First swallows

[Odsox]

Now I know MMM has had swallows swooping around her sub-tropical southern garden, but it was sure nice to see some today swooping around my more northerly garden.
Looking back at previous posts, I saw my first ones on 25 April 2012, 28 March 2011, 10 April 2010 & 16 April 2009, so the cold weather has put them off a bit compared to 2011, but about right for the other years.
The gannets came back ages ago, the chiffchaffs overwinter here so I'm now waiting for the cuckoo, then it should be summer.

[oldjerry]

No sign of any swallows yet,but the Gannets are coming this weekend....(to see their Grandchildren, I've already emptied the freezer, and I'm going fishing......)

[sleepyowl]

I saw my first butterfly today, well a shadow of one

[Green Aura]

It's gone straight to autumn here, so I'm guessing they've turned round and headed back south!

[southeast-isher]

spit or swallow? oops wrong forum.

[sleepyowl]

Saw my first pipistrelle today

[becks77]

Nothing here yet, keep looking skywards ;)

[becks77]

So that worked then, the swallows were sighted on Friday eve zooming over Hellingly and again (probably not the same pair) over Arlington resevoir on Sunday,along with martins. Just waiting for the swifts now

[sleepyowl]

had our first swift on Friday

[becks77]

Theres a group of swifts that come back here yearlyusually third week in April, to coincide with the bluebells , so I guess that could be this week then, isnt Mother Nature great

[Zech]

I saw one flying around on Saturday. It might have been the same one that Susie saw earlier in the week

[Odsox]

Saw my first pipistrelle today

We have a pipistrelle living in our soffit above the sitting room window. I have no idea where he/she gets in as I've searched and searched for a bat sized hole, to no avail. There is no sign of him/her in the loft either and our soffit was replaced a couple of years ago, but I still see it fly off at dusk every fine evening.
A couple of years ago there were two for a while but we're back down to a solitary one again ... must be a confirmed bachelor, although by now he's probably a grumpy old man hermit.

[becks77]

The swifts finally arrived yesterday, so pleased. Was beginning to think something untoward had happened to them. Its OK we can have summer now please