After 4 weeks migrating from Africa, some as far south as the Cape, swallows arrive in the UK during April, we;ve already seen our first two at the reserve!
Keep an eye out this April for the bird that wears the uniform with glossy blue-black upperparts, white underparts, a blue band across the breast and the unmistakeable long streamers of their tails. Look a little closer and you will see that their throat and forehead are a rich, deep red. 
Frequently seen flying over Aird Meadow in front of the centre, or around the river Calder - swallows are feeding on a range of insects including bluebottles, houseflies, bees, hoverflies, mayflies, aphids and flying ants (yum)!
Often returning to rest in the same nest made of mud and lined with feathers and grass, swallows incubate 3-6 eggs for two weeks, then feed young for around 3 weeks and then continue feeding young for a further week once they leave the nest (lazy birds!). Young are often seen perched waiting for their parents to feed them.
Swallows can raise two or three broods in a year, with some staying into November in the southern parts of the UK before leaving for the 4 week migration back to Africa.
Swallow facts:
- 570,000 pairs breed in the UK
- Females have shorter tail streamers than males
- The oldest known swallow is 15 years and 11 months
- A brood of swallows need 6000 flies a day to survive.