Country diary: There are swifts aplenty, but where are the swallows? | Derek Niemann

Sandy, Bedfordshire: For the first month, I blamed persistent winds from the north. Now I'm simply baffledHas it really been two months since I stepped through a gap in a hedge and made a prediction? In front of open water, I said to my wife and the indifferent wind: "And this is where we will see our first swallow." Two breaths later, there it was, jinking in from our left, as if pewter clouds had parted to birth spring.There was no great clairvoyance on my part. Like many birders, I have anticipated local arrival dates for migrants in my head after watching for them over many years. This swallow was three days past its due date and, as lakes and rivers are reliable fuelling spots with their early hatches of flying insects, its appearance was to be expected. But could I have anticipated what would not happen next? Continue reading...