Putting the dogs to bed in their stable last night and I looked up to see the swallows that are normally asleep in the roof…. but nothing there!
No sign of them bombing around today either. Seems like they’ve gone already – they must know something we don’t because they’re normally around a few weeks later than this 🙁
Just about to order more heating oil and been looking at the log store wondering if we’ve got enough for another long winter…. the answer to which is that you can never have too much wood.

I’ll have to check this evening on the ones in the outbuilding. There was still lots of squeaking in there earlier in the week from the second brood.
Anyone know if they hang around till they fledge, or if they just bugger off and leave them as a mistake if all the other swallows are going.

you can never have too much wood

Ever heard of priapism 😉

They normally all hang around on the phone line for a couple of days before setting off which I didn’t see this year, but then I was away for 4 days last week. Sad.

Mine left weeks ago. Peace and quiet and no more crap all over the window sills.

Ours are still here, they were out feeding when I was out with the dogs at the back of 7. Geese have been here for almost 2 weeks though 🙁

Sat in the field the other day watching what must have been 50-70 of them flying around together (guessing they were mating?). Nice to see so many birds out as we have a new massive bird of prey in the area which has meant none of the usual birds have been out. You just get the occasional pigeon racing from tree to tree as quick as they can.

I ‘m yet to go up into the field today but I think they are still around.

no more crap all over the window sills.

That’s pretty much the only upside….. they do poo all over the floor underneath the nests 😡
Other than that, I love ’em.

Yep they were doing the phone line thing about 2 weeks ago – was like a scene from the Hitchcock film :), but they still seemed to hang around. Last sunday I saw about a 1000 plus of the things skimming around a nearby hay meadow which was quite a sight.
This year is the first time I’ve had swallows nest, and there’s been a lot more in the area.
A lot of local land near me has been taken out of intensive agriculture recently and I reckon that may be linked to their increase.

The cat’s going to be disappointed when they go too, as I think it sees catching one as the ultimate challenge 🙂

They showed up down here on August 31.

Hang on….. false alarm, they’re still here 🙂

That’s pretty much the only upside….. they do poo all over the floor underneath the nests
Other than that, I love ’em.

Still a big pile of lime outside the front door/bedroom windowsill. And I could hear squeaking from the nest on Sunday night.

Given the grimness of the weather in West Lancs now, I’d be surprised if they stay much longer….

I bet they wish they hadn’t have bleedin’ bothered coming here for “the summer.”

Thousands of miles in economy for piss and wind.

Poor buggers.

Swifts have cleared off from round our way. Probably been gone a week.

ours are still here in North Somerset. Stood in the field today with 60+ all flying around me at about 1ft off the ground. Didn’t pay any attention to me or the dog.

still here in West & North Yorkshire

Still here too.
Less the one that fell out of the nest for the waiting cat.

Saw them flying around today. Earlier this summer I can remember seeing a swallow walking on the ground. Never seen that before.

Haven’t seen swifts for a little while, but I was out near Cherhill White Horse today at North Down, which is a specially farmed area around ancient monuments, and there were loads of swallows snatching insects off of the flower heads, and martins flying a little higher up. I was on holiday in South Devon last year the first week in October, and there were loads around then.

CountZero you should cycle on the k & a canal.i cycle to melksham bike shop from devizes and always have seen some swifts (between the barge inn at seend and the bridge at semmington) they are great ariel acrobats 🙂