Still waiting for our Swifts to return to Sunderland (22 years running), has anyone got theirs back yet further south :)
I saw my last swifts here in Rushden about 2 weeks ago. We still have house martins here and swallows nearby. I really miss the swifts when they are gone.
Never seen a waxwing, :-( but in 2 visits to Titchwell Marsh have seen a marsh harrier on both occasions.
Saw a pair of swifts flying north over Cardiff this morning and a friend saw some over Reading. They're definitely back! Never seen them here this early before - usually I see the first ones on the 1st or 2nd of May.
Our swifts haven't arrived yet but last year they arrived the first week of May and we only had 2 pairs Fingers crossed for this year
Fingers crossed indeed!
Too early for ours in Sunderland, hope yours return soon Marion. For us, its the start of our summer when we hear their screeching return, and see them shooting in and out of our eaves :)
Davey said:Too early for ours in Sunderland, hope yours return soon Marion. For us, its the start of our summer when we hear their screeching return, and see them shooting in and out of our eaves :)
They have been reported here in N.Yorkshire Davey so they are heading your way.
Pete
Birding is for everyone no matter how good or bad we are at it,enjoy it while you can
weathers awful here wind hail and cold no swifts but saw loads in notts this week
Today is the day - 2nd May - my local swifts usually return. But no sign of them. I'm assuming from the lack of posts here that other people's swifts aren't back either.
I'm getting impatient!
This w/e or possibly Bank hol.Mon.......Have been known to shed a tear!...They had a hard time of it last year if you remember.It`s looking tons better this time.Was plagued by midge type buzzy things today & well pleased about it. :-)
Yes - it's really only this week that I've noticed insects, so the swifts must be back soon....
It was terrible last year, but my local (2 pairs) did manage to raise some young. So I only hope that they will make it back safe and sound.
Last year a friend and I went out to find swift nests, so they could be logged for the Council (so if people put in for planning permission to do work on their roofs/lofts, the Council could require them to leave the access holes alone or build in swift nests). We found about 20 nests last year - and learned loads.
We're doing it again this year. And we've expanded the scheme to include house martins. And we've publicised what we're doing with the local bird group. So hopefully we'll find many more!