Where are the swallows

jonny_b

Usually there's a loads of swallows in my area every year. This year not even one has come. There is a big field next to me where they usually fly around but nothing..

Birdnuts

Problems on migration from what I have read on the matter in terms of the low numbers in the last 2 years.

amacca

I noticed this a number of years back in my place

I heard it was due to much larger numbers than usual being netted in North African countries as they migrate ....increase in this (which has always been done) due to massive quantities of cheap netting becoming available on alibaba etc...+ breakdown in enforcement of rules/regs in those countries on how birds can be netted.....don't know how true this is

One year we had or appeared to have zero here...noticed small numbers this year...hopefully they recover, we used to have loads and I liked them.

https://www.cms.int/en/page/bird-trapping-egypt-and-libya

whippet

Up to 5 years ago I used to have about 5/6 nests each year on my back wall ... the last two years have only had the two - in the same spots.

they make a terrible mess but i could spend hours watching them in the evening flying aroud the garden

Bsal

Very low numbers this year in my area of Swords.

purplepanda

There's loads around the Hook SW Wexford, I reckon they'll be up north in numbers soon enough.

NatureNurture

More than ever this year in East Clare - we normally have at least 3 nests in barns, this year they're in the barns, the stable and even under eaves of the house. Had a few head-on collisions even, and it's funny watching them dive-bomb the cats!

Jim_Hodge

The usual numbers over the fields here (North east) every evening.

black & white

Just back from a relatives house in Clare and had to stop the car on a quiet country road as there were at least 10 swallows zooming around us, looked like they were chasing flies or what ever they eat, absolutely beautiful to watch.