Fisherman Mike Posted April 11, 2005 Report Share Posted April 11, 2005 Saw the first of the summer visitors this weekend anybody noticed any swallows, swifts or martins yet. ? This is quite late. I have seen the first birds arrive mid march in recent years. FM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rb5037 Posted April 11, 2005 Report Share Posted April 11, 2005 And i thought you were going to talk about your Mrs Not seen any yet in Surrey, keep my eyes open for ya Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Beasley Posted April 11, 2005 Report Share Posted April 11, 2005 Yes. I saw some on Friday and Saturday. Summers on the way! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catamong Posted April 11, 2005 Report Share Posted April 11, 2005 Saw quite a few House Martins heading North when up in Nottingham on March 30. No sign of any Swallows yet - I usually reckon to see the first one about 7 April so they're a bit late. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old rooster Posted April 11, 2005 Report Share Posted April 11, 2005 Been loads of Skylarks about round here but no swallows yet. Plucked a few pigeons in the garden at the weekend and the sparrows and starlings appeared like Hitchcocks film "The Birds" to pick up the odd feathers floating about on the lawn. Some very plush nests going to be built methinks !! Got my maggie decoys now so I'm going to try them in the garden and shoot down on any intruders from the bedroom window with my air rifle, they are devils for nicking eggs and fledgling songbirds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donkeymagic Posted April 11, 2005 Report Share Posted April 11, 2005 (edited) Am i right in thinking early March was cold and wintery? Coupled with the fact that we had snow here last friday. Could be a possible reason why they are late to arrive or in small numbers. I supose it could be effected by the weather conditions on the continent too, i preume their migratory path is over Europe? My bird knowledge is a little rusty and as you may have gathered from the specs in the pic, my eyes are indeed not what they used to be If the swift is the slightly larger of the three then id say ive seen good numbers of those over the weekend just past. Got my maggie decoys now so I'm going to try them in the garden and shoot down on any intruders from the bedroom window with my air rifle, they are devils for nicking eggs and fledgling songbirds Old Rooster, i too am beginning to grow less and less fond of the Magpie. They go for anything, certainly the yob of the bird world. Ive seen them gang up on just about every bird, hell ive even seen them give the farm cat a hard time. Magpie trap is now in place though Edited April 11, 2005 by donkeymagic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fert Posted April 11, 2005 Report Share Posted April 11, 2005 im on 15 magpies and6 carrions at the mo. started easter sunday. bloody loads round my way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisherman Mike Posted April 18, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 18, 2005 I read an alarming article in the sunday paper that many thousands of swallows and martins may have been iradicated accidently as a result on the war being raged against flying insects, particularly locusts in Africa and Muritania. These being a principal food source for migratory birds to build up reserves prior to long migratory flights. Apparently this year has been one of the worst for Locusts and the Agricultural depts of various Governments have hit back with pesticides big time. Lets hope they can recover quickly ( the Birds that is ) FM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdubya Posted April 18, 2005 Report Share Posted April 18, 2005 out on a farm this morning loads of swallows about? farmer reckoned a week early up here? cheers Keith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeon master Posted April 18, 2005 Report Share Posted April 18, 2005 I never see any swallows until the first week in may, there was good numbers last year but I noticed a big decrease in swift numbers. I think I'll get a few swift boxes made up ready for their arrival this weekend. The PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul in North Lincs. Posted April 18, 2005 Report Share Posted April 18, 2005 Haven't seen any in or around Lincs yet. Our stables and outbuildings usually have several active nest sites, and generally we see them within the 1st /2nd weeks of April, but not this year! I assume they've been held up by bad weather..... but I love seeing these delightful birds............... brings out the essence of summer don't you think!! Paul in North Lincs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisherman Mike Posted April 18, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 18, 2005 Haven't seen any in or around Lincs yet. Our stables and outbuildings usually have several active nest sites, and generally we see them within the 1st /2nd weeks of April, but not this year! I assume they've been held up by bad weather..... but I love seeing these delightful birds............... brings out the essence of summer don't you think!! Paul in North Lincs without a doubt... Watching their acrobatics as they snatched emerging May fly from the River Coln as a lad will always be a vivid memory for me. Long balmy days of the school Holidays that followed topped by the down of Thistle and Rose Bay Willow Herb dancing across the twilight pastures in early Autumn evenings as a solitary Barn owl hawked the riverbank for Voles........ Shangri la Kids these days... shut up in the bedroom with P Diddy blaring on the sterio and punching the game boy advance!!! They dont know they are alive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coney Posted April 18, 2005 Report Share Posted April 18, 2005 For the last three years ive had martins nest in the eaves of the house and look forward to them coming and bringing back the offspring each year, we had five succesful chicks fledged last year. I've seen nothing of them as yet, and they are definately late here!!. I hope they come soon it's not summer without them. Regards Coney Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul in North Lincs. Posted April 18, 2005 Report Share Posted April 18, 2005 (edited) Quite poetic Mike......but....................very true Paul in North Lincs Edited April 18, 2005 by Paul in North Lincs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coney hunter Posted April 18, 2005 Report Share Posted April 18, 2005 Working on my granddads farm 2day and see my first swallow on a power line…forget how much I love 2 see them. David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pike Posted April 19, 2005 Report Share Posted April 19, 2005 I saw my first swallow down here in sunny Essex nearly four weeks ago and they are now starting to come in en-mass. Also saw a pair of Wheatears yesterday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul in North Lincs. Posted April 19, 2005 Report Share Posted April 19, 2005 2 arrived today!!! Paul in Norht Lincs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Browning Posted April 19, 2005 Report Share Posted April 19, 2005 Just seen Swallows around the farm buildings, first time this year. Also noticed the bats were out last night when I walked the dogs, first time I've noticed them this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barryrabo Posted April 19, 2005 Report Share Posted April 19, 2005 seen a few swallows today while out for a walk. last week i saw a clutch of mallard chicks,nine in all,that was last monday. by tuesday there was only four,wednesday three were left. on friday there was no sign of the rest of them,still no sign of them on saturday. the weather here in n/ireland last week was cold,then it got wet at the end of the week.fly life was non existant on the water and no algae for the chicks to feed on. MY QUESTION. is the weather that messed up that the wildlife are getting confused? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the last engineer Posted April 19, 2005 Report Share Posted April 19, 2005 MY QUESTION.is the weather that messed up that the wildlife are getting confused? In a nutshell "yes" ,had the old jack rabbit running in the back yard here 2 weeks back in full spring coat ,only problem with a foot of snow he made an easy target :thumbs: , Mike im going to post a couple of pics of the robin here ,this sucker is on steroids , stands around 6/7" tall always around spring summer ,also the red breasted blackbird , i think you'l like them ,well i hope you do anyway ,throw a jay in aswell . Martin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old rooster Posted April 19, 2005 Report Share Posted April 19, 2005 Was out today and saw one solitary swallow perched on a power cable. Just thought I'd share that with you. Didn't find any bl**dy pigeons again though !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grenville Posted April 25, 2005 Report Share Posted April 25, 2005 I saw some Sand Martins when I fished the Tweed at Carham on 24th March, which we (the Ghillie and I) both agreed was very early. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fert Posted April 25, 2005 Report Share Posted April 25, 2005 saw 3 whilst out fishing yesterday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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