Dearth of swallows and swifts this year?

Sat 10 Jul 2010, 19:29

Swallows and swifts are the same numbers as usual as far as I can tell, arrived same time as usual too.
Perhaps they have been doing houses up in Church Street? That generally causes the birds to nest elsewhere, whether they are swallows, swifts or martins and they won't return, I don't know about swifts numbers there usually though.

Sat 10 Jul 2010, 16:59

The day after I posted, late afternoon, a small flotilla of about 20 swifts went screeling over so that is an improvement - I wonder if they have been biding their time further south and its only now the insect fodder is building up to effective levels as Russell suggested. But generally we are well down on previous years. I've seen only 2 couples doing the rounds this afternoon. I suppose the rest could be hunting further afield of course.

Sat 10 Jul 2010, 13:10

we have lots of wildlife her in finstock swifts and swallows and at night we have foxes and owls but not seen many butterflies as yet.

Fri 9 Jul 2010, 17:23

Another generalisation: swifts scream while they are flying; swallows chatter while they are sitting down. And no, the martins wouldn't chase the others away, as they are not competing for nesting sites - each species has its own preferred (and often historical) nest locations.

Fri 9 Jul 2010, 16:49

Is it right that the martins drive the swallows and swifts away? Anyway, it's so lovely to hear the few swallows and swifts we have, not that I can tell the difference listening to them. I love their chirpy cries.

Fri 9 Jul 2010, 11:25

There's no lack of cabbage white butterfly eggs on my plants!

Fri 9 Jul 2010, 08:53

....and a total lack so far of butterflies too....

Thu 8 Jul 2010, 21:59

Certainly not as many swifts over Hixet Wood as there were last year, and only one pair of swallows seen so far. No martins here either, but they appear to favour the town centre. Bearing in mind the dreary cold winter and spring, maybe if the birds did fly in on their normal schedule, there would not have been much for them to eat since everything (bugs and plants) seems to have been about a month later than last year.

Thu 8 Jul 2010, 19:12

Loads of Martins nesting on the Rose and Crown. Perhaps the late Spring increased mortality on arrival?

Thu 8 Jul 2010, 15:42

Anyone else remarked upon how few swallows and swifts there are this year compared to a few years back? I've only counted about 6 swallows at a time (3 pairs) and about the same swifts from looking out above our back garden, whereas 5 years ago on arriving here one had to run the gauntlet of screeling birds when walking down Church Street! Is it something happening here or is something ominous happening in Africa where they overwinter?