The swallow chicks have hatched in the barn at Woodhill Cottage. Visitors to this site may have read that we have late nesting swallows and that their lateness may be due to the late arrival of swallows in the UK as a whole. This was due to the unusual north winds that we experienced in April and into May – click here.
It is quite usual for swallows to have two or sometimes three broods in a summer, but the later the brood the lower the chance of the young chicks making the migration back to southern Europe and Africa. Our swallows in this corner of the Surrey Hills tend to leave on or around 22nd September each year.
Young swallows fledge after three weeks. Judging by the amount of swooping into the barn over the last two weeks or so I’d say we’ll have fledglings ‘beaming’ (Swallow chicks leave their nest but then spend several days sitting on beams) by the weekend.
There have been a lot of successful broods around the cottage and farm house and as a result the Surrey skies, telegraph wires and fences are full of swallows.
We have an active nest now with the chicks visible on tv. Nearly evey year we have late broods, this one has 4 chicks.
Regards, John
EX5 2PD Tel:- 01404822286
That is really interesting John. Our swallows appear to have already departed for warmer climes – early this year, normally they leave around the 22nd September. This year it was more like the 15th. Do they know something we don’t.
I take it from your postcode you are down Exeter way?