Swallows

Starting to get worried about the swallows. I have only seen a few this year. There are usually loads where I live next to Temple Park/Cleadon hills and the surrounding farm land by now. The Sand Martins came back on time late March/early April at the Leas and Marsden Bay, the House Martins have returned over Boldon way (slightly late) and the Swifts turned up exactly on time May 12th-13th.

But next to no swallows, only ones I have seen were at Tilesheds and they have gone, so may have been passing through.

Has anybody else seen any in any numbers in their usual haunts?

 

I watch for the swallows every year as we usually have hundreds, earliest I have saw them is April 4th latest April 26th, this year May 6th and still not many even now. I’m in the Lakes by the way.

 

That sucks.

 

Spotted a flock of striped Tits earlier this year even managed to get a photo

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We have a "flock" (no idea if thats the right term) of red kites here but no swallows. I wonder if the over population of red kites has a knock on effect to other birds. it must, surely?

 

A red kite eatscarrion mainly so more of an impact on crows and magpies potentially. The only things quick enough to predate a swallow would be a Peregrine, Sparrowhawk, Merlin or Hobby.

It's probably more down to the Sahara :-(

 

Or the wind farms?

 

We’ve got 4 in the stables as usual. We’ll hopefully get 3 or 4 broods out.
What we have also got are billions of rabbits. Bastards.

 

Just outside Morpeth and we are usually surrounded by dozens of swallows by now, but so far this year just a solitary visitor has been spotted last week. Most unusual.

 

They tend to fly lower than the blades.

 

We need to start eating rabbit

 

My house backs on to a park so we get quite a lot of wildlife in the garden. No swallows about though, sadly. We did have a handful of green parakeets last year but they all seem to have disappeared.

 

How's your local Chinese doing at present?

 

Quite a few fledging atm, maybe a few less than normal but not a load less

 

I wouldn’t of thought there would be any fledging yet, to early.

 

Wow, that's unbelievably early. Where are you?

 

To be fledging now they would need to have arrived 2nd week of March.

 

The usual ones haven't turned up at all round here - Ouston and surrounding area.

 

I know , we're rural north east, but I thought that, not too many but definitely there.

 

Had Blue Tits in nest box in garden 2 years ago, nothing last year. Great Tits in this year, they checked nest box 7th March, started nest building 5th April, have a few chick's feeding last few days. Very few small birds knocking about SR6