Happy days, our swallows have arrived.

[Two on Tour]

We have a store room on the side of our garage and a few years ago I had left the door open while I was sorting bits and pieces out. When I went to shut the door that evening a pair of swallows flew out.
Not wanting them to be without a roost for the night I left the door open and they returned within a few minutes. They then decided that it was a good place to spend the summer and setup home on the roof rafters in the store room.
I think that they must have been a fairly young pair at the that time as their nest building was atrocious and they failed to produce any young.
They returned the following year to the store room, build a decent nest and produced young that fledged and took to the sky before heading south.

They caught me out this year as they have arrived few weeks earlier than normal and the store room door was shut, but after flying around tweeting for a few minutes they caught my attention and the store room door open and ready to receive guests.

One of the things that brings joy to my life is sat on our patio watching the swallows flying around calling to each other though the summer, ...................... sometimes the little things mean the most.

 

[Janine]

Isn’t nature wonderful?
My bats are flying at dusk round the garden which is a sign that summer is on its way (and the midges).
I have no idea where they roost but I don’t think they are in my attic. ?

 

[Podney]

Yep,saw the first one here today,in South Cambs. Hopefully a southerly breeze will help lots more soon.

 

[Ridgeway]

Sounds very early for them, must have had a great flight across quiet European skies

Hope ours turn up this year, they aren't that frequent and usually only come about once in 3-5yrs although they were here last year so maybe they'll give us a miss this year after flying through the house and getting stuck in the dining room....

 

[Puddleduck]

We get house martins, haven't seen swallows for a while but I live in hope.

Even the house martins were scarce last year

They usually get here between 23rd April and 1st May and I look for them arriving as then I know summer is on the way.

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[makems]

We have a robin nesting in a plastic sack 3/4 full of dead leaves swept up ftom the lawn a few months ago.
i found the nest when I went to empty the bag and the mother flew out when I picked it up. I saw the very neat nest inside and 5 lovely little eggs. I put the bag back and she has been happily sitting on them since.
its been nearly 2 weeks so chicks should emerge soon.

 

[Puddleduck]

I must start to check the engine bays of the car and the motorhome daily - and the wheel arches. The blackbirds like to try to nest there.

 

[Two on Tour]

Isn’t nature wonderful?
My bats are flying at dusk round the garden which is a sign that summer is on its way (and the midges).
I have no idea where they roost but I don’t think they are in my attic. ?

We were sat out on the patio at dusk over the weekend watching the bats. The area around one of next doors trees seems to be their favourite place to dine.

 

[TheAleMan]

See my first swallow last week..fantastic little birds, alot of admiration for them.

 

[mitzimad]

been looking out for ours no sign yet

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[Vanderek]

Before old-mo jumps in ... I saw a couple of blue tits in the next door garden. Seriously though we have two robins nests and two black bird nests , some are a few metres apart

 

[irnbru]

The ones that used to nest at my last house will be evicted no doubt. The new owners said her husband was allergic to them if they were closely so they wouldn't be allowing them to nest

I wish I could encourage them here.

 

[bigwood]

Were we used to live the security lights used to come on early evening. It took me a while to realise it was bats tripping the sensors.
At back of our house was a passage that ran the length of block from the main road, about a mile long. The bats used the passage as a through route to open fields. They must have tripped sensors all along, most people had them. It never seemed to put the bats off.
We have foxes living in the bushes at the end of our street. We havnt seen any cubs for a while. They usually fight over the contents of the recycling boxes the night before emptying day.

 

[davanne]

I used to get swallows nesting in one of my stables when I lived in Lancashire one year one of the young must have fallen out of the nest and was sat on the pony’s back the parents were out so we put it back in the nest.
? ? ? ?