WILDLIFE IN LANCASHIRE & YORKSHIRE

Swallows, or barn swalllows as they are also known as, have a creamy-white belly, a shiny blue back and a darkish red face. They have shorter wings than a swift and also 2 x long, thin streamers. Swallows spend their winters as far away as south Africa, more than 6,000 miles away from England, and mostly always arrive back in England before the Swifts. Usually in Late May early April.

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Swallows are mostly likely to be seen over the countryside, over lakes and reservoirs, or sometimes over farmland where flies are common. They nest in buildings  such as barns, stables or rarely used sheds - they just require a hole to fly in and out of. They build a little nest cup out of mud and grass, usually resting on top of a ledge. It can take 5-12 days to build a small nest, so swallows usually use the same nest over and over again to save time in building a new one.