What....... is the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow?

Ah, the famous Monty Python quote. Read on, our intern Sarah will tell you more....

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"True hope is swift, and flies with swallow's wings" – William Shakespeare

One of the birds that are now starting to arrive this spring is the barn swallow; a few have been spotted around the reserve already, and more will be on the way soon. They are easy to identify, with striking bright blue upperparts and a red/orange face; the younger birds are generally a browner colour. You may see while they are flying, their forked tail (swallow tail) and the curved and pointed wings that are very distinctive and very easy to spot.

They get their name because they use manmade structures to nest in, such as barns and farmhouses. So as humans populate more areas, so do the swallows. These are usually found in open country such as meadows and farmland. They make nests shaped like cups, which are made from mud pellets lined with feathers and grass. The song of the barn swallow is a light warble and is often associated with the arrival of spring. The Barn Swallow is the national bird of Austria and Estonia and they can be found all over the world; however they do not like very hot or cold areas. They eat mostly insects, such as large flies and aphids and they drink by skimming low over water and scooping it up.

(Swallow collecting mud to make a nest - Photo by Neil Smith)

When preparing for breeding season the male barn swallow arrives at the breeding grounds first. He then selects a nest site and circles round it singing as he goes, to advertise himself to the female. How successful the male is at breeding depends on the length of his tail, the longer the tail, the more attractive he is. This is because males with long tails seem to live longer and don’t get sick as much, which is very important when you mate for life. Barn swallows have been known to partner up with ospreys to protect each other. The osprey protects the barn swallow from birds of prey, and the barn swallows call tells the osprey when predators are near.

So that’s a little about one of our more recent arrivals. And as for the answer to the Monty Python question? Roughly 24 mph (yes, someone really worked it out!).