Swallows

[ericrovve]

My first swallows up here this afternoon, 1's and 2's coming over at tree-top level. Direction: due North.

[paul m]

Originally Posted by ericrovve

My first swallows up here this afternoon, 1's and 2's coming over at tree-top level. Direction: due North.

Very brave of them - or daft! They don't know what they're letting themselves in for (snow and sleet here today)! I presume that they'll take a break en route if the wether gets too bad ....

[Guy F]

I saw my first few, along with some House Martins, flying in off the sea in Dorset a couple of days ago, and then today I had the first one over my house. It's nice to see them again, it's starting to feel like spring!
Guy

[goosey]

Ok - a bit of a stupid question. I get confused between swifts and swallows. During the summer months I see some birds flying in circles over our immediate area screeching then getting lower and lower as the evening wears on, then they dissapear for the night. Are these more likely to be swifts or swallows? last year I noted their return on the 25th April and said on my website they were swifts - now I have a nagging doubt that they are actually swallows.
I haven't seen any this year yet.

[paul m]

That's not my problem - swifts are duller, larger, narrower in the wing. I'll not try and describe them at the moment (cooking dinner). However, I find the bigger difficulty separating house martins from swallows - easy if you can get a frontal or overhead view but that's not how it works when you're trying to identify hirundines contre la jour - just have to go by the shape and the critical point (of course) is the swallow-tail ......

Originally Posted by goosey

Ok - a bit of a stupid question. I get confused between swifts and swallows. During the summer months I see some birds flying in circles over our immediate area screeching then getting lower and lower as the evening wears on, then they dissapear for the night. Are these more likely to be swifts or swallows? last year I noted their return on the 25th April and said on my website they were swifts - now I have a nagging doubt that they are actually swallows.
I haven't seen any this year yet.

[ericrovve]

That sounds like swifts. Swallow, Martins twitter? Swifts are also much faster, more sickle shaped

[goosey]

Originally Posted by ericrovve

That sounds like swifts. Swallow, Martins twitter? Swifts are also much faster, more sickle shaped

Yes, these are very fast -I have spent 2 summers trying to get a photo, all I get is a crick in the neck and frustrated . Something must have made me think swifts in the first place, I can't remember what though.

[goosey]

Originally Posted by goosey

Yes, these are very fast -I have spent 2 summers trying to get a photo, all I get is a crick in the neck and frustrated . Something must have made me think swifts in the first place, I can't remember what though.

The first two swifts returned on 2nd May, but by lunch time on the 3rd there were at least 16 . I was getting worried as they returned so late - phew!