[Rupert the bear]

Last week at work the swallows left, nearly everyone remarked about it , the opinion was tat possibly they upped sticks because of the up turn in activity.
Yesterday morning as I got ready for work there was a massing of swallows on the steading roof and  power cables so many I couldn't count them , an nice sight. Today .none  .they have left and according to the diary one month early. Its very quiet here now .

[pgkevet]

Another sign of a hard winter to go with the amount of berries about. Ooh-ar you have been warned

[Buttermilk]

Quite likely the result of a late arrival meaning they only tried to rear the one brood instead of fitting in a second sitting.  The abundance of berries is due to the growing season and not that to come.  Frosts and wind did not do for the flowers before they set the fruit.

[Louise Gaunt]

Down here in Devon our swallows have had two broods successfully fledge. There are many young swallows swooping about in and out of the house, building their strength for the long flight south. Our B and B guests are all highly amused at seeing small swallows sitting on the top of the open garden room doors!

[pgkevet]

The old wives tales came about from a long history of observation of weather patterns. OK there's 'climate change' and those patterns may well be varying.....but...
Oh, and our house martins only raised one brood and left early too.

[harmony]

Well I thought autumn had arrived so maybe the swallows thought that too!

[Ina]

Temperatures are definitely autumnal here - forecast for today max 12, "feels like" temperature 9 degree! This is still supposed to be summer!

[SallyintNorth]

Temperatures are definitely autumnal here - forecast for today max 12, "feels like" temperature 9 degree! This is still supposed to be summer!

I've been in two or three cotton layers for a week (all long-sleeved, one plain, one brushed and one 'fleecey'.)  Just wrapped my woolen shawl around myself in the evenings when it gets chilly.  Only lit the Rayburn a handful of time in the last two months.  That's summer in Cumbria! 

Will have a look for our swallows today - they were certainly still around 3 days ago.  One family lives in the dogs' pens, so they shout at me when I go in at night

[Foobar]

Got a second brood in my hay loft at the mo, chittering away.  Summer seems to have returned here temporarily (i.e. it's not p*ssing down like it has been for the past few months).


I just posted a question under the wildlife section for any of you who live with swallows.....

[Fleecewife]

We thought there was only one brood then suddenly at least two more appeared, chattering and swooping, so pleased to be out of their tight squeeze of a nest.  There's even a nest with eggs in - don't hold out much hope for them.  There were a couple of young swallows eating from the seed feeder again this morning.  We have plenty of flies here, and it's about to pour, for the next few days.

[devonlady]

We seem to have had far fewer swallows this year! Desperately NEED rain, The fields are looking a bit brown and 3 or 4 days of steady rain would do the grass the world of good.

[Fleecewife]

We seem to have had far fewer swallows this year! Desperately NEED rain, The fields are looking a bit brown and 3 or 4 days of steady rain would do the grass the world of good.

There's enough up here to wash the whole country away.  Wouldn't it be great if we could swap weather occasionally    I think the amount of rain falling here is made worse by the rivers of tears shed by those of us attempting to get a hay crop in.

[Lesley Silvester]

I was getting worried at the thought of all the swallows leaving. So relieved that there are plenty left.


We haven't had a decent fall of rain for several weeks. I'm fed up with keep dragging the hose down the garden every night.

[Penninehillbilly]

Ours hatched another lot out, we heard them calling for food about Thursday 11th, so not sure how old that would make them. I so hope they are old enough to survive  .

[Fleecewife]

They don't usually leave until mid Sept, and wee ones can hang on longer than that if they need to fatten a bit more so they'll be fine.  We still have loads flying here and showing no sign of leaving.

Our nest with eggs in turned out to be a wren which had commandeered a swallow nest, which is now stuffed full of tiny baby wrens