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Haven't seen any yet but I'm looking forward to first sighting. We usually have a watch for their arrival and departure on here. So, has anyone from further south caught sight of one yet?

Love and Peace
Jim

Bit Early yet ,we're waiting for the Cuckoo,Everything's a bit early though,the great tit is nest building in the meter box again,and the peregrines are hunting like crazy,so hopefully 2 broods this year,(hard work for the RSPB chaps).

None in this part of Brittany yet.

Usually see them around the last weekend in March.

Dear Mrs Moustair,

That'd be about right, the 1st of April is the earliest I've ever seen them here and we're only 70 miles across the channel from Brittany. Roll on Spring!!

Love and Peace
Jim

We usually get swallows a week after MMM ...any sightings yet Mandy?

No! But my OH heard a chiffchaff the other day which made him get out his notebook and check the dates of first chiffchaff/blackcap singing and swallow sightings from the last few years (I think previous years' sightings are lost on Ish somewhere ) so we both keep scanning the sky as they should be arriving in about a week.

I've just seen on Twitter there is a UK swallow watch and quite a few have been reported in England and Ireland already!
https://twitter.com/#!/Swallowsighting
Will that work as a link I wonder, oh well look up Swallow UK or Swallowsighting on Twitter. (edit: yes it does!)

following your twitter link 2 swallows sighted in Kent yesterday!
Here does come summer

No swallows yet but heard the cuckoo for the first time today.


I heard it then sent my OH up the garden to listen and verify!

Forgot about cuckoos, will listen out for them too, only thing is I can hardly hear anything over the sound of the ruddy Song Thrush that just won't shut up. All day long from dawn to dusk, it is very repetitive.

Was in the Touraine in France, swallows seen and cuckoos heard last week. Almonds and apricots in flower.

Hopefully they'll arrive here soon. Can't wait!

Saw first Swallow here on Weds 28th but still not heard a cuckoo yet.

I still haven't seen any swallows yet, not that I blame them as it's not exactly summer weather here.
Looking back at previous posts, I saw my first ones on 28 March 2011, 10 April 2010 & 16 April 2009, so they are well late.
I presume they are all stuck in Brittany waiting for the weather to improve.

I saw a Serin the other day, which is a first for me, absolutely lovely little creature, it inspired me to go and get some Collins Reference books on UK Birds, Wild Flowers, Bugs & Trees! ( BOGOF and only £2.99 each as well!)

Well done Boboff.

Tony, I think most of them turned round and went back to Africa! Heard my first cuckoo this afternoon which is quite late I think.