First Swallows / Housemartins of Spring in Northern Ireland (1 Viewer)

S

s2sap

New member

• Apr 1, 2009

• #1

I was wondering if anyone kept a note of the first birds to arrive in Northern Ireland.

Last year the first swallow I seen was 12th April and I decided then to keep a note from then on for each year - just wondering ( instead of working ! )

Simon

 

Pluvius

Well-known member

• Apr 1, 2009

• #2

I think the first swallows were seen a couple of weeks ago.

 

F

frank c

Well-known member

• Apr 2, 2009

• #3

First Sightings.

Hi Simon.
I can give you a few sightings so far for this year,
First Sand Martin seen over the Newry Canal on the 11th of March, Swallow seen on the 20th of March also along the Newry Canal and a Chiffchaff in Daisy Hill Nursery Newry on the 28th of March. Hope these can be of some help.
Frank

 

S

s. james

Stephen

• Apr 3, 2009

• #4

First sand martins for me were c10 at Kinnego Bay on March 16.

First singing chiffchaffs at Oxford Island on March 21.

 

S

s. james

Stephen

• Apr 4, 2009

• #5

8 singing willow warblers today at Peatlands Park. Earliest record for NI on BirdTrack was yesterday.

 

Pluvius

Well-known member

• Apr 4, 2009

• #6

I had four Willow warblers singing at the Quoile on the 2.4.09 and there were a few at Belfast Harbour Reserve on the 31st March

 

B

bmcalden

New member

• Apr 23, 2009

• #7

s2sap said:

I was wondering if anyone kept a note of the first birds to arrive in Northern Ireland.

Last year the first swallow I seen was 12th April and I decided then to keep a note from then on for each year - just wondering ( instead of working ! )

Simon

Click to expand...

Hi,
I'm in Glengormley and I can't understand why the Swallows haven't arrived yet!
Normally, the warm, sunny weather of the last few weeks - especially over Easter - would have seen these elegant creatures swooping low to catch their prey fro dusk to dawn..but not as yet!
Does this mean we are heading for a plague of flies as the world heats up and the swallows migration fails?
I have noticed a considerable drop in their numbers over the past few years too, from scores at a time to dozens at once, and last year, even less...!
Oh dear!