I keep hearing  that in some areas there has been a devastating drop in  swallows returning.  Also  house martins and swifts. 

I have been  asking questions and reading. 

It has been said it could be

• global warming across the sahara and
• increased predation by Hobbys – they can fly faster than swifts.

There is anecdotal stories about a big mortality around the Zambezi River when air temperature plummeted 20 deg C – swallows fell out of the sky.  As I say this is only anecdotal but could be true.

There have also been two bad breeding seasons in England.

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 One  comment I have received is –

I live in Brackley Northamtonshire, we have had swallows nesting in the apex of our house roof for as long as i can remember, however this year have not even seen a single bird, or a swift for that matter, where are they all? Mike

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Please – if you have any info, stories, have read a report about this,  or have actually seen a decline or increase in swallows, swifts and martins please let me know.   It only takes a jiff to leave a comment.