Wildlife in your Garden

COYBL25 said:
Saw my first Swallow of the year yesterday.

Anyone else seen any, as it seems to be really late this year ?

Also, saw Lapwings on the fields off Oglet Shore, going through their airborne courtship display, which again seems late ?S

( I`ve found Lapwing nests in April in the past )
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I've been seeing swallows for the last week or so. Spent ages yesterday trying to get a picture of them skimming down to drink from the lake, but unfortunately my photographic skills are extremely limited lol
I've also noticed an increase in the number of Lapwings in the last couple of years and actually nearly posted on here a few weeks back to say how pleased I was about that. When I was a kid they were so common that you couldn't walk through the fields without disturbing them, but for many years I hardly ever saw them.
 
COYBL25 said:
So only a week late this year !

This years ones were in in Wales, haven`t seen any around by us yet - ( there`s a pair that nests on a neighbours security light in the front porch every year ! )

The Lapwings are deffo late though.
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You see many swifts as well. Think they arrive latest don’t they?
If you ever visit Lisbon in late spring early summer, you be amazed at the amount of swifts. Loads of old buildings for them. Never seen them fly so low up close as well.
 
JimmyJeffers said:
You see many swifts as well. Think they arrive latest don’t they?
If you ever visit Lisbon in late spring early summer, you be amazed at the amount of swifts. Loads of old buildings for them. Never seen them fly so low up close as well.
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Swifts are normally late June around by us.

Their numbers have definitely dropped, as you used to see whole squadrons of them screaming around, now it`s down at about a dozen or so.
 
COYBL25 said:
Swifts are normally late June around by us.

Their numbers have definitely dropped, as you used to see whole squadrons of them screaming around, now it`s down at about a dozen or so.
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Such a beautiful bird, they used to nest in the boiler house in the nursery - they are not called swift for nothing they would dart in to feed the young then migrate - & return like a homing pigeon to use the same nest my foreman was made up - as a teenager, My foreman he pointed them out to me ....
 

TangerineToffee said:
Close encounter of the furry kind.
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It sure was. I’m going to try to post a video clip that I took. She got so close to him and the groundhog was acting as if she wasn’t even there. She didn’t mess with the groundhog when he was out but once he went under the shed she tried to go after him but I called her. He is much bigger than her so I think he can stand up to her.
 

COYBL25 said:
Swifts are normally late June around by us.

Their numbers have definitely dropped, as you used to see whole squadrons of them screaming around, now it`s down at about a dozen or so.
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….I’m currently on holiday in Greece, there are literally loads of what I think are swifts skimming the surface of the swimming pools & nesting in ducts on peoples balconies.
 
Eggs said:
….I’m currently on holiday in Greece, there are literally loads of what I think are swifts skimming the surface of the swimming pools & nesting in ducts on peoples balconies.
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If they look like little black gull wing fighter bombers and make a screaming sound, as they whizz around, they’re Swifts.
 
larbert toffee said:
Was your foremans's name George by any chance?
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First one was George He was a Nurseryman had to become an outside supervisor , but the Nursery were his two brothers - great guys - attention to detail was their Motto & Nouse - its important son they called every young person son - I leant more off them, than in my City & Guilds stage 2 over 4 years apprenticeship which I passed every subject in Horticulture with distinction......
 

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