House Martins and Swallows

[catgate]

We usually have between 5 and 8 house martin's nests under our eaves, but this year, although one pair rebuilt a nest and covered the bathroom window sill with crap for a while, we have now no sign of a single bird (or married).

What are things like in other parts of our septic isle?

There seems to be a similar absence of swallows.

[rong]

No problem here, they are crapping well breeding like rabbits and making allot of noise as usual

[AlanHo]

We normally have lots of House Martins here in Solihull - but rarely see Swallows.

This year have not seen either. However - at long last we have seen sparrows and starlings in the garden - a first in 10 years. Makes a nice change from blue, great, long tailed, coal and other tits plus a good selection of finches, magpies, wagtails, Jays, crows, rooks, herons, ducks, dunnocks, sea gulls etc that are regular visitors to the garden.

[rong]

Swallows nest in buildings I think, I was writing about House Martins

[Tankus]

Recent declines due to loss of habitat quality in both their breeding and wintering grounds mean they are an Amber List species

The reasons for this dramatic decline are easy to understand - there just aren't enough flying insects. There are far fewer cattle, and everywhere is sprayed. Acres and acres of pest free cereal crops have replaced once lush pastures. And even the pastures, once flower-rich and biodiverse are almost all 'improved'. In 1985 I moved to a house surrounded by pasture, but within a year all the cattle had gone, and there were yet more acres of arable. Goodbye to all the swallows that once nested in the barns.

The swallow is a classic example of a bird once so common, that no one really thought of keeping detailed records of numbers, no one would have thought it could become an endangered species. But I have real concerns for its future. Once they have left Britain, they have to run the gauntlet of an increasingly intensively farmed Europe, all the way to Africa. A drought on their wintering grounds - and remember they spend more time abroad than they do in Britain - could be catastrophic for their already depleted populations

birds of britain

[D4\/!d]

We don't get swallows here in the leafy suburbs of sarfwest London.

We do get swifts, high up, circling for insects.

I also get plenty of sparras although not in double figures this year. But I have seen many chicks being feed, and not seen a sparrowhawk this year. Yet.

Starlings are about - as soon as a fat ball goes out they smell it and whoof it's gone, or they are peck pecking on the back grass.

blue, great, long tailed tits, magpies, Jays, crows, rooks, herons, dunnocks, sea gulls - yes we get them too.

plus wren, robin, blackbirds, feral pigeon, wood pigeon, wood pecker - the one with red cap, and of course the wretched noisy parakeets.

coal and other tits plus a good selection of finches,, wagtails,, ducks - no not these.

[Belatucadrus]

We used to have them nesting on the front eaves regularly, until BT fitted a new junction box that they really don't like. That said whilst we have no nests on our house, there are plenty of housemartins to be seen flitting about decimating the insect population and as there seem to be an inordinate number of biting flies this year, they're welcome to them.

[Gandalph]

We have two pairs of House-martin this year. Definitely down in numbers on last year, there seemed to be a couple of dozen or so. Blue Tits are also down in number. We noticed last winter there were a lot less feeding on the nuts in the back garden than there were the previous year. Robins we have all year round and they still seem to be in great numbers. Wood Pigeon come out of the local woods for a hunt around the garden and to there surprise always seem to find grains of corn to peck at. I'll bet they wonder where it came from a it was all eaten yesterday when they left but it has returned today. Definitely a decline in Swallow numbers over the past two years. I have only counted about twelve this year. Previous years they were near to uncountable because of their quantity. I heard that a great number died over the Sahara on their way to Britain in 2007 so that could account for it. We have a Peregrine Falcon visits and sits on top of the fence out the back, I think he keeps his eyes open for smaller birds coming in to feed, they always hide in the hedgerows when he's around. :D

[andsome]

We get the usual compliment of the Tit family, plenty of wood pigeons, starlings sparrows robins, and more than usual black birds. One bird which is extremely annoying is collard doves, their call is the most irritating of any bird. We have noticed an absence of swifts and swallows this year. We never see pied wagtails in the garden, although there are plenty in local parks and car parks. We have only ever seen three of four jays in over forty years living here. :D

[Tankus]

urban seagulls and feral pigeons ..and that's it