Where are my Swallows?

[gessoo]

They usually turn up on Bank Holiday weekend - but not this year. I am still waiting :o( Is it due to the late arrival of Spring this year or have they foresaken me? I have even cleaned out our front porch in readiness for their nest building.

[WendyS]

The immigration service has at last been stung into action and turned them back at the UK border !!

[WendyS]

Seriously, there was an article in the Telegraph yesterday saying that because our winters are getting warmer, a lot of migrant birds have been arriving in the UK at the same time and finding that the insects they rely on for food have all hatched out earlier and that there is a shortage when they need to fatten up after their journey to start breeding. I assume the same group of birds arrive every year - maybe a weather blip or winds somewhere en route have sent them slightly off course. Hope they arrive OK. Like you, I would be scanning the skies anxiously for them. We too watch out for the swallows and house martins which arrive in our area. No sign of them yet though.

[Robinia]

Hi gessoo. We seem to get mainly swifts where live but maybe I notice them the more as they make the most noise.
They came screaming in bang on time 2 days before my birthday - I'd been expecting them to be late, May 10th was their latest arrival but that was some years ago. As I sit here now by the open window I can hear them as they zoom past.
I'm sure it's not too late & they'll be along soon....maybe they're waiting for you to install some of those instant des. res'. :o)

Slightly off topic, but is the dawn chorus becoming louder or is it me? they say your ears keep on growing don't they?

[gessoo]

Thanks for your replies girls. Had to laugh Wendy S at your first answer. Poor little Swallows being sent back to deepest, darkest Africa!!

Robinia, although we live in completely rural surroundings our dawn chorus isn't so concentrated as it is in urban or even semi-rural areas. Went to a friend's home at 5.00am in Letchworth last week and was astounded at the dawn chorus from the gardens. I hadn't heard anything like it for years. It was just so beautiful. Most of our dawn chorus sounds at the moment seems to be from ducks and pheasants and also the partridges who sound like someone sawing.

(Yes I did say 5.00 am!!)

[gessoo]

Well, I've just been down to the river and the swallows are about. They obviously don't want my Des Res this year. Hmmmph!

[dancecaller]

We noticed them at Easter in Cheshire