The swallows have put in appearances in both Parwich
Summer must be on the way. Our first male swallow returned to Blanche Meadow on Thursday April 10th – unfortunately I was away and missed it. With luck the rest should follow shortly and I’m sure JFS will be around to record them so watch this space.
Patti
and Alsop en le Dale
Just spotted my first swallow of the year up at Alsop, exactly one day before my first sighting last year. Male, alone for now, no doubt leading the charge ahead of the others (and the house martins of course). Swifts to look forward too around the end of the month.
I never cease to be impressed by the epic achievement of these birds in navigating the long and arduous flight from Southern Africa. And what a joy it is too, notwithstanding the rainy evening.
To celebrate, I’m re-posting this:
Anthony C
PARWICH.ORG 
Looking back on the 2013 Archive I see that the swallows came on April 13th, but if I remember there had been some pretty terrible storms that year. Perhaps we should keep a swallow archive in case they are a predictor of good summers – not that I’m hopeful. I also remember that it took several days before the first female arrived and we had begun to get quite worried as the lone male was getting agitated.
Can’t wait – for those droppings on the horses back needing to be cleaned off and the swallow poo in the water buckets and cross parents dive bombing us as the youngsters begin to fledge.To say nothing of the lesser spotted photographer crouching for hours by the rill waiting to catch that all illusive frame of a swallow drinking!