Has anyone seen any Swallows, Martins yet in the UK? if so can you leave details here, some kids have written to admin asking if we could get information for them.
Thanks.
First House Martin of the year for me this morning; Hodbarrow, Cumbria.
had my first swallow in east Norfolk on the 11th
I have just joined the group so thank you for excepting me.
The swallows have not arrived at my stables usually arrive sometime around 26th March Norfolk UK, so they are late this year. Hope they arrive soon here.
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I'm on the West side of North Norfolk here, near coast, but NOT near the Fens, or suchlike.
We overlook farmland mostly, with some woodland on the periphery.
Saw my very first 'African Import' of 2020, yesterday, Sunday 12th April, just after lunchtime.
House Martin - just ONE lone House Martin, who'd settled on my Farmer-neighbour's Telegraph wire.
Whilst it WAS a most welcome sight, it's unusual to see him 'alone'
We're usually inundated, in the gigantic field(s) opposite, yet here he was, "on his lonesome".
Same field opposite, is large enough to land AND park several squadrons of C.130 Hercules & still land more....
(it's most certainly long-enough & forms a long block, separating 3 x villages)
So we always do see swallows 'surfing' the cornfields, for low-flying insects.
Not sure what crop it is this year, but, last-year we had 2 x Oystercatchers breeding outside/opposite.
They're back again (as a pair), plus countless Partridge (which proliferate), plus a few pheasants
Problem is also the ridiculous 'sharp' changes of extreme weather !!!!!!
We've had a good 4-5 days of 18-20-degree weather = Yesterday reached 21-degrees here.
Yet, very late afternoon, it clouded-over AND a bitterly-cold East-wind kicked-in.
Late-afternoon/early evening, tempratures plummeted, right down to a ridiculously cold 8-degrees, from 21 !!!!!!!
It has stayed that way, all throughout the daytime today, a bitterly ice-cold wind, keeping it at 8-degrees (Highest is '8' , Jeeeez)
You naturally DO NOT expect the weather to change SO sharply & dramatically, by 65% or so :storm:
Might just explain as to "why" Mr.Martin was all on his lonesome-pine !!!!!!!
(yesterday, wafer-thin shirt-sleeves - yet today, multiple fleeces & scarves !)
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