Today’s big news is the arrival of the house martins from Africa. They come with the swallows and swifts, and spend April to September here. They don’t fly quite as hard or as fast as the swallows, but I think they make up for it with greater versatility. Watching them ride and use the air currents is quite mesmerising. It’s a favourite pastime of mine in the summer.
I had a neighbour where I used to live who told me that he was going to knock down a nest that a pair of swallows was building under the eave of his house. He said they made too much mess on his path. I pointed out – with barely disguised indignation, I expect – that these birds have just flown 5,000 miles and he ought to be honoured that they chose his house for a nest site. If the mess on the path is such an issue, it doesn’t take long to clean it up. I would consider it a labour of love. He didn't knock down the nest.
And a pair of bats is flying at dusk again. Magic, pure magic. It’s amazing that they came through that really hard winter we had.
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Jeff ~ you are very kind, and like the bats, magical.
swifts, swallows & bats, all amazing creatures! I love to sit in a dusky evening and watch the bats flit about, just catching glimpses as they whoosh by!
Sometimes mine come so close to my head that I can feel the wind from their wing beats. I never know whether to freeze with ecstasy or jump about with glee when they do that. I usually do both, but not at the same time. Did you read my post about the bat and the Dracula film?
My aunt has a few swallows roosting on her shed, and she's considering knocking the nest down, despite that there are eggs in it. It made me sad to hear that and I did my best to talk her out of it, I love birds, and swallows are one of my favourites as they always remind me of summer and my days working in the horse barn.
They're one of my favourites, too. No doubt yours come from South America. Do keep trying. Charm your aunt into a new way of seeing. Offer to clean up the mess. Anything.
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