migrating swallows

mrsp · #1 (**permalink**) 12-04-2010, 06:01 PM

Several months ago I thought I saw a swallow in my stable in Sussex,however I decided I must have been seeing things,as we had deep snow and bitter winds at the time. This year the usual mass of swallows have not yet arrived,however for several days one has been feeding and generally swooping around,it looks Ok but a bit 'tatty' Could a swallow have lived here through the winter and are the others just late arriving.We usually expect to see around 30-40 pairs in nesting time and reckoned close to 100 where flying round the stables just prior to them leaving last autumn.Several seemed to fledge late last summer and I wondered if they where going to be old enough to migrate.I can't recall them being this late before and this one single one is a mystery. Any ideas?

rossy · #2 (**permalink**) 12-04-2010, 06:31 PM

hello and welcome mrsp, on saturday i saw my first pair of swallows whilst up on the moors, but lots on here had seen them weeks ago, think you will have to play the waiting game, and dont forget we are only in mid april so theirs plenty of time , good luck and let us know when they arrive. rossy.

thebeard · #3 (**permalink**) 12-04-2010, 10:21 PM

seems strange, i haven't herd of overwintering swallows before but it could be a possibility??? is it definately a swallow????

aeshna5 · #4 (**permalink**) 13-04-2010, 04:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thebeard

seems strange, i haven't herd of overwintering swallows before but it could be a possibility??? is it definately a swallow????

Winter before last a handful of Swallows were around a couple of coastal locations- but for a bird that catches insects on the wing, mortality would be quite high for this species in the UK.

The more maritime locations meant less frost + possibly enough flies over seaweed.

darrenm · #5 (**permalink**) 13-04-2010, 07:29 AM

have seen the odd Swallow about in early November in recent years but feel these are mostly very late stragglers and perhaps do not make the journey to wintering grounds. With the weather last winter i cant see that any would have survived very long when the very cold weather kicked in due to the lack of flying insects.

Have only seen a couple so far this spring passing over this area of Nottinghamshire and only counted a single bird on the South-East coast this last weekend. Imagine if we get a warm blast of air in the next week or so we will get an influx

thebeard · #6 (**permalink**) 13-04-2010, 08:16 AM

darren, i've seen quite a lot of swallows around the area this year, there seems to be a good number at colwick, and i've seen a few at attenborough and at holme pit near clifton wood.

darrenm · #7 (**permalink**) 13-04-2010, 08:39 AM

i'm not getting round my local patches at present due to trying to sort a house out and property sale and maybe the reason i've not seen many so far this year. Hopefully will get out in the next day or so to have a look at the local patches and agree large areas of fresh water seem to be a very good bet if looking for Swallows at this time of year because they hold the food they are seeking.

Cannot understand why there were so few on Saturday at Dungeness unless the birds we have got in the midlands have worked their way from the East Coast and then inland after travelling up from Continental Europe.

Certain sites on the Lincolnshire Coast at this time of year you can see Swallows working their way South rather than North and this has been written about for a number of years and is thought to be most likely down birds that have followed the European Mainland up from wintering grounds before realising it is still too cold in Northern Europe and then heading back following our coast line but it makes you wonder if these particular birds stay to breed in the UK and if they work inland after re-orientation. There is still so much to learn about migration and all part of the excitement of this time of year

darrenm · #8 (**permalink**) 13-04-2010, 10:30 AM

Anyone who wants to submit records of any migrant bird species they have seen around their area can join Birdtrack which is run by the BTO and it is full of up to date information on migrant species in the UK and past records can be found on this website. It is well worth a look and you can help to contribute vital data concerning migrant bird species and your observations are needed.

mrsp · #9 (**permalink**) 13-04-2010, 09:26 PM

Thanks for your help. I am on the south coast and also on a farm so there's places for a swallow to get away from the worst of this winter's weather and of course horse+cow+manure= all year round bugs!! I guess if my one swallow has wintered here then he must have found enough to survive...still no sign of his mates yet though!
I have also double checked and yes it is a swallow.

rossy · #10 (**permalink**) 13-04-2010, 09:35 PM

darren quite a few on here reported swallows up in scotland and they said it was the earliest that they had seen them up there, just wondering which way they come back in to britain, or have any wind farms been erected on the routes these birds follow ie in the sea ? to which they could change direction as they probably fly low as they enter britain, only a guess. rossy.