House Martins and Swallows

[xmetman]

Has anyone seen any House Martins or Swallows where they live?

Despite scanning the sky I've yet to see one this year in our part of Devon.

[Paul Garvey]

Yes. Swallows were back in Dawlish last Thursday (19th). Well, one was! Seen a couple more since then. 

[xmetman]

I think they must be building up their energy before moving further north!

[Trevor Harley]

They certainly haven't reached east Scotland yet, although a friend claimed to have seen one swallow earlier this week.

I've heard willow warblers singing in my garden from Monday though.

[xmetman]

This afternoon we did see a single swallow!

[Paul Garvey]

Yay! A few more this morning. In the summer, there can easily be a hundred hunting over the fields. 

[xmetman]

Still no House Martins in our part of Devon, just a few Swallows and an occasional Swift, although we did see quite a few north of Inverness last week.

[Jack Harrison]

Many Swallows and a few House Martins in the Moray Firth area seen since I got back last Friday and no doubt had arrived earlier.  Sand Martins in even greater numbers: I saw my first Sand Martins about three weeks ago before my holiday down south.  No Swifts yet but they are always later.

Jack

[Len W]

Yes Bruce, funny that.
No swallows here either.

Spring has sprung
The grass is riz
I wonder where the birdies iz?

Len
Wembury

[Colin Youngs]

<No swallows here either>

The mysterious lack of swallows this year has been noticed in Belgium as well.  There was an item about it on the website of Flemish TV News last Friday.

A Belgian naturalist said in the article that some misfortune on the birds' migration route from Africa to Europe may be the cause.  He suggested that they may have been caught up in sandstorms (harmattan) and been blown off course and unable to find enough food and water, and many may therefore have died as a result.

Article (in Dutch)  https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2018/05/11/duizenden-boerenzwaluwen-zijn-vermist--waar-zijn-ze--/

Colin Youngs

Brussels

[xmetman]

Try the Birdtrack app that I found yesterday on the BTO site:

https://app.bto.org/birdtrack/main/data-home.jsp

It does indicate a drop in the number of House Martins and Swallows for this time of year.

It's a shame that the map is of a fixed size and you can't reduce or toggle the size of the plotted icons on it, hopefully the beta will be betta.

[Jack Harrison]

Party of six Swifts today near Aviemore, my first of the season. 
Swallows over some lochs.  On arrival here, Swallows traditionally hunt for insects over water before dispersing.  So try looking for the "missing" ones over lakes and reservoirs.

PS   Found a pair of Black-throated Divers at a new (to me) site.

Jack

[Trevor Harley]

Definitely far, far fewer than last year, and last year had lower numbers than the year before. The skies are virtually empty. A couple of martins and a poor lonely swallow.

There have been letters in the Telegraph about it.

Trevor

Near Dundee

[Jack Harrison]

There have been letters in the Telegraph about it.

All is explained then - clearly a Tory plot to keep out immigrants!
Jack

[Stephen Davenport]

For what it's worth - probably not much - swallows reached central Indiana late April / early May. They are called barn swallows here but they are just the same species, hirundo rustica. They were preceded by bank swallows, rough-winged swallows, tree swallows and purple martins but all are less plentiful than the marvellous chimney swifts that treat us every evening.

The first few ruby-throated hummingbirds were also spotted late April / early May but they have not yet discovered our garden feeders. They did last year so I'm sure that they will soon.

Stephen

Indianapolis IN.

[Ian Bingham]

There are a few here round farm buildings, but nowhere else as far as I can see.  Last year, and so far this year, there have been far fewer than usual everywhere I've been.  I remember reading last year (or maybe it was the year before) that German scientists had notice a significant reduction in the number of flying insects in Germany.  This probably went for NW Europe as well, so maybe that has something to do with it.

Ian Bingham,

Inchmarlo, Aberdeenshire.

[Paul Garvey]

After their arrival, there are currently fewer swallow in Dawlish now than there were in May last year. No doubt.

[xmetman]

I finally saw my first Devon House Martin today. 

The only trouble though, is that sparrows have taken over their nests.

[Jack Harrison]

Nairn harbour today.  There are fewer than usual but no doubt the weekend's storms will bring in a lot more from mainland Europe.

Jack

[Dan Grey]

For what it's worth, there seem to be far more swifts this year -- multiple times more compared to previous years. I've noticed this in Devon and in Berks/Oxon.

[Jack Harrison]

Swallow here in N.Scotland were simply late (but there might be a weather-related reason for that).  Now they are in excellent numbers everywhere.  On Saturday, I saw a flock of around 100 over a cow field (with a manure heap = insects).

House Martins, never as numerous here, are OK (ish) with a colony today of around 25 at Dava.

Swifts are not common here and quite localised.  I have seen a mere handful..

Jack