Does One Swallow Make A Summer?

Bird On! Diary
15th April 1996

The traditional date for Swallows to arrive in England is 23rd April (St George's Day). However, really keen birdwatchers should see their first arrivals up to two weeks earlier; if the spring is mild, watch at a local reservoir or lake.

By 23rd April, the adult birds are likely to have arrived at their breeding sites but if the weather is cold they may pay only a fleeting visit. The males - with long, pointed tail feathers - arrive first. The hen birds - with shorter and blunter tails - often join them before the end of the month.