Swallows?

[charlie]

Not seen a single one here this year, are they in short supply?

I know last year they abandoned the nest with young and never reappeared for the second brood, I assumed the general lack of insects of all sorts being the reason but are they doing better elsewhere?

[Paul S]

Loads here, Charlie. Been doing lots of walking during lockdown - 15 mins from here connects us with a network of coastal trails and RSPB owned wetlands and they are very conspicuous at the moment.

[charlie]

Glad to hear its not general although a bit jealous you have them! one of the sights and sounds of summer for me, we have a bench set below ground level by one of our ponds , love sitting down there where your eyes are at water level and watch the swallows coming in for a drink at the end of the day and if you linger a bit longer you suddenly realise that the darting shapes are now bats not swallows. We call it the shift change!

[jungle jas]

Charlie, it must be a west coast thing none here either. :(

[Paul S]

Ignore me, I am a twit. What I saw are swifts.

[jungle jas]

If it makes you feel any better I have no swifts either! :lol:

[flounder]

I remember swallows, used to see them up on them thar hills by the dew pond back in the day.......it must've been pre winter 1985-87 or one of the snowy years

[charlie]

Its very sad, the problem is easy to see - lack of insects, gone are the days of having to clean the windscreen after any long Journey . What to do about it is less easy to see as the problem is far too many people and I cant see many folk queuing to be the ones to go!!

[jungle jas]

Good point about the windscreens, Charlie, "when I was younger, so much younger than today", When I used to drive about in a big old Jag well above the speed limit. 8-) and you hit a flight of midges. you always had to switch the wipers on. Not done that for a long time.......... There was me thinking it was because cars are more arodynamic! :oops: :roll: :lol:

[kGarden]

Over lunch yesterday we were saying we can hear more birdsong ...

We are pretty rural here, but I suppose there is probably some "just out of main hearing" background drum of traffic, but still almost non-existent in our rural roads and no aeroplane noise so we might just be hearing more than usual. Or maybe Pollution reduction? birds on Second brood already, maybe they kept more alive from first brood? Pollution a factor? or just the mega-early Spring? If more are being kept alive there must be more food ... will lack of pollution mean mega-swams of bugs later on?

We got all those questions out ... but no answers!