Following on from the Missing Swallows thread ...

[PW in Polemi]

It's not only swallows that are few and far between, this year. I've noticed that my sweet smelling purple buddleia, normally buzzing and well covered with bees and butterflies, to the extent that I risked being stung when dead heading the old flowers, has not been in such demand this year.

Is this because it's so much drier this year?

[cyprusmax47]

It's not only swallows that are few and far between, this year. I've noticed that my sweet smelling purple buddleia, normally buzzing and well covered with bees and butterflies, to the extent that I risked being stung when dead heading the old flowers, has not been in such demand this year.

Is this because it's so much drier this year?

There are not as many swallows in my place as in all the previous years. Even the wheatear, breading twice a year in my nesting boxes just had a look around and disappeared.


There is not enough food for the birds this year as we had so little rain. If you drive 50 km with your car the windscreen stays clear of insects, only dust.
The positive side effect is that there are very view mossies around also very little larvae in rain water drums. Last year I had thousands of butterflies in the garden, this time nothing. Wildlife is disturbed.
Max

[trevnhil]

Well the mozzies that you are missing are up here and having lots of bites at my legs

Trev..

[cyprusmax47]

Well the mozzies that you are missing are up here and having lots of bites at my legs

Trev..

I cannot they I am missing them, I hate them, as the first one around get's me....
Max

[Sadie]

We've noticed a significant increase in swallows round our house...many more than last year

[PaphosAL]

Living in Luton, UK, half a mile north of the L&D Hospital, I've just witnessed squadrons of Swallows buzzing around quite high up (even dodging our local pylon cables) grabbing all the flying insects in the very hot and humid conditions prevailing here in southern UK at present...

Took a close look at them through my binoculars, as best I could, as they fly faster than Starlings, LOL! They don't seem to have a forked tail. Does that make them Swallows, or Martins?

What I CAN see however, is their wing shape. Surely this is what inspired R J Mitchell in his original 'Supermarine Spitfire' design back in the 20's and 30's (and henceforth)?

What I witnessed this evening was like watching the Battle of Britain re-enacted. Where the Spitfires and Hurricanes were the Swallows (?) and guess who the invading insects were (gulped up, with no loss of swallow life)?