Birds catching flies over a lake?

sharky · #1 (**permalink**) 22-03-10, 11:51 AM

Hi all.

While fishing a north Devon lake at the weekend (20th March) as the sun was going down i noticed 5 or 6 birds swooping over the lake which seemed to be catching flies and insects.

They looked like they were either swallows, swifts or house martins. but am i correct in saying that all of these should be in Africa or southern Spain right now?

Could the above birds have come back early?

Thanks

Chris

astafjevs · #2 (**permalink**) 22-03-10, 12:29 PM

I'd have thought they'd be very unlikely to have been Swift but could conceivably have been either of the others, returning early.

I'm about half-sure I saw a swallow on Saturday afternoon as I was driving in Somerset. Didn't get a great look at it, the light was rubbish and I was concentrating on the road (honest!) but if it wasn't a swallow I've no idea what it was.

Twitcheruth · #3 (**permalink**) 22-03-10, 01:45 PM

I saw 40+ Sand Martins feeding over a mere at the weekend......these tend to arrive first before House Martins,Swallows and then Swifts.

If they were brown without white rumps then they were probably Sand Martins.

sharky · #4 (**permalink**) 23-03-10, 12:33 AM

hi. there was not enough light to see any colours. I never thought about sand martins. I guess its just 1 of those things i'll never know for sure.

chris.

MIKE THROWER · #5 (**permalink**) 23-03-10, 08:54 AM

10 X Alpine Swifts, a Red-Rumped Swallow, and a Pallid Swift were seen and photographed in England only this Weekend. Always check movements of Hirundines at this time of the year, there has been a strong S.W. wind pushing all in this weekend, You never know whats in with them. Not a lot has came this far but it will come.