[Daisys Mum]

Watching my granddaughter do her first x country 

Did she do well ? I bet you were proud of her regardless

She is still on the lead rein so mum had to run round with her, they missed out a couple of the bigger jumps but she was so pleased with herself for not falling off!

[Rupert the bear]

Sad,        the swallows have departed       its going to be quiet around here.
At least next year there will be more places to nest as the roof is nearing completion and the new door wont seem to close properly 

[waterbuffalofarmer]

Buying presents for people and feeling depressed.

[Fleecewife]

Sad,        the swallows have departed       its going to be quiet around here.
At least next year there will be more places to nest as the roof is nearing completion and the new door wont seem to close properly 

Gone already?  We had some fledged today and another nestful still to do so. I don't think these late clutches have time to put on enough weight to migrate 
Our adults usually go about the middle of the month, but sometimes the late hatchers linger on until October.

[Q]

picking the biggest, juiciest plums I have seen in a while....   

[Rupert the bear]

Sad,        the swallows have departed       its going to be quiet around here.
At least next year there will be more places to nest as the roof is nearing completion and the new door wont seem to close properly 

Gone already?  We had some fledged today and another nestful still to do so. I don't think these late clutches have time to put on enough weight to migrate 
Our adults usually go about the middle of the month, but sometimes the late hatchers linger on until October.

Looking in the diary they have left 2 weeks early and the first of the geese have been seen.
On wednesday at work the swallows in the warehouse were lined up on the ledge in front of my desk some 3 feet away about 70 of them , they too have gone.

[devonlady]

For all of my adult life (50 odd years!) I have been determined to see the swallows go. I've seen them lining up saying ready, steady but the going of them always comes as a complete surprise!!

[Rupert the bear]

For all of my adult life (50 odd years!) I have been determined to see the swallows go. I've seen them lining up saying ready, steady but the going of them always comes as a complete surprise!!

I've never seen them depart ,its so sudden although as you say they are getting ready, it's their arrival I look forward to until then its the Blackbirds for amusement and company

[clydesdaleclopper]

Went to the rare breeds sale at Thainstone and got a lovely new cockerel and some geese to bring on for xmas dinner 

[Me]

Rendering

[waterbuffalofarmer]

Busy day tray. Went into town got some shopping and some pressies for mum, as a nice surprise then had a family BQQ  and in the middle saw a buff giving birth and it needed pulling, pulled it and its a big bull calf. The mothers licking it clean now.

[OaktreefarmAndy]

Hi all .only just joined.
Today I have been trying to entertain 30  screaming children having a party at the farm and will mostly be doing the same tomorrow.
The trials and tribulations of running a children's farm.

[Lesley Silvester]

Watching a starling on the bird-feeder and realising it's the first one I've seen in the garden for ages.

[Penninehillbilly]

Sad,        the swallows have departed       its going to be quiet around here.
At least next year there will be more places to nest as the roof is nearing completion and the new door wont seem to close properly 

Gone already?  We had some fledged today and another nestful still to do so. I don't think these late clutches have time to put on enough weight to migrate 
Our adults usually go about the middle of the month, but sometimes the late hatchers linger on until October.

Local fete today so not been here much, but our second lot have only just fledged, feel like proud parents seeing a second lot out, noticed about 14 sat on the edge of the house guttering yesterday, I really hope they haven't tried to set off yet, hope they are about tomorrow, Though I presume they just head down south before the main migration, I hope they do anyway, give the babies a chance to build up a bit.

[Buttermilk]

I understand that they can eat while migrating.  Those little spiders that leave threads all over the grass fields can float to about 2 miles and are scooped up by the migrating birds.