Bushwalk Australia

The Welcome Swallows usually migrate away from our area in about March, as far as I can tell (based on my casual observations of when I no longer observe them).

This year they are still about in the last week of May (and for who knows how much longer?)

Although the nest in my carport fell down last week. Poor sods will have to rebuild again next season.

Anyone else seeing unseasonal activity in the Welcome Swallows department?

Can't say I have, but I will pay more attention now.

I don't know if it's unseasonal but I spotted this one last Sunday at a railway station near Sydney airport. Only just got around to ID'ing it when I saw your post. We were changing trains, so not there long enough to see if any more were about. I don't know if climatic differences between Lonnie and Sydney influences behaviour patterns in each location.

The Swallow.......isn't that the bird of true love?

Aardvark wrote:The Swallow.......isn't that the bird of true love?

What do you mean, the African swallow or the European swallow?

(Come on... somebody had to say it!)

I've since done a little more research (AKA, websearch) and it seems that the Welcome Swallow is only mostly migratory. Their migrations dates are not strictly reliable, and there are a small number of individuals which simply don't bother to fly north for the winter at all. I'd never realised that before.

I also learned that they naturally colonised New Zealand (without human help) not all that long ago and are now quite widespread there, and effectively non-migratory there, apparently.