Early swifts....around here that is. (1 Viewer)

[Revles]

I have just been out with my dog...I live on the western heights..just outside of Dover, Kent. I was surprised to see a dozen or so swifts flying overhead....they normally, in my experience, seem to turn up over my place around mid May....it was really exciting. Les

 

[fr0sty]

Les

They are starting to go through here and the numbers are increasing daily !!

I would agree that they are a little earlier than normal, however most other migrants appear to be running a little late or bypassing us totally!!

 

[Barred Wobbler]

Four swifts today at East Chevington in Northumberland. A particularly early record as they are rarely seen before early May up here, (although I saw a single bird on 28th April last year). They seem to get stuck in Yorkshire before making the final push north.

Other than that the migration season seems slow. Swallows have been around all month, but only small numbers, picking up over the last couple of days and there has been a sparse, but constant passage of swallows heading north today.

 

[Gill Osborne]

Four swifts today at East Chevington in Northumberland.

WHAT!!!!!!!!!! I've just come from there!!! :eek!: Must have just missed them...story of my life Oh well...may see some tomorrow.....

LOTS of Swallows around now though...past two/three sunny days has seen them really arriving in numbers - also had my first Sand and House martins today. o

GILL

 

[helenol]

Not seen any yet, but I remember last year, it was the 11th May I first saw them in Bucks.

 

[rezMole]

There were several at Pennington Flash (Lancashire) yesterday (possibly as many as ten). I saw 3 at one time - but failed to get a photo - not an easy bird to capture!

 

[Barred Wobbler]

WHAT!!!!!!!!!! I've just come from there!!! :eek!: Must have just missed them...story of my life Oh well...may see some tomorrow.....

LOTS of Swallows around now though...past two/three sunny days has seen them really arriving in numbers - also had my first Sand and House martins today. o

GILL

Hi Gill.

They were over the north pool at about 10am. Good numbers of sand martin and quite a few swallows, plus my first house martin. (I guess that makes it a "full house"). Also sedge warbler and reports of a grasshopper warbler, but it was quiet when I went looking for it, so I couldn't find it. A few whimbrel about.

No sign of last week's shrike. It must have gone on Friday night.

 

[Gill Osborne]

Surprised I missed the Sedge Warblers as there were a few around according to the notice board in the hide at Druridge Pools...but they certainly weren't singing.....that's where I heard about the Great Grey Shrike.
I was tempted, VERY TEMPTED , to go looking for the Shrike as they are one of those mythical birds everybody else sees and I don't!!! LOL

I didn't get to East Chev until about 5.30pm and there were just dozens of Sand Martins and the odd Swallow skimming over the water. Probably catch up with them in the next couple of days.

GILL

 

[Bill@dwp]

I looked on the BBC springwatch site yesterday and was surprised to see quite a few reports, I expected some probably not that many. I'll be looking out now particualrly as they appear to be roundabouts.
I was cleaning my feeders sunday and was able to enjoy a pair of swallows and house martins whizzing around. The swallows kindly perched for awhile on some telephone wires to give me a some excellent views of the colours. I find it hard to get that when they are flying.
Bring on the swifts!!!

 

[Steve Jones]

Saw my first Swift of the year today at Newby Bridge on the way to Windermere/Grasmere. Not a bad spot while driving. Grasmere wasn't bad either with plenty of Pied Flycatchers singing and even a Marsh Tit in song.
What a great time of the year!

 

[Herbington]

We have had quite a few swifts over the resourvoir (sp?) near my house for a few days now. First swallow was on the 13th of april, first house martin was on the 20th.

 

[Andrew]

Gobsmacked but delighted to see the first over the house yesterday evening. Very early too.

 

[Richard W]

saw a few Swifts at the weekend, the House Martins that nest on our house are not back yet.

 

[birdman]

My first Swift of the year yesterday... quite unusual for me to be so on the ball!!!

 

[Barred Wobbler]

There was a flock of about 20 feeding low over the River Aln between Alnwick and Alnmouth at lunchtime today.

 

[mothman]

It is strange that(in my area anyway)the swifts are early, and the swallows and house martins are only ariving in dribs and drabs, and are mostly late.
Does anybody think this might be because the swifts fly above the problematic weather that has held up the other Hirundines?

Colin

 

[M Cowming]

Small numbers of Swifts in southern Ireland today....1st Sandmartins on the 20th March, 1st Swallow on 2nd April and 1st House Martin on 15th April. Also had an Alpine Swift in my town on 3rd of April.

 

[Karl J]

Saw the first one Tuesday 26th, in the morning over Whitlingham CP near Norwich, by that evening there were 3 and this morning about 10 .... also this morning i had the first one over my house.

Locally i've still seen very few Swallows though, only 1's & 2's and no local Sand Martins or House Martins yet

 

[salty]

still not back in my housing estate, where they nest under the rooftops every year. looking forward to there return, when i come in from work and have a nice cuppa in the garden while the swifts are hunting around me - bliss.

 

[Jacana]

they've hit shrewsbury... and i saw my first sand martins (20) back in early april, with 5 or 6 swallows, still got to find a house martin, but they are all over my grandma's house, last year there were 24 nests