Our Summer Visitors

Pretzill · 19-04-2020 12:52am

Saw the first swallow during the week and heard the cuckoo this morning. Spring has sprung in Sligo

whyulittle · 19-04-2020 9:45pm

First Swallow sighting today in Athlone.

magicbastarder · 19-04-2020 9:59pm

spotted today in north county dublin. had to drop food out for herself's horse which we only do every fortnight or so at the moment, so no idea when they arrived.

Goldfinch8 · 21-04-2020 12:43pm

Just heard the first cuckoo of the year in central Mayo. A few willow warblers singing about the place also and a blackcap singing it's heart out on a favoured branch of a larch tree down the back of the garden. Blue skies and a real spring chorus if there ever was one.

feartuath · 22-04-2020 7:51am

Seth Brundle wrote: »

Whereabouts are you?

Clare.

Silent Running · 22-04-2020 7:58am

Swallows arrived here in Wexford yesterday. That's the latest they've arrived in many years.

vistafinder · 22-04-2020 10:15pm

Cuckoo started singing in this part of West Cork yesterday. A bit later than usual.

Grasshopper Warblers too since Sunday.

pawrick · 24-04-2020 12:04pm

whyulittle wrote: »

First Swallow sighting today in Athlone.

Re Athlone, lots around curraghboy past few days also and spotted two around summerhill about a week ago. Mine was late arriving but finally spotted one yesterday and he's taken to sleeping in the shed, hopfully they will nest there again this year.

SnowyMuckish · 24-04-2020 10:19pm

First swallows back in the north west of Donegal today!So lovely to see them back!

SnowyMuckish · 24-04-2020 10:24pm

Re swallows, Wouldn’t it be lovely if there was some kind of ‘tracker camera’ that followed their journey to us and a live map of their arrival? Maybe it exists already but I don’t know of if?

SnowyMuckish · 24-04-2020 10:37pm

vistafinder wrote: »

Cuckoo started singing in this part of West Cork yesterday. A bit later than usual.

Grasshopper Warblers too since Sunday.

Love this article fro the Irish Times.

“Irish tradition has it that the last two weeks of April and early days of May often bring a short snap of unseasonably cold weather, and since this is the period during which the cuckoo is heard for the first time, our forefathers called such a cold snap Scairbhin na gCuach. "Scairbhin na gCuach, garbh's fuar," they used to mutter to each other: "the cuckoo spell is blustery and cold".

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/listening-for-the-cuckoo-1.143830

Birdnuts · 25-04-2020 12:50am

SnowyMuckish wrote: »

Love this article fro the Irish Times.

“Irish tradition has it that the last two weeks of April and early days of May often bring a short snap of unseasonably cold weather, and since this is the period during which the cuckoo is heard for the first time, our forefathers called such a cold snap Scairbhin na gCuach. "Scairbhin na gCuach, garbh's fuar," they used to mutter to each other: "the cuckoo spell is blustery and cold".

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/listening-for-the-cuckoo-1.143830

There is definatly something in that - the only decent May bank holiday i can remember was the one the kicked off the increadible summer of 2018

SnowyMuckish · 25-04-2020 1:13am

I just find it interesting this year because if you follow the weather forum atm they mention a colder spell coming next week. There must be something in it, Our forefathers must have had some sort of understanding years ago that still lingers today.

whodafunk · 25-04-2020 1:16am

Saw first Swallow on 1st Aril. Looking forward to seeing Swifts return very soon.

SnowyMuckish · 27-04-2020 9:58pm

Heard the first cuckoo this evening, brought a smile to my face.

fryup · 01-05-2020 9:19pm

first of May today and as if if right on cue i heard my first call of the cuckoo,

plus....the distant call of a curlew too

x567 · 06-05-2020 3:50pm

Saw my first swifts of the year today; they may have been around for a few days as I haven't been down to the town for a few days

Seth Brundle · 06-05-2020 4:00pm

They arrived in Leixlip yesterday - Summer is here now

Del.Monte · 06-05-2020 7:24pm

Seth Brundle wrote: »

They arrived in Leixlip yesterday - Summer is here now

Feel the same way every year and when they leave in August they take the Summer with them. They are in Enniscorthy the last couple of days and numbers seem up on last year.

Ulmus · 06-05-2020 8:18pm

They're back! Saw first 2 swifts today over Phibsboro. I hope the good weather continues for them.

Bsal · 07-05-2020 12:32am

Huge amounts of swallows and a few swifts in the Swords area today.

Curiousness99 · 08-05-2020 8:31am

Heard the first cuckoo up the Dublin hills yesterday, very late again this year, thought I’d missed it

Great to hear

Seth Brundle · 11-05-2020 4:07pm

We have a family of starlings nesting in the eaves of the house with a SE aspect. Starlings have been there for a couple of years now.
We've a swift nextbox on the wall and had hoped that they would take to it (any time they looked around they would seem to prefer the eaves only to find they were occupied.
This afternoon heard a bit of a squabble and looked out window to see a swift being attacked by the two adult starlings. The swift seemed to have fallen to the ground and the starlings would go for it any time it moved.
I went out and managed to give it time to get back in the air and away (with the two starlings chasing it).
Hopefully that won't put the swifts off our location. (Need to block up the holes in the eaves regardless!)

Yester · 21-05-2020 12:02pm

Mad carry on with the swallows this year. We have 2 in the coal shed every year and they arrived as usual and set up camp. Then a couple of weeks later another swallow arrived and they seem to be fighting ever since. I've seen them many times chasing away the extra swallow (At least I assume this is what is happening) I passed the shed right now and it sounded like there was a small war going on inside. I opened the door and 3 very agitated swallows flew out. Any idea what is going on with them?

x567 · 21-09-2020 10:53pm

Now the summer is almost over (per equinox etc), just to record that after seeing a breathtaking number of swallows swarming low over the water and rushes and in the skies over Lough Derg on Wednesday evening last week, I now haven’t seen any for the last two days. Au revoir mes amies...

Pretzill · 21-09-2020 11:24pm

I counted 34 swallows on the wires outside the house yesterday evening - it was a lovely day for the start of their massive flight - great to see so many fledged around our barns and 3 just fledged earlier in the week - little latecomers

ThunderCat · 22-09-2020 1:24pm

It's bittersweet seeing the Swallows go but on the plus side I saw a dozen or so Brent Geese up near Drogheda yesterday which was a lovely sight.

x567 · 29-09-2020 11:04pm

Having noted the general swallow exodus from here a week or so ago, I have since seen three or four stragglers, most recently one lonely soul yesterday. As much as we mark the earliest sightings, it would be good to know from others across Ireland when the last few are seen...

whodafunk · 29-09-2020 11:14pm

The last few I saw in Dublin last Tuesday 22/09 flying up pretty high in the sky heading south/west direction.

kylith · 29-09-2020 11:35pm

Saw maybe a dozen heading in a southerly direction from North Wexford today.

Goldfinch8 · 30-09-2020 1:18am

The last two that I saw here in Mayo was on Thursday evening last(22nd) flying high over the River Moy.
The main exodus occurred around the 18th and 19th in my own locality this year where they had been gathering restleslly on wires during the previous week or two. I always keep an eye on them going as well as arriving and my own experience over the years is that September 20th is roughly around the average date that the majority of them depart here.

refusetolose · 30-09-2020 1:22am

friend had a visit from a few goldfinches today
magnificent specimens so they are

Del.Monte · 30-09-2020 7:40am

Small flock of Swallows on wires near Enniscorthy, Co.Wexford yesterday.

Fakediamond · 30-09-2020 7:44am

Mine left yesterday, au revoir until next year.

Graces7 · 02-10-2020 4:40pm

This year we only had one pair of swallows, at this end of the island anyway. Last year there were very many .

Yester · 02-10-2020 7:12pm

Our lot only left today. They left some mess in the shed after them.

Edit. Still one knocking around this morning.

whodafunk · 12-10-2020 2:34pm

Spotted 2 Swallows over Glasnevin today

QuareHog · 29-03-2021 10:47pm

Seen one swallow flying over today.

Birdnuts · 30-03-2021 1:23am

First contingent of Sand Martins have arrived at a quarry near my parents place in North Kildare

DBB · 30-03-2021 1:37am

I heard my first chiffchaff of the year over the weekend (north Offaly)... keeping half an eye on the telephone wires for the first swallows and martins... lucky you who've already spotted them! A bit of normality in the world

pawrick · 30-03-2021 12:39pm

QuareHog wrote: »

Seen one swallow flying over today.

One tried to get in to my shed today, first one we've seen so far (a little north of Athlone). Earlier arriving back here compared to last year.

whodafunk · 30-03-2021 10:37pm

Spotted 3 swallows over the river Liffey/city centre today. Nice to see on such a lovely afternoon.

feartuath · 31-03-2021 10:03pm

First 2 swallows in the farmyard this evening,
West of the Shannon.

More to arrive, 5 nests at my house and one in dog kennel.
Up in the farmyard they take residence in every building.

Birdnuts · 01-04-2021 12:57am

Some influx of summer migrants in and around my parents place in North Kildare these last 2 days. Swallows,Blackcaps and even a pair of Wheaters on hilly ground near the Wicklow border.

vistafinder · 01-04-2021 2:50pm

Saw 5 Swallows surfing the wind over the river Lee while ago and Willow warblers singing around the garden since yesterday.

SnowyMuckish · 03-04-2021 6:50pm

First lonely single swallow over my veg patch in the NW today.

Bsal · 03-04-2021 10:01pm

2 Swallows chasing a Buzzard today near Swords.

OldRio · 04-04-2021 11:46am

First swallow yesterday near Fenagh Leitrim. Flew over the farm. Its the earliest we have recorded them in the last 15 years. Magical.
They are in for shock when this weather changes.

Mimon · 04-04-2021 11:49am

Bsal wrote: »

2 Swallows chasing a Buzzard today near Swords.

Have seen this in the past.

Like it, only arrived and setting out their stall against the biggest guy in the neighborhood

Yester · 08-04-2021 10:34am

Swallows arrived this morning and straight into the shed where their nest is. They arrived on the 11th of April last year so just three days early.

Edit They seem to have buggered off again.

Our Summer Visitors

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