The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Smallholding => Wildlife => Topic started by: Possum on April 18, 2024, 09:29:29 am
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Looked out of the bedroom window this morning and saw a solitary swallow swooping over the rooftops :yippee:
Such a marvellous sight after all the dreadful weather we have been having.
We had our first nest last year so I must make sure that the garage doors are left open to encourage them to nest again.
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It's a wonderful sight isn't it :love: We saw our first swallow yesterday here in the South of Scotland, but it could have been ours, the neighbouring farm's or just one passing through and heading north. One swallow might not make Summer, but it certainly makes Spring!
Oh and @Dan we don't have a swallow icon :hughen:
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I think ours has gone north because we didn't see it yesterday or today. Although we did see one over the County Cricket ground on Friday. :)
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One was in the barn 2 nights ago. Hope it's partner turns up safe
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I've hung on during my hibernation waiting and looking out of the window, they were early here last year, now we are entering the " looking to the sky " mode. :fc: :fc: :fc:
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They have arrived ! A pair of swallows this morning. Their sight and sound better than any medication, I am so pleased.
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Saw my 1st one in flight on 22 Apr near Tintagel. And then, while driving home, something smaller flashed by which I would guess was a Martin.
(While double-checking House Martin arrivals Wikipedia advised that members of the "Swallow family" have even been seen in Antarctica !!!)
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Our pair have been back a couple of days. Hopefully better luck than last year when the magpie had their chicks.
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Saw a whole bunch of swallows at our Secure Dog Park on Saturday. Hope they realise it's not summer in Central Scotland yet :excited:
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We have none at the moment which is very late.
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Two started investigating last year's nest last night so I'm hopeful for another brood this year. :fc:
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A couple of days ago I noticed we have House Martins building a nest just above our front door. Surely this is a really late migration?
We haven't had martins for a couple of years. The last nest was predated by rats (they climbed up the roses and honeysuckle which arches over the door) and the one before that was made during a drought so it fell down with tiny chicks in it which sadly died because of the fall. Before that we had had successful nests.
So imagine how pleased we are with this new nest, which is almost certainly a new pair. Yes there will be droppings right in front of the door where visitors stand, but nothing a shovel and broom won't sort :D
We have only two pairs of swallows in spite of a good start, but the first nestful fledged the same day the martins arrived, so the skies were full of excitement.
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All I've got is a hedgeful and rhoddy full of spiugs!!! :'( :'( :'( - sparrows to you'se yins doon o'er the border :roflanim:
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All I've got is a hedgeful and rhoddy full of spiugs!!! :'( :'( :'( - sparrows to you'se yins doon o'er the border :roflanim:
:roflanim: We have plenty of spiugs too, plus tree sparrows back to their prepandemic numbers. In fact the humble spiug is suffering from dramatically reduced numbers due to changed farming practices, with little grain left lying. So put on your rose tinted spectacles when you look at them and know you're doing good 8) Not the most melodious birds, but lovely and perky :D
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What we thought might be house martins, because they used to nest in the garage, have been identified as definitely swallows. The reason we can be definite is three flew inside the house yesterday and explored some of the rooms. Two were let out through a window and the other tried to exit via the French doors, which were closed at the time. The result was it knocked itself out on the glass, was picked up and taken outside where it recovered after a minute or so and flew off. Therefore we had the opportunity to have a good look at the feathering.
Not the first time we've had birds in the house, but they are usually blue tits (not including chickens).
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If we leave our sash windows too far open then we can guarantee we will have swallows in the house. One year they started to build a nest on top of the electricity meter so had to be evicted. As we have dogs it's not a good move for birds to come into the house.
One year we had Pooey Dooey (I'm sure I've told this tale on here before!), the racing pigeon. I was sitting in my living room when I had that creepy feeling of being watched when there was no one else around. I turned and looked above me to see a pigeon perched contentedly on top of the dresser. Of course we fed and watered him, he would pop outside for a fly around then return (via the window). Eventually we were able to pick him up and found a phone number stencilled on his wing. In very short order a large black very luxurious BMW pulled up outside. The owner told me Pooey Dooey was his best racing pigeon, worth a startlingly large amount of money. He had released the flock as part of a race from I think Newcastle to Glasgow, but they had been attacked and scattered by a peregrine. Some were killed, and PD appeared to be the only survivor. He was popped in a cage and driven off in regal splendour.
ps: no, there was no reward.
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I noticed yesterday, Sept 4th, that the skies and our sheds have suddenly gone silent. It would appear that the swallows have left early. Some had only one brood, others two, but none the three which was routine in past years.
Have anyone else's swallows left on migration already?
Oops! They're back this evening, or some are 8)
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We still had ours on Tuesday at the secure dog field near Dunfermline. We though they were late going from here.
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We have ours still here the last hatching fledged five days ago, but this morning the geese have arrived, a little bit early, usually when they arrive the swallows go
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Ours were all collecting on the telephone wires last week but there are only one or two left now. Autumn seems to have come very early this year. :(
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We have ours still here the last hatching fledged five days ago, but this morning the geese have arrived, a little bit early, usually when they arrive the swallows go
Yes, geese gaggling overhead this morning.
Our swallows have definitely gone after swithering a bit at first.
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Up at 5am this morning a fair bit of noise going on and its still moonlight. on the steading roof there is a mass of swallows. 5:30 they are up and away heading south, all we have left are 7 juveniles and as far as I can count 3 adults . Kind of dusty here , fingers crossed for them.
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The swallows arrived here Monday evening- perhaps 100 of them at the moment. The sky around 5.00pm seems full of them. By 6.00pm they are all roosting on our electricity supply cable, which they seem to prefer to any others around here. It's 60 metres long between posts and it has been full before now, with the swallows spaced about a foot apart. They usually stay about a week.
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Are they still there Chris? Or have they flown further south?
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They seem to have gone now Possum because I can't remember seeing any for several days now. They stayed around close to us for a week, then we only saw some for half an hour or so each day as they flew around following what I presume were drifting clouds of flying ants? The chickens have been chasing ants as well. Some of these swallows get very close to ground level and are travelling at such speed we keep well away to avoid a collision.
It has been unseasonably cold here for several weeks now, so moving further South earlier than usual would be sensible.
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Ours have gone from Duckhill dog park - even teeny babies form a second hatch. :'( Not sure they will make it. :-\