Video taken at 17:30 on 16th Aug. Can anyone advise are these birds swifts and or swallows and is it normal for them to congratulate in such a large number and why. Thanks for any help.
I'm tempted to think swallows with housemartins, or possibly sandmartins, depending on your location and local environment.
Swifts tend to live on the wing rather than congregate on high perch locations. While many swifts (not all) will have started their migration back south, though some may still be later starting the migration.
Probably the main reason for the mass gathering of swallows and house/sandmartins, is preparing for migration to warmer climes, checking this years youngsters are fit and ready for the long flight south. This they do every year around late August through to mid/late September, depending on your location and how warm it is. Though it is possible, if the weather is favourable enough, for them to have a late brood, which I doubt for this year.
The following link is to the Wildlife Trusts webpage:
How to identify swifts, swallows, sand martins and house martins
https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife/how-identify/how-identify-swifts-swallows-sand-martins-and-house-martins
Swifts, swallows and martins: easy ID guide
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2022/05/swifts-swallows-and-martins-id/?gad_source=1&gclsrc=ds
If I've got the id's wrong, I hope someone will correct me, along with the reasons why.
Mike
Flickr: Peak Rambler
I didn't pick anything but martins from the video, although they are so quick they're easy to miss. I agree with Mike on the reason for the gathering, preparing for the journey south.
Thanks for your reply, yes very quick to catch exactly what they were
Thanks Mike, I didn’t think swifts because they weren’t making the screeching noise swifts usually make but I’m only a garden bird lover and not very knowledgeable. It certainly was an amazing sight and my husband and I were late to our appointment because we didn’t want to stop watching them .
Janet52 said:Thanks Mike, I didn’t think swifts because they weren’t making the screeching noise swifts usually make but I’m only a garden bird lover and not very knowledgeable. It certainly was an amazing sight and my husband and I were late to our appointment because we didn’t want to stop watching them .
You're welcome.
Yes, swifts do have a very distinctive screech.
The swifts here, and I'm just east of Birmingham, migrated at the beginning of August, a little earlier than normal, but only by a few days. There are locations further south where they are still around.
You might like to have a look through the Swifts, Swallows & Martins, share your photos and videos here 2024 thread. There's no obligation to post, feel free to have a look and if you wish, share your observations. You don't need to be a big time wildlife photographer or videographer, just enjoy what you see and enjoy sharing your thoughts.
There are similar themed threads around other species, animal, bird and plants, because all are part nature, and all support each other.
The only way I could identify potentially swallows and house/sandmartins, was to pause the video at a suitable point and take a screengrab, coupled with the distinctive chattering sound from barn swallows, also identifiable by the distinctive forked tail. The white on the chest of one in flight, but shorter tail, suggested house/sandmartin.
Stick around, don't worry that you only recognise your regular garden birds, we all start somewhere, and often it's just that garden activity that gets the interest going.
There are many good books, plus a few here like to use the Merlin Bird app (yes I've had a dabble), which is very good at identifying bird calls on your smartphone.
Though it's a bit of a big book to be considered pocket, it is a good handy book to keep for reference purposes; the DK Pocket Nature Wildlife of Britain.
Above all, do not try to binge learn. Learn to identify those one at a time in the garden and build gradually from there. Don't be reserved about asking, we may be a bit daft, but all ready to help where we can.
They are swallows. Mostly young ones from what I can make out.