Where Are The Swallows.

[Millet]

Is it just me or has anyone else noticed a distinctive lack in Swallows this year, on the farm where my bees are they usually arrive in numbers of around fifty towards the back end of April, this year only the odd one is been spotted, i am not complaining though i might have more success with Virgin Queens getting mated, instead of one out of eight over the past three years.

 

[enrico]

They are in our barn...... Nesting already, maybe they are frightened of you!

 

[Millet]

They are in our barn...... Nesting already, maybe they are frightened of you!

..

They are usually nesting now, in the coal shed/ the utility shed and the stables on the farm, not this year though, i wonder if the beast from the east and the cold spring has a part to play..? . mind you further inland when i was lambing they arrived a week early..

 

[colinc]

ours were late but I agree lower numbers than usual. Have seen as many bats though so slightly odd season.

 

[Swarm]

Arrived a week earlier than last year but not seen any House martins.

 

[Millet]

Arrived a week earlier than last year but not seen any House martins.

The house Martins and Swifts are here but no Swallows, very strange.

 

[user 6228]

All of the above are insectivores. We continue to produce insecticide volumes capable of killing 1000s of cubic kilometres or insects. Should we expect insectivores to be affected ?

 

[Millet]

All of the above are insectivores. We continue to produce insecticide volumes capable of killing 1000s of cubic kilometres or insects. Should we expect insectivores to be affected ?

Sorry Derek but i do not see the logic in your post regarding swallows, every year for aslong as i can remember the Swallows have arrived in big numbers around the 28th April, all those years gone by pesticides will have also been used but the Swallows still arrived regardless.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

They arrived today with us. didn't see them just heard them.
As for insects - there seems to be a heck of a lot more than in past years - noticeably more fly strikes on windscreen and bonnet in the last few weeks.

 

[Millet]

They arrived today with us. didn't see them just heard them.
As for insects - there seems to be a heck of a lot more than in past years - noticeably more fly strikes on windscreen and bonnet in the last few weeks.

Good to hear they are still coming and yes i hear them most times before i see them, on the fly strike you have my pitty i do a hell of a lot of miles and it makes me wonder what them insect gut's consist of, they are harder to remove than araldite glue once splatted on the windscreen , even more so this year so i think Derek must have had a argument with her indoors ..

 

[Gilberdyke John]

All of the above are insectivores. We continue to produce insecticide volumes capable of killing 1000s of cubic kilometres or insects. Should we expect insectivores to be affected ?

Our swallows are back in the stables. As to insect numbers we seem to have slightly more around than last year. Whether that's weather related or the insects are building up resistance I wouldn't like to say.
Fly papers and swatters anyone?

 

[Somerford]

They arrived today with us. didn't see them just heard them.
As for insects - there seems to be a heck of a lot more than in past years - noticeably more fly strikes on windscreen and bonnet in the last few weeks.

I agree. I don’t think I’ve had to clean my windscreens as much for years.

 

[Ely]

I was watching 100s here the other night feeding on swarms of little flies

 

[For want of a better word]

Swallows... but no swifts

Swift boxes not even looked at... despite playing the MP3 at full vollume!!

Yeghes da

 

[SDM]

No swallows here either and there's normally half a dozen nests in the barn.
On the plus side it's the first time I've had 100% return on mating flights. I can lose 40% of queens to swallows in May and June.

 

[Millet]

No swallows here either and there's normally half a dozen nests in the barn.
On the plus side it's the first time I've had 100% return on mating flights. I can lose 40% of queens to swallows in May and June.

I'm hoping for the same but no doubt the Swallows will turn up bang on cue when the Virgins take to the air.

 

[Stiffy]

Swallows... but no swifts

Swift boxes not even looked at... despite playing the MP3 at full vollume!!

Yeghes da

Swifts are only just returning to the UK and are always one of the last to return. I heard my first last week so keep playing to attract them, they really need all the help they can get.
S

 

[TooBee...]

Is it just me or has anyone else noticed a distinctive lack in Swallows this year, ... more success with Virgin Queens getting mated, instead of one out of eight over the past three years.

Yes, I too had noted a low number of swallows, etc. this year, they were nesting under the eaves last year, none this year.

You said that you only are getting "one out of eight" Virgins mated, do you mean that you're having to wait for weeks for the others to mate, or they never return from their mating flights? If so, you're (in a large part) blaming insectivores? That must make the Open Mating of your Queens Very Very Difficult!

 

[Millet]

Yes, I too had noted a low number of swallows, etc. this year, they were nesting under the eaves last year, none this year.

You said that you only are getting "one out of eight" Virgins mated, do you mean that you're having to wait for weeks for the others to mate, or they never return from their mating flights? If so, you're (in a large part) blaming insectivores? That must make the Open Mating of your Queens Very Very Difficult!

Yes that is what i mean one Queen out of many has only ever managed to mate and return after many failed attempts, we have no Swallows here this year and the first virgin Queen i found is mated and laying.

 

[Erichalfbee]

No swallows here either and there's normally half a dozen nests in the barn.
On the plus side it's the first time I've had 100% return on mating flights. I can lose 40% of queens to swallows in May and June.

They probably remember you locking them in last year