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Swallows, swifts and martins - have you seen them yet?
Dovefromabove
Posts: 88,142
I was thinking yesterday, as I drove around East Anglia, that the swallows, swifts and martins will be here soon.
This morning PottiePam posted that she saw a flock of swallows arriving over the sea at Perranporth on the North Cornish coast. 
Shall we keep track of their arrival? Have you seen any yet?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
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No not yet Dove, but can't wait for their arrival. I love to sit out in the garden in the early evening and watch them ! We are lucky to have a farm up the lane and flocks of them return to the old barn and outbuildings.
I grew up on a farm with swallows nesting in the barns and housemartins under the eaves of my bedroom - I watched them collecting mud from the edge of the pond and swooping low over it on the summer evenings, hoovering up the gnats.
Then at our last house (early Victorian terrace with pantiled root) we had many swifts nesting in the roof, and we woke on summer mornings to the sounds of them screaming as they flew past our window.
Now we're living near the marshes, and we watch them hunting insects over our heads.
Not seen any this year tho' ...................................yet
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Hi Dove,
Usually mid-April here in southern Scotland .... will keep you posted.
A single bee creates just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime
Ah yes it's truly a wonderful sight to watch them in hunt mode, its like a beautiful dance display.
Nothing so far
None here in NW Devon.
First pair of swallows have arrived here in North East Wales. They flew straight back into my garden shed - I did give it a spring clean - Just hope it was worth the journey for them!!
I always look forward to seeing them each year, they usually build a nest against our house but last ear the mud wouldn't stick, fingers crossed they are more successful this year! I'm in East Yorkshire so I shall be keeping an eye out over the next few weeks
None down here yet near the pyrenees, but warblers and redstarts are arriving back now.