the Swallows were late on arriving and their numbers were less than usual.

This morning no swallows they have gone, no signs of them gathering,just here as normal one day and gone the next, very early has anyone else noticed are they still with you, have they left, when did they leave?

 

[Heym SR20]

No swifts here in Edinburgh - back at my desk after a few days off and there were swifts wheeling around last week. Up in Aviemore at the weekend and would normally expect to see plenty of Ospreys around, but didn't see one at all - they must have gone as well.

And what did swallows perch on in the days before telephone wires??

 

[MJ75]

I saw a few in South Ayrshire this weekend. I wondered at the time how long they'll still be around for.

 

[Cyres]

Swifts went several weeks ago. Lots of swallows on telephone lines, in Devon last week Housemartins still feeding youngsters in nests.

Age very autumnal feel to weather at present.

D

 

[Wingy]

About 30 swallows on the neighbours roof on Sunday, defiantly getting ready to depart. Not seen any this week but I've been out to work before light and home late. Soon be Christmas!!!

 

[limulus]

6 chicks fledged thursday from one of the buildings I was at in Barrow-in-Furness.
They remained roosting in the building and where still there on Sunday when I left.

 

[robbie rowantree]

Same here in the far north, just disappeared without any flocking on the wires as usual, I haven't heard them myself yet, but a few boys have seen geese coming down from the north, don't usually see that for another three or four weeks.

 

[tika.308]

Still got house martins with us, dont see swifts over our place until later in the day as a rule.
But i said it felt autumnal yesterday evening when i was out.

 

[Conor1]

Same in Zurich. Temperatures have collapsed from mid 30s to 18degrees. Mornings considerably cooler at around 8 or 9 degrees. Leaves are leaving the trees....................

 

[Ranger22]

We still have them here, probably less than normal

​Al

 

[waterford103]

Our family have left today ,they nest in our old el collapso shed and produce 4 / 5 young and then go , but it's a bit early this year .

 

[Taff]

we have some young still in the nest, others fledged last week.

 

[RickoShay]

Yes, saw some yesterday up near Snowshill (Worcs/Glos border) still seemed to be feeding young.
As for geese, many, many (100's) each last light now navigating out of the Cotswold water park area and heading North/North East.
​This feels about two weeks early.

 

[Blue400]

There has been a distinct autumnal feel these last few mornings,Rowan trees are heavy with fruit
and the leaves are already starting to turn on a Beech tree across from my house.

I can remember as a youngster the Swallows gathering on the telephone wires( not many telephone wires left for them to gather on these days) in September prior to departing for sunnier climes.

This year the Swallows were late on arriving and their numbers were less than usual.

This morning no swallows they have gone, no signs of them gathering,just here as normal one day and gone the next, very early has anyone else noticed are they still with you, have they left, when did they leave?

They have to run the gauntlet of France before they get to the sunnier climes, good luck to them.

 

[monynut]

The swifts have been gone at least 2 weeks, l was watching the swallows going south at the weekend there are a handfull of house martins still about, l have not seen a single sand martin this year and only heard 1 cuckoo, how things have changed over the years.

 

[rick6point5]

Still a few here but numbers are defo down on previous years not sure as to the cause but i expect its as a result of something mankind has done along the way haveing an effect only just noticable to us now, i will say that in Cyprus last year, i came across some lads bored with nothing to shoot killing young swallows with the old 12g, had a word which ended up in a fight and having to explain myself to the old bill, however as a holder of a hunting license and guns there and proof of the deed in my rucksack (19 dead just fledged swallows) and strict laws on species to hunt they had their licences and guns removed for 3 years, when i return in November for the hunting season i will i am sure have to face angry relatives but i will be armed then....

 

[donsider]

Hi Bogtrotter et al,

The swifts here in Aberdeen left about two weeks ag0 though I have to say there was a distinct lack of numbers compared to previous years as I noted here on this forum in the spring. What spring I hear yo say.............!

The Swallows are still with us and I expect them to go in a week or ten days and then the house martins are the last to leave. Fishing the river Don near Kemnay in October(early) I have seen the odd house marten hawking above the river.

Alas, the year is on the wane and the first northerly winds of september will bring down the geese from the far north. It does not seem so long ago that we were seeing them flying north.

Wouldn't life be missing something without all these wonderful changes in our natural environment.

 

[sikamalc]

Certainly an autumnal feel over the past few days. We had a large gathering of Swallows over the house about two weeks ago. Living right on the south coast it struck me as slightly early to see so many gathering, although not that unusual as in the past few days we had had a hatch of small beetles which were everywhere.

What surprised me is that in a split second a Hobby flew through the middle of the flock and tried without success to take a Swallow out. I had seen Hobbies before near Canterbury on a reserve called Stodmarsh, and watched them catching dragonflies on the wing, but never seen one crashing through a whole flock of Swallows before.

Wont be long before I migrate north for the Red and Sika rut............. Autumn my favourite time of year, so much to see and enjoy in the world of natural history.

 

[roedeerred]

watching the sun rise going round pheasent pens
swallows out early this morning
a few roe about
traffic noise not noticed
Good to be alive
what many miss if they look and do not see !!

 

[howa243]

I think its felt autumnal for a while. Heavy dew in the mornings with a pleasant chill. Still got swallows on my fences but it does feel like the season has changed a little early. Also feels like the rut may not be far away.