It's getting to that time of year, when those hirundinidaes, or for the less educated like me, swifts, swallows, house and sand martins are returning to the UK to breed. We've read and heard the stories where the nesting sites have been blocked, off with netting etc, here we can share the happier moments of these birds in their majesty.
They can be tricky little birds to photograph in flight, fast, darting around, up-down. flying around (for those wondering, the words came from the opening theme to Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines film, where a group of wouldbe aviators flew from London to Paris in around 25 hours during the VERY early days of flying, theme tune HERE), but why not have a go, so I'll start the 2022 thread off with, very much a case of grab the camera and shoot photos, because the sun was at the wrong angle, and hadn't been good all day to be honest.
The link to last years thread Swifts, Swallows & Martins, share your photos and videos here 2021 for those who want to look back at the many photos shared, and all were good and most welcome to view.
https://community.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/f/all-creatures/277106/swifts-swallows-martins-share-your-photos-and-videos-here/1354849#pifragment-4285=1
My first swallow for 2022
My first, I think, house martin, please correct me if I'm wrong. [post edit, sand martin, thanks to Bob and Zo for the correction]
Both taken at RSPB Conwy
Mike
Flickr: Peak Rambler
A couple of Swallow pics from near Whinlatter forest in the lakes. There was a small area with a few cottages that was teeming with them :-)
I usually get Swifts pass over where I am but havnt had any so far. I see House martins nearby but I don’t see Swallows as much unless I go to the right place they are around locally though. But I would usually have to go for a drive. I havnt ever seen a Sand Martin before except from a photo. I don’t know if you find this aswell but I find Swallows tend to fly very low sometimes and get surpriseingly close close enough you would think it might go into you but they never do. And they can fly exstremely close to ground or water. Whereas with house Martins i find I usually have to try even harder to get photos since they don’t tend to fly as low as the swallows do. I know what you are trying to say about the swallows though. They have more colourful plummage iridescent blue with a red chin and long tail streamers and can be amazing to watch
Zo Clark said: I usually get Swifts pass over where I am but havnt had any so far. I see House martins nearby but I don’t see Swallows as much unless I go to the right place they are around locally though. But I would usually have to go for a drive. I havnt ever seen a Sand Martin before except from a photo. I don’t know if you find this aswell but I find Swallows tend to fly very low sometimes and get surpriseingly close close enough you would think it might go into you but they never do. And they can fly exstremely close to ground or water. Whereas with house Martins i find I usually have to try even harder to get photos since they don’t tend to fly as low as the swallows do. I know what you are trying to say about the swallows though. They have more colourful plummage iridescent blue with a red chin and long tail streamers and can be amazing to watch
Sorry for the late reply, I've been off grid for a while, enjoying a weekend at Silverstone for the GP with my son, and that has taken its toll on my leg.
Still, upward and forward, and to answer your question, the swallows I tend to see are not far from water, and often fly low over the water surface to catch the insects, though I have seen them swooping over the grass.
I guess a lot will depend on where the insects are, as to how high or low they fly, whereas swifts always here anyway, seem to fly high irrespective. But, this is a very urban area, so insect availability may be higher.
But, I have seen a swift chase down our garden, just the once!
As for house martins, very much the same as the swallows, and also close to water.
But they are observations, rather than defining their flight patterns.
With me I usually only see House Martins when there nesting cause they nest here locally. With house Martins Last time it was under the eaves of houses down the road and this year its at Highfield Garden World which isn’t very far but its 15 minutes or half an hour away. I havnt seen any nesting down the road or around the block yet But When I commented and said I havnt seen any Swifts locally yet I think I spoke too soon cause the day after I said that they suddenly turned up calling and doing there agile acrobatic manoeuvreing over the house. I filmed them but they stopped calling as soon as I pressed record. I allways find they look like boomerangs and aeroplanes cause of how there wings are when they fly. With Swallows I usually have to go near a barn or near farmland to see them. And Saul canal is near farmland. In East Gloucestershire there is a lot of arable fields But there are still urbanised areas like Gloucester City or places with houses for people to live in and building of shops. I Kingsway is a village and I find there’s lots of green spaces in Kingsway. Stroud which isn’t far Stroud in Gloucestershire is very countryside and I tend to go there for takeing photos of the Barn Swallows cause there’s lots of farmland. With what you said about flying low and insects. Barn Swallows do fly low when insects are lower down and fly higher when there higher up so if that’s the case House Martins and Swifts must do the same
A few Swallows from Gosforth Park Nature Reserve yesterday.
Zo Clark said:With me I usually only see House Martins when there nesting cause they nest here locally. With house Martins Last time it was under the eaves of houses down the road and this year its at Highfield Garden World which isn’t very far but its 15 minutes or half an hour away. I havnt seen any nesting down the road or around the block yet But When I commented and said I havnt seen any Swifts locally yet I think I spoke too soon cause the day after I said that they suddenly turned up calling and doing there agile acrobatic manoeuvreing over the house. I filmed them but they stopped calling as soon as I pressed record. I allways find they look like boomerangs and aeroplanes cause of how there wings are when they fly. With Swallows I usually have to go near a barn or near farmland to see them. And Saul canal is near farmland. In East Gloucestershire there is a lot of arable fields But there are still urbanised areas like Gloucester City or places with houses for people to live in and building of shops. I Kingsway is a village and I find there’s lots of green spaces in Kingsway. Stroud which isn’t far Stroud in Gloucestershire is very countryside and I tend to go there for takeing photos of the Barn Swallows cause there’s lots of farmland. With what you said about flying low and insects. Barn Swallows do fly low when insects are lower down and fly higher when there higher up so if that’s the case House Martins and Swifts must do the same
I'm missing getting out, no thanks to my leg.
I was hoping to get back to Baddesley to see the swallow chicks, which by now should be maturing well. Not even the garden is an option at the moment for the swifts, but hopefully I'll see the house martins at Charlecote in a few weeks. They won't fly south until September time.
Lot to learn
Excellent shots Bob. My favourite is the last one. It is very difficult to get detail in the face - as I have found out myself, but you have managed admirably there. Well done ...
I was sure that I replied yesterday, but my post seems to have gone! Never mind.