The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Smallholding => Wildlife => Topic started by: Rupert the bear on May 08, 2018, 09:51:58 pm
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I've just come indoors having spent the evening outside, its calm and warmish and the insects are out. In previous years these sort of conditions would see 10's of swallows flying, this evening I only counted 6 in flight and just before I came in checked the steading 4 and 2 in the garage roosting for the night.
Has anyone else noticed reduced numbers this year ?
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our housemartins have not arrived; they've come for >20 years; 3 pairs last year. No sign of them as yet this year.
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I ageee there are fewer swallows this year. I aaw the first one herr in Norfolk a dew weeks ago and we’re still only gettting the odd one. V few martins as well and no swifts yet.
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Just very late I think ... first house Martins arrived 2 days ago.
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Well this evening I was checking the livestock and have noticed the majority of our swallows have departed during the day , about a week earlier than normal . All that is left are the last 2 remaining clutches and the parents, summers coming to an end. :(
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Yes ours went a couple of days ago, the best part of a fortnight early. They had been collecting on our house roof like a long row of mini penguins, then the skies went silent, apart from a single bird which is still here.
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Ours are still here but not for long I expect ..... They may go earlier than usual but have all fledged two batches I think ...... Usually at beginning of September I am worried that the last brood will be abandoned.
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Our 2nd lot are out and about, seemed early, despite a late start in spring, haven't seen them yet this morning though........
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I spent some time lying down in the sun ( just to make sure it was still shining ) all we have left is 10 birds in total in flight, sadly there is a nest high up in the roof of the steading with a nest of 4 unfledged chicks , they are getting fed by the others, I fear these may not fledge in time :( , keeping a aye on then though.
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Our last lot fledged yesterday. One crashed so I put it up high for another go. Numbers were low to start but they've had a good breeding season.
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I spent some time lying down in the sun ( just to make sure it was still shining ) all we have left is 10 birds in total in flight, sadly there is a nest high up in the roof of the steading with a nest of 4 unfledged chicks , they are getting fed by the others, I fear these may not fledge in time :( , keeping a aye on then though.
In the past when we have had late nests, the parents have stayed on into September to feed the young until they have fledged, then they leave. The young ones leave after a couple more weeks, though I have no idea if they have the strength to migrate the whole way.
Here, although ours went a few days ago, leaving only a couple of young birds, another 20 or so have appeared. I'm thinking they have come down from further north and will go south once they are all ready. It's still a week or so earlier than they usually leave, so they'll be OK.
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I think the majority of ours left yesterday.
They are a bit of a pain when they are here, as we often find them in the house and have to help them get back out of the windows, but I absolutely love having them around. The way the duck and dive around us in the cartlodge is really very impressive.
Looking forward to clearing all the mess off my workshop clober now though, as they aren't the cleanest of beasties!
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Think ours must have read my previous post and left … haven't seen them since!!
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Looking forward to clearing all the mess off my workshop clober now though, as they aren't the cleanest of beasties!
I don't mid that, its a small price to pay
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Ours left a couple of days ago. Sad.
I'm sure they are away early though?
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Just checked, mid September last year.
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I hadn't seen our housemartins for a while but this morning they're all over the place feeding
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I've just come in from checking the goats and to my surprise there are a couple of swallows sitting in the roof on the cables, probably sheltering from the winds
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When most of our swallows left, early in September, they left behind 5 juveniles. A couple of days ago the sky was suddenly full of young swallows for a few hours. They left the same day, but I noticed a single swallow today, playing in the gale. Presumably the 20 or so were other juveniles coming down from the north, and picking up strays on the way. I wonder why just one is still here? (unless the other 4 were just out of sight)
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There were three here yesterday but I think they took the opportunity of a northerly wind to go as I can't see any now. Has anyone else still got some juveniles hanging about?
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There were three here yesterday but I think they took the opportunity of a northerly wind to go as I can't see any now. Has anyone else still got some juveniles hanging about?
Yes we still have got three youngsters, they only hatched a couple of weeks ago and the parents have now left. I think these ones will not be flying anywhere, as sad as it is I cannot see how they can go all on their own, mum and dad got their timing a bit wrong. We had our first frost of the autumn on Sunday morning as well!
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I noticed they had vanished a week ago, yesterday I saw a solitary swallow swooping low over the fields. I miss their chattering..
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I noticed they had vanished a week ago, yesterday I saw a solitary swallow swooping low over the fields. I miss their chattering..
This may appear to be a bit sad , but I often play one of the recordings I made of them chattering, cheers me up !
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We had a single one in the barn at the weekend. Gone last night. Hope it's OK.
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Our last two were not about yesterday.
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I noticed they had vanished a week ago, yesterday I saw a solitary swallow swooping low over the fields. I miss their chattering..
This may appear to be a bit sad , but I often play one of the recordings I made of them chattering, cheers me up !
lol -that did make me chuckle, they really are the sound of the summer though aren't they..
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The wee devils are back !!! I thought they'd gone south on the north wind, but today the wretches are flying about in the sunshine without a care in the world :huff: I'm going to stop watching and get on with some :knit: :spin:
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I had a group just fledge a week ago. They were back in the building at night now no sign. quite late to still have them at this time of year so hope they will be safely on their way now.
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I still have on youngster coming back to goat house at night… his siblings and parents are gone…