Autumn is approaching - but some birds will attempt a high-risk third brood

The later swallows and house martins are hatched, the tougher it will be for the young birds to fly south from UKBirdsong is virtually over, and signs of autumn have already begun to show: most of our swifts and cuckoos have departed for Africa, and Arctic waders are passing through the UK on their way south.Yet for some birds, the breeding season is still going strong. Birds that feed on flying insects - notably swallows and house martins - have already raised at least one brood of young, and with this year's mainly warm, sunny weather many will have managed two. As August leads into September, and summer merges inexorably into autumn, some pairs will try for a third brood before they too head off to their African winter quarters. Continue reading...