Swallows still in nest!

[marchhare]

We have 3 baby swallows still in their nest in our barn, they are not likely to fledge in the next week. This is the third brood raised this year. The parents are still feeding them but obviously time is running out. Is it unusual to have such a late brood and what are the chances of the parents sticking around to complete the job. Assuming the babies fledge what are the chances of making it to Africa? Will the parents get the urge to fly off and leave the babies? I assume there is nothing I can do to aid their survival.
Any comments or advice?

[aeshna5]

Last year some Swallows were still around some southern/western coasts into December! If there are still flying insects about they may be ok.

[marchhare]

Phew! The three babies have fledged today, fingers crossed the weather stays reasonable so they can gain strength before the long flight south!

[Jonathan]

Originally Posted by marchhare

Phew! The three babies have fledged today, fingers crossed the weather stays reasonable so they can gain strength before the long flight south!

Hi,

Last week I found a nest full of ready-to-fledge juv. swallows in an old quarry high up on a moor in Argyll. A few days later, on Islay, a pair of house martins were still feeding young in a nest on the wall of the public toilets in Port Ellen!

Cheers
Jonathan

[sunnydale]

I saw these Swallows in the nest a couple of weeks ago........




Tracey.

[big bill]

They were on about this last night on Autum Watch birds that have normally migrated by now like the Swallows Sand martins ,but reports of some still nesting and bringing up broods and were asking people to log onto their website and reprt their findings with locations and they were going to investigate it,as it seems to be happening quite a lot

[roobarrb]

The last of 'our' swallows (we have three nests in our garage rafters) disappeared sometime last week. Here in South Lanarkshire that's pretty late. Usually I see them gathering on the phone cables before they set off. Missed that this year, so I didn't get a chance to wish them luck (it's a little tradition of mine - yes, I know I'm a saddo). It's strange how you get quite attached to them. In early summer they are just so full of life, tearing through the sky swooping and screeching at eachother. If we leave the kitchen door open, one or two invariably flutter inside to have a quick look round. It's a shame they are only here for a few months. I'm missing them already.

[aeshna5]

On Sunday I saw 2 recently fledged Swallows sitting on wires near their nest.