UKC

In the past 10 years, our swallows have returned to their nest in Falkland, Fife on or around the 17th April without fail until this year. They're up in Lochaber and Glen Garry, but none in the air around Falkland. Has anyone else noticed their absence?

In reply to Raskye: Down in Cheshire, they've only just shown up (here, at least). We've still got daffodils flowering but the bluebells are also out. It's all a bit bonkers this spring...

T.

In reply to Raskye:

Saw swallows around Balerno yesterday. Also heard (and saw!) a cuckoo!

In reply to Raskye:

We saw swallows in cumbria about a month ago, but they seemed to disappear - they were back last weekend though.

In reply to Cobbler:
Yeah cuckoos were on Skye 2 weeks ago

In reply to Raskye: not seen any in newark on trent.

In reply to Raskye:

I built a small shed for a clientlast thursday ,but did not make a door.

went to measure the door opening today ,and spotted that there had been quite a bit of nest construction inside.

am happy that the birds will have enough access when I fit the door ,as the asbestos corrugated roof sheets have quite big corrugations.

Few years ago ,putting up a house ,I regularly had to catch the swallows which had decided to nest in the house.

They would stun themselves crashing into the patio doorsets and have to be rescued.amazing colours when you have one in your hand ,their tiny hearts pounding.

Could not finish plasterboarding the ceiling until the chicks had all flown the nest.

after a couple of days of sheperding and sometimes having to catch the fledgling birds , the whole family were gone.

Off on their big adventure.

In reply to Raskye:
Down here in Derbyshire my Swallows turned up about ten days late. Likewise the Baslow Edge Cuckoo was a bit tardy.

In reply to dominic lee:

Likewise here in Northumberland.

In reply to Raskye:
Swallows arrived in Gairloch last week.

In reply to The Watch of Barrisdale:

Yes, its strange how they're flying around the North West... yesterday was a good day to watch them... but not down south.

In reply to Raskye: First ones spotted by me today between Kemnay and Blairdaff (Aberdeenshire)

In reply to Raskye:

Was chatting to an RSPB lady today who said everything was a month ish behind, migratory birds arriving aswell as domestic birds laying eggs etc, she said it wouldn't cause any problems for them though so it's all good!

In reply to Raskye:
Been in West Aberdeenshire ten days, bless the wee things....always wonder whose house they been sat outside through the winter...

In reply to Raskye:
Saw a couple of swallows in the pentlands on monday. First this year.

In reply to Raskye:
Has anyone else noticed their absence?

They are all late this year, as we go into the next global cooling phase.

In reply to Removed User:

Haven't seen the ones that normally nest next door yet. They like to divebomb our cats, so I suspect the cats are relieved...

In reply to Removed User: Here (Sheffield) most of the signs of spring came about 2-3 weeks later than last year, including the arrival of our migrants. But last year, if you remember, we had a heatwave in March. These differences over such a short time frame are weather events, not climate change.

Models for global warming indicated that melting Greenland ice caps may push the gulf stream south and make Britain colder in the long term, but that is not global cooling, that's Britain cooling.

In reply to Alyson:
These differences over such a short time frame are weather events, not climate change.

You should trust your personal experience more - rather than what the warmist sponsors or the BBC, Met Office and the Grauniad say.
I have travelled back enough times from South America in Winter to snow in Norway in Summer to know that globally we are not getting warmer. At present the Falklands for example is coming to midwinter and it is still warmer than here in the UK.
The models are all BS. They have been rumbled by independent analysts.

In reply to Removed User:


Why on earth didn't scientists think of flying to South America and back repeatedly to determine whether climate change is occurring? Clearly much more reliable that doing things like taking measurements studying climate physics.

In reply to Removed User: Thanks, but I prefer to trust scientific measurements of global temperature changes over time.

Plenty of data here: http://tinyurl.com/ysss8l
Most recent summary here: http://tinyurl.com/d7tc2ze

Despite slightly varying methodologies, the results show close agreement with records kept by other independent bodies.

In reply to MG:

in general, scientists are remarkably poor (except in the movies) so they can't afford to fly back and forth to south america sufficient times to gather any reasonable statistics. that's why they have to make it all up.

In reply to Raskye:

https://www.facebook.com/#!/RSPBLochwinnochNR?hc_location=stream

In reply to Slugain Howff:
So that's where they are!

In reply to Raskye: I have just had a climbing holiday in Malta and believe that many of the birds that migrate from Africa to Europe are shot by Maltese "Hunters".

In reply to portlandbill:

Yes, I've seen the perches & the nets they use... sad really, I'd hate to be there during the season.... if you moved into range you'd likely be a target!

I often see the swallows struggle over the Alps when I'm skiing around easter... you have to admire their tenacity getting over the high passes in poor, cold conditions.

How did you find the climbing? I was there about 20 years ago & played around on some with my young lad... plenty of potential if you don't mind rats

In reply to Raskye:

Brilliant climbing,such a pity about all the shotgun cartridge cases everywhere.

In reply to Jack_Lewin:
Yes but surely the weather and amount of food in their winter home is what determines when they leave. They can't know what the weather has been like in the UK over the winter.

In reply to Removed User: All throughout March and the first week of April we had wind from the north east. It kept our temperatures low, which kept plant and insect activity behind the schedule they'd have had with a warmer spring. It also kept the migrants pinned back, probably in north Africa or southern Europe. It isn't worth their energy flying into a cold headwind to get to somewhere which will likewise be cold.

As soon as the wind changed, the plants, insects and migrant birds all responded. So they arrive just as dinner is served

In reply to Alyson:
OK.
So it's wind direction then.

In reply to Raskye: Yep, usually arrive in the Highlands here above Loch Ness by May 1 to nest. Had a breeding pair for years and years. Wonder when they'll come?

In reply to MargieB:

The swifts are up around here.

I've poisoned all of the flies to deal with the menace.

In reply to Mike Highbury:

Swifts arrived a couple of days ago in Inverness. I've got loads of swallows up at the house at the moment and they seem to be taking a close interest the space above my door frame on the patio doors. It would be great to have them nesting but it would mean I couldn't open the door for a few months as it opens outwards!

In reply to Raskye:
We've had dozens in our garden in Skye for a week now.