Agri Vehicles Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: How long for swallows to fledge?  (Read 17247 times)

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
How long for swallows to fledge?
« on: August 30, 2012, 06:27:52 pm »
We have just seen a new clutch of swallow eggs has hatched - Aug 30th. They might be a few days old, but not more.  Our swallows usually leave in mid-Sept - is there any chance for this new brood to be flying and independant in time to go?  In past years the last brood to hatch has often been left behind and they set off a bit later on their own, but I don't remember it being so late before.  It's an awfully long way to South Africa  :(
"Let's not talk about what we can do, but do what we can"

There is NO planet B - what are YOU doing to save our home?

Do something today that your future self will thank you for - plant a tree

 Love your soil - it's the lifeblood of your land.

Bionic

  • Joined Dec 2010
  • Talley, Carmarthenshire
Re: How long for swallows to fledge?
« Reply #1 on: August 30, 2012, 06:31:17 pm »
Mine are late too but one nest has had a disaster. The whole nest fell down in the bad weather and I found 3 dead chicks in the plant pot below  :(
Sally
Life is like a bowl of cherries, mostly yummy but some dodgy bits

jaykay

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Cumbria/N Yorks border
Re: How long for swallows to fledge?
« Reply #2 on: August 30, 2012, 07:07:19 pm »
I've had several sets of swallows and a nest of housemartins fledge in July. Now I've got two more swallows nests, one in the goat byre and one in the coal shed. They can each only have been hatched a week.

As far as I can find out, they take 17-24 days to fledge. So I guess they'll be heading off on their own at the end of September. Will you tell yours to call and pick mine up on the way  :)

Mammyshaz

  • Joined Feb 2012
  • Durham
Re: How long for swallows to fledge?
« Reply #3 on: August 30, 2012, 08:42:29 pm »
Do you think it could be due to the odd weather we've had this year confusing the birds?

Hopefully well have a bout of warmer weather september/October to see the majority leave for Africa later than normal  :fc:

thestephens

  • Joined Mar 2011
  • aberdeenshire
Re: How long for swallows to fledge?
« Reply #4 on: August 31, 2012, 12:35:57 pm »
last sunday we found the nest that was in the pigs hut had fallen and narrowly missed their water pail!!!! 3 babies still alive so the SPCA came and said they had a good chance as they had feathers, still warm but when they tried to fly ....plop to the ground, if only the nest had held for a couple more days!

jaykay

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Cumbria/N Yorks border
Re: How long for swallows to fledge?
« Reply #5 on: August 31, 2012, 12:41:19 pm »
Can you make a cardboard box ledge for them temporarily, staple gun it to where the nest was? I did this successfully once when my clumsy hubby caught a nest with the handle of the rake, as he put it away in the shed.

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: How long for swallows to fledge?
« Reply #6 on: September 02, 2012, 12:13:41 am »
Yes you can repair a nest fairly easily.  My OH used cement, chicken wire, string and sheeps wool to repair our House Martins nest when it got damaged by marauding sparrows and a heavy rain storm.  Chicks had just hatched - they survived and the parents have raised 2 further broods in the now very odd-looking nest  :thumbsup:
 
Jaykay - I will indeed ask my little swallows to collect yours on their way south  ;D .  We had a peep in the nest today and there are four chicks, at the punk hairstyle stage  :love:  all beak and begging
"Let's not talk about what we can do, but do what we can"

There is NO planet B - what are YOU doing to save our home?

Do something today that your future self will thank you for - plant a tree

 Love your soil - it's the lifeblood of your land.

bangbang

  • Guest
Re: How long for swallows to fledge?
« Reply #7 on: September 02, 2012, 06:18:52 am »
We have four just reaching 'hing oot the nest stage', ready to fly in a
week I reckon... :fc: Messy critters though.....

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: How long for swallows to fledge?
« Reply #8 on: September 11, 2012, 07:49:00 pm »
Ours fledged today  :yippee:  or rather two fledged and the other two are sitting on a beam not going anywhere  ::)
"Let's not talk about what we can do, but do what we can"

There is NO planet B - what are YOU doing to save our home?

Do something today that your future self will thank you for - plant a tree

 Love your soil - it's the lifeblood of your land.

robert waddell

  • Guest
Re: How long for swallows to fledge?
« Reply #9 on: September 11, 2012, 08:38:34 pm »
we still have several nests of them   look quite big  though :farmer:

jaykay

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Cumbria/N Yorks border
Re: How long for swallows to fledge?
« Reply #10 on: September 11, 2012, 08:54:47 pm »
Mine have been whizzing round the goat byre for a couple of days now  ;D

Brucklay

  • Joined Apr 2010
  • Perthshire
    • Brucklay Pygmy Goats
    • Facebook
Re: How long for swallows to fledge?
« Reply #11 on: September 11, 2012, 09:00:37 pm »
our's have been out the nest for a week but are determined to get back into the hay shed to roost - now poo everywhere!!! The one place I hoped they would avoid they want to nest in.


Anyway they are doing well and happily roost about my tools (now covered)
Pygmy Goats, Shetland Sheep, Zip & Indie the Border Collies, BeeBee the cat and a wreak of a building to renovate!!

Fowgill Farm

  • Joined Feb 2009
Re: How long for swallows to fledge?
« Reply #12 on: September 12, 2012, 10:15:53 am »
Went in byre this morning and found a nest up in eaves with 3 swallow babies in it, they look fairly new, parents are furiously feeding but all the other swallows are starting to line up on the telegraph wires prepearing to go, will the parents abandon these babies and go with the rest or will they wait until their own babies are ready to go? Think their might be another nest full of babies in the farrowing house, oh dear
mandy  :pig:

robert waddell

  • Guest
Re: How long for swallows to fledge?
« Reply #13 on: September 12, 2012, 10:46:07 am »
never known them to leave the young    reduced numbers for a while     but they dont all come here in the one go :farmer:

JFDI

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Hertfordshire
Re: How long for swallows to fledge?
« Reply #14 on: September 12, 2012, 10:51:37 am »
Our second brood fledged about a fortnight ago and left over a week ago.  Have even cleared up the mess

 

Forum sponsors

FibreHut Energy Helpline Thomson & Morgan Time for Paws Scottish Smallholder & Grower Festival Ark Farm Livestock Movement Service

© The Accidental Smallholder Ltd 2003-2024. All rights reserved.

Design by Furness Internet

Site developed by Champion IS