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.