WHEN I look at my records for a bird breeding summer, I tend to think that this East Lancashire nesting season has been a good one for swallows.

The scientific name for the species is hirundo rustica, and it measures 7.5inches/19cms from its beak to the tip of its tail.

We now know that our swallows spend their winter in South Africa but, for centuries, it was thought that they hibernated in the mud of ponds during the cold weather!

Swallows can raise as many as three broods during a good summer, and it is now thought that the first brood of 4 to 5 young help their parents to feed subsequent broods.

Juvenile swallows differ from the adults in having shorter tail feathers, and their throats are yellow, whereas those of adults are red in colour.

Migration is in full swing in September, but continues until October.

Why don’t you follow my example by waving the swallows goodbye and telling them to return in the spring!