First swifts seen.

[no-one in particular]

A few reported over Pulborough on Friday and Saturday, must be the first ones, not seen any myself. I thought it a bit early as it is still very cold but maybe the winds were favorable. I haven't seen any swallows or house martins yet.

Sorry, this should have gone on the bait box thread.

 

[sam vimes]

No sign of swifts as far north as me. However, the martins were here just over a month ago. The first swallows I spotted were about two weeks back, but they seem to have come in waves that just pass through.

 

[no-one in particular]

I visited a river with a castle nearby and thought I would see some swallows there but not one or any house martins, and I usually see some swallows there at least. Come to think of it not many insects flying about either so not much food for them yet. I good hot couple of weeks will probably see them come back in numbers.

 

[steve2]

Judging by the birds in my garden the weather is upsetting them. Some startred building nests then stopped. The wood piegon have already laid eggs.

 

[rob48]

Woodies breed all year round apart from the coldest period of December to February.

 

[rayner]

All I ever see are feral pigeons and collared doves, mind I haven't been outside for over a year apart from getting my blood tested.

 

[Molehill]

Never seen swifts this early in Wales, like clockwork they were 5/6th May at the old house. Mind you Pulborough is only a short flight for a swift - they could easily be on a day trip for a look and back to the continent by evening.

 

[108831]

I think if you went to Grafham you might see a few early yearlings,first birds to return,breeding adults return later...

 

[Philip]

I just saw the first one this evening in Nothern France. 3 birds zipping round a clear blue sky.

A moment I look forward to every year and like clockwork they are here.

 

[108831]

Apparently my wife saw one over the house this evening whilst talking to neighbours....however if you believe in spirits(which I don't,only single malts)it could have been their lovely dog,who had to be put down that morning....

 

[Silure]

We are a lot further south so see the swallows and swifts earlier, but this year they did not arrive until 2 weeks ago. Normally they are around our lake the last week of March but this year in was the third week of April.

 

[no-one in particular]

We are a lot further south so see the swallows and swifts earlier, but this year they did not arrive until 2 weeks ago. Normally they are around our lake the last week of March but this year in was the third week of April.

Cold north easterly winds here for the last couple of weeks, must be holding a lot of migratory birds up. Perhaps we will get a bit of an explosion when the weather turns.

 

[flightliner]

I saw my first swifts exactly a week ago on the lincs/notts border flying over the lake I was on.
Lovely to see!

 

[no-one in particular]

Its odd but despite living on the SE coast and what is a natural area for seeing the first and last of many migratory birds I never see swifts until about July usually. The first big heat wave and they seem to appear like magic in the valley below me, doing their thing, in fact they pass my upstirs window within a few feet like squadrons of spitfires all day long but never see them other wise.
Here's an old picture taken a few years ago, took me ages to get that on my mobile phone.

 

[sam vimes]

I invariably hear swifts before I see them. The first notice I get of them is being woken up by them as they scream around the eaves of the building I live in. I don't ever recall hearing or seeing them before May. That ties in nicely with the RSPBs expectation of them arriving in the last week of April or early May.
https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/swift/distribution-migration/

 

[seth49]

Probably be two or three weeks before I see one up here, even though they nest lower down the village.

 

[no-one in particular]

I invariably hear swifts before I see them. The first notice I get of them is being woken up by them as they scream around the eaves of the building I live in. I don't ever recall hearing or seeing them before May. That ties in nicely with the RSPBs expectation of them arriving in the last week of April or early May.
https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/swift/distribution-migration/

That's what I usually hear, I don't mind that, a change to squawking seagulls. Your link may have provided an answer for me quote" Autumn migration begins in late July or early August. The onset of the migration is believed to be triggered by the lack of insects high in the air. Few swifts are left in September."
It would seem that's what I am getting, as it is usually late July and August, as I am on the coast it is possibly they are on their way back and I am seeing them before they make their crossing having a good feed up because I don't see them before that usually.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

They are usually seen a lot on the Plain by now but then I've not been over there for some long time . . . .

I look forward to seeing some though the week after next when I venture out on my local pub which is on the Plain.

 

[The Runner]

Sadly don't get swifts up here at all apart from the very occasional wanderer, only a handful of reports a year. Just about the only thing I miss from living on the outskirts of London.....

Everything very late up here, so far seen a few sand martins but no house martins or swallows at all yet. No sign either of the small numbers of remaining corncrakes returning to their usual areas
Northerly winds again now, keeping everything back . Except the very stray hoopoe that's turned up about ten miles from here..

 

[sam vimes]

Northerly winds again now, keeping everything back . Except the very stray hoopoe that's turned up about ten miles from here..

Every time we get a bit of sun and a S/SE/SW wind I see a few swallows. When it switches back to N/NE they disappear again.

You've done well to see a hoopoe up there. I reckon I've seen about three in the UK in my lifetime. One of those was during a three year stint in Oxfordshire. A mate had one in his North Yorkshire back garden last year.