Swallows

stuartherring · Status: Offline

RE: Swallows

pete berry · Status: Offline

Up here at Drummore in SW Scotland there are still at least a dozen pairs of Swallows still on territory around the village, feeding young,last year it was the end of October before they left.

Jonathan Platt · Status: Offline

Steve Atkins wrote:

Maybe other people know of later dates.

Not GM, but there were at least two unfledged swallows in a nest in one of the hides at Wellney WWT in Norfolk this morning. Very close to fledging though.

stuartherring · Status: Offline

when i was on holiday in scotland in the beginning of august a pair of swallows where laying in a nest in the canopy of the shed on the 5/6 of aug

Steve Atkins · Status: Offline

Hello Paul,

This certainly seems like a late date for Swallow chicks still to be in the nest. The BTO website gives the latest recorded laying date for Swallows as 31st July, which allowing for 17-19 days for incubation and 20-22 days for fledging would give a fledging date of 10th Sept.
If, as the farmer claims, they still have 2 more weeks in the nest this would mean they only hatched 6 to 8 days ago. Whether they survive to fledge will very much depend on the weather staying fine enough for the adults to be able to continue finding sufficient insect food for the chicks. Although there still seem to be a good number of midges and other insects about.
Only 12 records for Swallows' nests with young (NY) were submitted to the BTO Atlas from GM in 2008-09, so this is really insufficient data, for us to be able to extract anything meaningful in terms of dates. Hopefully more records will be received in 2010.
Before your post the latest date we had so far for Swallow chicks still in the nest is 14th August in the Rochdale area. This was a 2nd brood as your's will certainly be.
Maybe other people know of later dates.
Would please drop me a p.m. with the name and address of the farm. I will then be able to check whether or not we already have a confirmed breeding record for the GM Atlas from the tetrad (2km square) in which the farm is located.

Many thanks

Steve

P.S. The BTO link is BTO Bird Facts - Swallow

Paul Taylor · Status: Offline

Hello.
I went accross to the local farm this morning, to get some eggs for breakfast. Fred (the farmer) told me there were still two broods of swallow, yet to fledge. He thinks they have two more weeks in the nest, and was wondering if they would make it to there winter home.
Is this usual for swallows?