Swallows and house martins

And then came the agro-chemical industry . . .

 

I think its more than just Egypt. Across the middle east and Africa mist nets are being used, our Gallic friends across the channel are using them too.. They have always used nets to trap birds, but these were always course fishing type nets and rarely caught the devastating numbers that mist net technology uses. The biggest threat now is that mist nets are made more cheaply and are more readily available now. I am not being racist/insulting when I say a lack of education and awareness amongst the people who use mist nets is a factor. The French capture birds as a delicacy for the table (Ortolon bunting anyone?). Whereas the middle east and Africa are doing it simply to put food on the table. If it carries on at the rate it is doing, then the next cycle that kicks in is crop failure due to pest infestation. In China during the Mao years, they believed sparrows were devastating their crops by eating the seeds. So, the government mobilised the entire population to catch all the sparrows. They did this purely by scare tactics. Everywhere the flocks landed, the peoples chased them away by shouting/banging pots etc. The birds never got to feed, were exhausted because they couldn't settle and eventually began falling out of the sky. They killed millions! However, there was much joyous singing amongst the party because they knew the crop would grow and harvest would be prosperous. The crop did grow, but was devastated by pests, and for the next few years famine reigned as each new crop was devoured too. No birds...too many pests.

Sorry for rambling btw

Very distressing activity, but is Egypt on the migration route of UK hirundines?

I blame the Egyptians, apparently they have mist nets that stretch for kilometres and just harvest migrating birds on passage. I fear that could be the end of skies full of hirundines for this country. We’ll see if it’s the same next year, hopefully not.

Regards. Pete

Well, I don’t think I have ever known such a time when there has been so few swallows, martins and swifts. I keep seeing the odd small group, generally over the saltmarsh and beach, but everywhere else seems barren. The school field near me is normally alive with them by now. The food is there because it is inundated with starlings and wagtails. I can see an insect haze over the grass, especially around late afternoon. I noticed a lack of birds at Alkborough too, a place normally full of swallows. I have yet to look at Covenham res, and I hope that it has its normal large gathering…. but seeing how most other areas are lacking, I don’t hold out much hope. 

We had 3 flew over the following day ( 11th June) so things are getting a bit better.