House Martins, Swallow And Other Incomers

[Barmaid]

Seen or heard any yet? Not seen any house Martins, swallow or swifts nor heard a cuckoo yet (Mr BM thought he heard one about 10 days ago). Seem late this year.

[barry1010]

I haven't seen any and neither has our friend who lives on a narrowboat and does a nature vlog. She keeps records of that sort of thing, they are late this year

[Prudie]

I did post in Twitching that I'd seen my first swallow on 8th April and have seen house martins in the last few days.I don't live in an area that swifts frequent and I haven't heard a cuckoo in years.

[barry1010]

Where do you live, Prudie?  

[Prudie]

Dorchester area of Dorset

[Prudie]

I hear swifts screeching through Dorchester and other town areas in the real summer but I'm a few miles away and more semi-rural.

[dustypuss]

Two in York last Sunday 🥰

[dustypuss]

Two in York last Sunday 🥰 swifts

[barry1010]

A lot further south than me and my narrowboat friend, Prudie

[rowanwitch]

Late here too, normally by mid april, probably due to wind direction, need easterlies to bring them over from Europe

[Togo]

House Martins today as we drove along the seafront in Penrhyn Bay. About a dozen of them and a couple were even zooming around out at sea. It was raining and blowing with a full tide. Still a lovely sight mind. I know they were House Martins as, although I was driving, my post cataract op eyesight at distance is exceptional. I could clearly see the white under sides and the Swift like configuration. If the weather doesn't buck up soon they will all be off back to where they came from.  

[rowanwitch]

Checking my records they have arrived back here as late as 13th may, and the 29th April was the earliest ... Could have sworn it was mid april... So plenty of time for them to turn up.

[Barmaid]

Saw our first house martins yesterday.  And I think I heard a cuckoo.

And Scruffy (one of the resident blackbirds who has a few neck feathers missing and always has had) is now a proud father of at least 2 fledglings.  He is working very hard digging up worms.