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Birds,(Swallows)

cowslip2cowslip2 Posts: 137
in Wildlife gardening
Has anyone seen any Swallows yet, I wonder. Maybe a little early, but could be in the south of England perhaps. Incidentally, are we not going to be treated to BBC Springwatch this year?
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  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 83,992
     Springwatch will be  26 May - 12 June  according to the blog. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 29,158
    Yes, saw my first one the other day and more today but I am further south than southern England.

    Bit early for Springwatch yet.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 9,376
    The local bird recording website is showing small numbers of swallows and sand martins arriving every day now.
    Tradition is just peer pressure from dead people
  • rachelQrtJHBjbrachelQrtJHBjb Posts: 819
    Just returned in the last week. South Bucks. Apparently, swallow numbers are in decline due to millions being trapped in vast nets in north Africa/the Middle East, as they migrate.https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6993621/Where-swallows-gone.html
  • FireFire Posts: 17,116
    Springwatch is always scheduled end of May.
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 9,376
    rachelQrtJHBjb said:
    Just returned in the last week. South Bucks. Apparently, swallow numbers are in decline due to millions being trapped in vast nets in north Africa/the Middle East, as they migrate.https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6993621/Where-swallows-gone.html
    Just in case anyone still thinks the Daily Mail has a shred of credability, this opinion piece article is thin on facts and written by a pro-farming, anti rewilding, self-titled conservationist whose book on the subject received very poor reviews. Add to that the DM editor is a shooting estate owner and climate change denier. Perhaps this explains why the article skims over farming practices in the UK causing a massive decline in insect life and climate change causing huge problems on migration for many birds in favour of blaming Johnny Foreigner for killing all our hard working British birds. 

    Tradition is just peer pressure from dead people
  • rachelQrtJHBjbrachelQrtJHBjb Posts: 819
    Well, that's me told.

  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 9,376
    edited April 2021
    I'm not saying it doesn't happen but there's a wider picture as to why trapping is now more of a problem. It's hard to find up to date info on what's happening in terms of regulation but this article is useful  https://www.cms.int/en/page/bird-trapping-egypt-and-libya
    BTO data here showing swallows as green listed and of least concern in censervation terms https://app.bto.org/birdtrends/species.jsp?year=2019&s=swall

    Tradition is just peer pressure from dead people
  • FireFire Posts: 17,116
    rachelQrtJHBjb said:
    Well, that's me told.


    Not really a good idea to cite the Daily Mail as any kind of factual source.
  • floraliesfloralies Posts: 2,318
    No sign of a Swallow down here yet. I hope they bring their thermals with them.
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