[Possum]

I have finally seen our first pair.  Three weeks later than last year. They were flying over the wetlands first thing in the morning and then sitting on the telephone wires later on. Summer is nearly here  .

[Anke]

Summer is nearly here  .

Summer? We just had a massive hail storm!

[Fleecewife]

Summer is nearly here  .

Summer? We just had a massive hail storm!

Yep, that's summer 

[Fleecewife]

Ah goody     Our first swallow of the year was doing joyful loops around the steading at lunchtime   

[Possum]

I admit it. I was feeling a little proud of seeing the first swallows in this part of Somerset.


And then I was talking to a friend who lives at the other end of the village. She told me that, two day ago, she saw 20-30 swallows sitting on the telephone wires opposite her house. Apparently they stayed there for ages and looked exhausted. She thinks they had probably just flown in from Africa. So the two that I saw this morning were just a very small part of that contingent. Oh well......

[Fleecewife]

It's an amazing journey for them and there has definitely been a major problem somewhere along the route, for so many birds not to have arrived and those that do are exhausted.

[mab]

mine have arrived    better still there seem to be at least 4 , which i guess means that some of last years brood have returned? whether or no, it's good to see them.


still waiting for spring though - another frost last night - hopefully the swallows have brought it with them.

[Rupert the bear]

The weather has changed for the better over the last few days, some swallows have already returned, a few mature ones and a lot more than usual of younger ones.
But this morning at 05:30 the birdsong was louder than normal. Going out side I was amazed at the sight of swallows on the steading roof, up to now I had counted about 15 - 20 birds, this morning at least 40 resting waiting for the sun to gain strength and the insects to start , hopefully  this is the rest of them,even so if they are just passing , they have done well.

[wildandwooly]

First 2 swallows seen flying at the back of the house between the house and the field today.   They're more than a week later this year. Last year the first two were here on the 2nd May. We seem to always get the first pair or so and then the rest arrive very soon after and nest in the open barn. They all seem to be later this year in a few places, I wonder why?
Lovely to finally see them here though. Summer is on it's way 

[Fleecewife]

Lovely they've arrived wildandwooly - it's wonderful when you realise they've made it.  The reason for the holdup this spring for so many migrating birds was that there were very bad winds round the Med which prevented them from crossing, apparently.  Add that to the fact that the Sahara is ever expanding so a longer dry crossing, and an oasis water hole all birds including swallows rely on is gradually drying up and being contaminated, it's surprising any get through at all.


Every day here there seem to be more and more swallows all so exuberant - there are certainly loads of midgies for them to catch.  This year our pair of martins arrived earlier than usual and are happily making their nest right above the front door.  This year there is plenty of mud for them to build a strong nest.

[wildandwooly]

It is indeed lovely Fleecewife 😊. However apparently swallows are having quite a few problems leading to generally lower numbers and not all environmental ones.....sadly thousands are caught in huge nets every year in order to catch them for consumption    It's amazing any reach us here at all 

[Fleecewife]

It is indeed amazing that any get back to us, one of the wonders of our Earth.


Even 'four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie' always seemed pointless to me - swallows are tiny, how would one even make a mouthful? What an unnecessary waste of life.
It seems we are so lucky this year with lots of very excited swallows nestbuilding in our barn.  Some years only a single pair make it back.


I've just been watching the swallows here taking a 'bath on the wing', or maybe they're just getting a drink from the pond and get wet in the process, but there's a queue of them circling the pond surface, then scooping up the water. Afterwards they perch on the phone wires to have a thorough preening session. 
Then I saw something I've not seen before. There's a barrow of molehill soil waiting in the garden to replenish the flower borders; I watched as a swallow hovered for a moment then popped into the barrow and made off with a beakful of soil for nest making.  Normally they scour around for puddles but when it's dry, mud can be hard to come by.  I shall know in future to leave a load of soil out for them each year at nest building time