First swallows!
- Millymollymandy
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First swallows!
Saw three of them this morning I think we had a swallow watch on the forum last year - must go and have a search!
And first Chiffchaff singing yesterday!
And first Chiffchaff singing yesterday!
http://chateaumoorhen.blogspot.com/boboff wrote:Oh and just for MMM, (thanks)
- Millymollymandy
- A selfsufficientish Regular
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- Joined: Tue May 10, 2005 6:09 am
- Location: Brittany, France
Re: First swallows!
No, it was a last swallows of autumn watch!
Found this though that I posted on 17th April 2007 so I'll keep it here as a record for me to refer back to.
Found this though that I posted on 17th April 2007 so I'll keep it here as a record for me to refer back to.
So I know that this year's swallows are really quite early!I saw the first one on 31st March, and there are more around now swooping over my veg patch and the pond. We are a bit further south though!
Didn't hear my first Cuckoo until about a week ago though, which seemed a bit late to me, and the first Blackcap singing only a couple of days ago.
http://chateaumoorhen.blogspot.com/boboff wrote:Oh and just for MMM, (thanks)
Re: First swallows!
Dear Mmm,
Wow, they're on their way and bringing summer with them I hope! Will start to scan the skies and let you know when they're above South Hampshire!
Love and Peace
Jim
Wow, they're on their way and bringing summer with them I hope! Will start to scan the skies and let you know when they're above South Hampshire!
Love and Peace
Jim
The law will punish man or woman
Who steals the goose from off the Common
But lets that greater thief go loose
Who steals the Common from the goose.
Who steals the goose from off the Common
But lets that greater thief go loose
Who steals the Common from the goose.
Re: First swallows!
I'll start keeping a watchful eye out as well.
We usually have early swallows too, but the cuckoo is always very late getting here, often mid May before I hear one.
On the other hand the chiffchaffs overwinter here.
We usually have early swallows too, but the cuckoo is always very late getting here, often mid May before I hear one.
On the other hand the chiffchaffs overwinter here.
Tony
Disclaimer: I almost certainly haven't a clue what I'm talking about.
Disclaimer: I almost certainly haven't a clue what I'm talking about.
Re: First swallows!
Hi Mmm,
I've got a swallows nest (hirondelle de fenetre) under the eves at the front of my house and there's another two round the back, In summer there are loads of them here zooming back and forth from the church in front of my house and we sit and watch them from the living room or the back yard haven't seen or heard them yet but other species of birds have returned so they shouldn't be long now, Only little niggle I have is that the nest in front is directly over my postbox (boite de lettres) so I spend the summer cleaning there crap off my post box and doorstep, oh well, they do say it's meant to be a sign of good luck.
I've got a swallows nest (hirondelle de fenetre) under the eves at the front of my house and there's another two round the back, In summer there are loads of them here zooming back and forth from the church in front of my house and we sit and watch them from the living room or the back yard haven't seen or heard them yet but other species of birds have returned so they shouldn't be long now, Only little niggle I have is that the nest in front is directly over my postbox (boite de lettres) so I spend the summer cleaning there crap off my post box and doorstep, oh well, they do say it's meant to be a sign of good luck.
- Millymollymandy
- A selfsufficientish Regular
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- Joined: Tue May 10, 2005 6:09 am
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Re: First swallows!
Hi wee mary, that's a house martin! Swallows like to nest inside barns etc not the outside of houses. Lucky you - well apart from the poo that is. I see them in the village particularly round the church (what is it about churches?) but never over my house. We see swifts sometimes but they're always way high up.
http://chateaumoorhen.blogspot.com/boboff wrote:Oh and just for MMM, (thanks)
Re: First swallows!
Hiya Mmm,
Yeah house martins! ( but shhh! don't let my French hubby know, he will insist that they are swallows though I told him I thought they were called house martins,
What IS it with French hubbies always knowing that they are right eh?) Anyway still waiting for them to come back so I'll need to get the little shovel from the fire place ready for the poo.
Yeah house martins! ( but shhh! don't let my French hubby know, he will insist that they are swallows though I told him I thought they were called house martins,
What IS it with French hubbies always knowing that they are right eh?) Anyway still waiting for them to come back so I'll need to get the little shovel from the fire place ready for the poo.
- Millymollymandy
- A selfsufficientish Regular
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- Joined: Tue May 10, 2005 6:09 am
- Location: Brittany, France
Re: First swallows!
I don't know anything about French hubbies as I only have an English one but I guess the confusion is because both species are called Hirondelle! Now you need to get a nice birdie book in English and show him that they've both got different names, they nest in different habitats and they have quite different markings, and as for their tails......
Oh and whilst I'm making a bit of a record of what I've seen on this thread (to refer back to next year) the blackcaps started singing at the weekend and several days ago I saw some pipistrelle bats flying around at dusk!
Oh and whilst I'm making a bit of a record of what I've seen on this thread (to refer back to next year) the blackcaps started singing at the weekend and several days ago I saw some pipistrelle bats flying around at dusk!
http://chateaumoorhen.blogspot.com/boboff wrote:Oh and just for MMM, (thanks)
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Re: First swallows!
Haven't seen any swallows here yet - nor any blackcaps singing, but have seen the bats flitting around in the evenings. We think that they roost in our roofspace.
Shirley
NEEPS! North East Eco People's Site
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Don't forget to check out the Ish gallery on Flickr - and add your own photos there too. http://www.flickr.com/groups/selfsufficientish/
NEEPS! North East Eco People's Site
My photos on Flickr
Don't forget to check out the Ish gallery on Flickr - and add your own photos there too. http://www.flickr.com/groups/selfsufficientish/
Re: First swallows!
Still none in Hampshire yet, but then the earliest I've ever seen them here is the beginning of April. Won't be long now!
Love and Peace
Jim
Love and Peace
Jim
The law will punish man or woman
Who steals the goose from off the Common
But lets that greater thief go loose
Who steals the Common from the goose.
Who steals the goose from off the Common
But lets that greater thief go loose
Who steals the Common from the goose.
- Millymollymandy
- A selfsufficientish Regular
- Posts: 17637
- Joined: Tue May 10, 2005 6:09 am
- Location: Brittany, France
Re: First swallows!
Do bats hibernate does anyone know?
http://chateaumoorhen.blogspot.com/boboff wrote:Oh and just for MMM, (thanks)
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- A selfsufficientish Regular
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Re: First swallows!
yes - http://www.snh.org.uk/publications/on-l ... le/faq.aspMillymollymandy wrote:Do bats hibernate does anyone know?
Shirley
NEEPS! North East Eco People's Site
My photos on Flickr
Don't forget to check out the Ish gallery on Flickr - and add your own photos there too. http://www.flickr.com/groups/selfsufficientish/
NEEPS! North East Eco People's Site
My photos on Flickr
Don't forget to check out the Ish gallery on Flickr - and add your own photos there too. http://www.flickr.com/groups/selfsufficientish/
- Millymollymandy
- A selfsufficientish Regular
- Posts: 17637
- Joined: Tue May 10, 2005 6:09 am
- Location: Brittany, France
Re: First swallows!
Thanks Shirl - when I saw them the other night it got me wondering as to whether I had just never noticed them in winter or that they weren't around cos they hibernated!
http://chateaumoorhen.blogspot.com/boboff wrote:Oh and just for MMM, (thanks)
Re: First swallows!
The house martins have returned this morning, heard them in the backyard and saw them flying in and out of there nests at the back and front of the house
- Millymollymandy
- A selfsufficientish Regular
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- Joined: Tue May 10, 2005 6:09 am
- Location: Brittany, France
Re: First swallows!
My husband heard the first cuckoo here on Monday evening!
Have any swallows arrived in England yet?
Have any swallows arrived in England yet?
http://chateaumoorhen.blogspot.com/boboff wrote:Oh and just for MMM, (thanks)