First swallows!

[becks77]

No swallows here yet, but keeping a watch on the sunshine coast (its raining for all its worth at the moment!!)

[jim]

Dear MMM,

Been looking every day but none in this bit of Hampshire so far. Can't be long though,

Love and Peace
Jim

[Mrs Moustoir]

We've three swallows here now. There was only one for a couple of weeks but now he/she has been joined by two others.

I love their twitterings (sound of summer in France for me) and when they perch on the electric wires - they look like musical notes.

[jim]

They've made it to England at last. Saw a pair determinedly heading northwards this morning - despite the rain. Keep looking, summer's on its way!

Love and Peace
Jim

[Millymollymandy]

Yippee! Will you post when you hear the cuckoo?

The swallows here keep taking soil from my veg patch though I don't know where they are nest building but there are lots of old stone barns etc in the hamlet so I imagine they have plenty of places. We have absolutely tons of them here in summer, all swooping down drinking from my lake and flying over the fields and my garden. I love them.

[jim]

Dear MMM,

When I hear one I'll post it. But there haven't been many cuckoos these past few years,

Love and Peace
Jim

[becks77]

We live next to a disused train line called the cuckoo trail, they are heard quite often round here, so keeping ears open . Haven't seen swifts this end of the coast yet.

[Odsox]

We live next to a disused train line called the cuckoo trail, they are heard quite often round here, so keeping ears open . Haven't seen swifts this end of the coast yet.

You won't hear the cuckoo until Heathfield Cuckoo Fair when the 'old lady' let's it out of the tower, or so I'm told
No idea when Heathfield Cuckoo Fair is though but I think it's possibly the 25th April.

[becks77]

Yes 25th April for the Heathfield cuckoo fair.
Thiught I saw a couple of swifts this morning but were very high and couldn't quite make it out.

[Odsox]

Heard the cuckoo this morning, cuckooing like mad at the moment.
I think it's early for here as other years it's been late May before I heard it, in fact some years I've wondered if it's coming at all.

Swallows are here too, saw the first ones earlier in the week.
Hopefully it means summer is not that far away.

[becks77]

Well done with the cuckoo that seems very early but as you say hopefully summer is on its way!
Went over to Isle of Wight last week and saw 2 swallows, got home and the house martins are here too, looking forward to cuckoo fair next week, still keeping eyes and ears open.

[Odsox]

Sorry to sort of hijack this thread, but I didn't think it worth starting another (more appropriate) one.

Our swallows have gone, I missed them at the weekend. All the fledglings and their parents have been sitting on the wires chattering away for a couple of weeks, but now ... nothing.
That's not to say we don't have any swallows at all, just that OURS have gone. I assume that the odd few flying about are ones from further north stocking up on food before heading out to sea.

It will seem a long time before they come back, they will be sorely missed.

[Millymollymandy]

Ooooooooooooh that is so sad! I keep looking at the sky because last year I missed them going then suddenly one day they weren't there any more, and I don't want to miss that, if you know what I mean. So every day I check now to make sure they are still there!

I think the swallows leaving is the worst thing about the end of summer.

[Odsox]

I keep getting waves of them. Yesterday there were about 50 sitting on the wires, today there are 2 or 3 swooping around.
As they get as far north as Norway I assume I am seeing Scottish ones stocking up with rations before taking advantage of the high pressure system and the southerly winds.
Still sad to see them go.

[Millymollymandy]

You really had me worried yesterday morning for a while as I couldn't see any out the kitchen window which I normally do! Luckily when I went outside I saw some over the field, but none have been on any wires - not that I can see many wires from my house. The only time I see them perched on the phone line to the house is when they are young and they are waiting mum and dad to bring them some food. I have no way of knowing which are the ones that 'live' around here and which are coming from oop north.

Was talking about this with my mum yesterday who said her ones (in Somerset) had been perching and also we were talking about how the robins had just started to sing in the mornings which she said was a sign of the end of summer - winter coming (shudder!).