[Fleecewife]

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.

[Fleecewife]

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 

[doganjo]

We still had ours on Tuesday at the secure dog field near Dunfermline.  We though they were late going from here.

[Rupert the bear]

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

[Possum]

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.

[Fleecewife]

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.

[Rupert the bear]

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.

[chrismahon]

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.

[Possum]

Are they still there Chris? Or have they flown further south?

[chrismahon]

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.

[doganjo]

Ours have gone from Duckhill dog park - even teeny babies form a second hatch.    Not sure they will make it.