Swallows are back

I saw a swallow the other day, but there's a bunch of them outside my window now. It's official: summer's here!

Other evidence includes impending exams for which I have no inclination to study for, and the lawnmower's broken down, as it always does this time of year.

I can hear birds chirping in the trees all around the garden. Don't think I'll be going back to the library to study for a while!

johnfás wrote:I can hear birds chirping in the trees all around the garden. Don't think I'll be going back to the library to study for a while!

Ah, but are they swallows? They have the most annoying twitter in the world but it's great to hear in the morning.

I know what you mean about the lawnmower. It takes one look at the upward surging spring growth, and chokes.

A lot of twittering going on around here, too, and the solitary adolescent swan turned up with a mate yesterday.

I've seen a robin, thrush, a bluetit and some pigeons over the last few minutes. I can hear a swallow.

905 wrote:I saw a swallow the other day, but there's a bunch of them outside my window now. It's official: summer's here!

Other evidence includes impending exams for which I have no inclination to study for, and the lawnmower's broken down, as it always does this time of year.

They've appeared around here too. Last year, I had 2 nests in an old shed, but I fixed the window on the shed so now they're going to have to find somewhere else. Hope they're not too annoyed.

Grass cut once so far. Now begins 6 months of frustration in which it will always be raining when I have time to cut the grass and always be sunny when I don't.

I'll post some bird sounds from the garden in a few minutes. Unfortunately just after I recorded it they all started up - not bothered hanging out my window again!

905 wrote:I saw a swallow the other day, but there's a bunch of them outside my window now. It's official: summer's here!

Sure one swallow......

Some sideways garden noises

Thanks for that johnfás.

Strange to think that they are little dinosaurs flying around isn't it?

cactus flower wrote:Thanks for that johnfás.

Strange to think that they are little dinosaurs flying around isn't it?

Watching the seagulls perched flapping on the chimneys always gives me the strongest feeling for that particular link.

riadach wrote:

905 wrote:I saw a swallow the other day, but there's a bunch of them outside my window now. It's official: summer's here!

Sure one swallow......

Hence the bunch of them making it official.
Someone's not up to speed today.

905 wrote:

riadach wrote:

905 wrote:I saw a swallow the other day, but there's a bunch of them outside my window now. It's official: summer's here!

Sure one swallow......

Hence the bunch of them making it official.
Someone's not up to speed today.

I am but I thought factually accuracy could be expended for the sake of a joke.

riadach wrote:

905 wrote:

riadach wrote:

905 wrote:I saw a swallow the other day, but there's a bunch of them outside my window now. It's official: summer's here!

Sure one swallow......

Hence the bunch of them making it official.
Someone's not up to speed today.

I am but I thought factually accuracy could be expended for the sake of a joke.

You thought... well listen here Sonny Jim, next time I explicitly pre-empt a joke you pay attention, you hear?

Swallows are a serious business.

905 wrote:

riadach wrote:

905 wrote:

riadach wrote:

905 wrote:I saw a swallow the other day, but there's a bunch of them outside my window now. It's official: summer's here!

Sure one swallow......

Hence the bunch of them making it official.
Someone's not up to speed today.

I am but I thought factually accuracy could be expended for the sake of a joke.

You thought... well listen here Sonny Jim, next time I explicitly pre-empt a joke you pay attention, you hear?

Swallows are a serious business.

...said Ms Lewinsky.

ibis wrote:

905 wrote:

riadach wrote:

905 wrote:

riadach wrote:

905 wrote:I saw a swallow the other day, but there's a bunch of them outside my window now. It's official: summer's here!

Sure one swallow......

Hence the bunch of them making it official.
Someone's not up to speed today.

I am but I thought factually accuracy could be expended for the sake of a joke.

You thought... well listen here Sonny Jim, next time I explicitly pre-empt a joke you pay attention, you hear?

Swallows are a serious business.

...said Ms Lewinsky.

She didn't, did she?

(Swallow I mean, not say that).

ibis wrote:

905 wrote:Swallows are a serious business.

...said Ms Lewinsky.

Off topic, 905 and Riadach. To the pound with you both...

Says the woman who came up with dinosaurs!

cactus flower wrote:Off topic, 905 and Riadach. To the pound with you both...

But Ibis did it first miss.

If swallows are dinosaurs, how come they are not extinct ? Or are they like the second generation dinos or something.

riadach wrote:

cactus flower wrote:Off topic, 905 and Riadach. To the pound with you both...

But Ibis did it first miss.

I'm better at it, though.

If swallows are dinosaurs, how come they are not extinct ? Or are they like the second generation dinos or something.

The latter...they're the dinosaurs' descendants, heavily modified, upgraded, and shrunk.

And you too Ibis. In the corner.

If swallows are dinosaurs, how come they are not extinct ? Or are they like the second generation dinos or something.

They just evolved from their dino-bird forefathers. And I suppose that they flew away from what ever killed off the other dinosaurs.

cactus flower wrote:And you too Ibis. In the corner.

If swallows are dinosaurs, how come they are not extinct ? Or are they like the second generation dinos or something.

They just evolved from their dino-bird forefathers. And I suppose that they flew away from what ever killed off the other dinosaurs.

Or they were small enough so that the catastrophic events which caused the dinosaur extinction had no impact upon them. I'm inclined to think it was a size thing, as smaller animals such as mammals and smaller reptiles seemed to have survive, whereas the larger animals died off.

That said I have no expertise on the matter other than I bought 1-37 of the dinosaur magazines when I was 11-12.

riadach wrote:

cactus flower wrote:And you too Ibis. In the corner.

If swallows are dinosaurs, how come they are not extinct ? Or are they like the second generation dinos or something.

They just evolved from their dino-bird forefathers. And I suppose that they flew away from what ever killed off the other dinosaurs.

Or they were small enough so that the catastrophic events which caused the dinosaur extinction had no impact upon them. I'm inclined to think it was a size thing, as smaller animals such as mammals and smaller reptiles seemed to have survive, whereas the larger animals died off.

That said I have no expertise on the matter other than I bought 1-37 of the dinosaur magazines when I was 11-12.

More of a lineage thing, I think. Birds are avian dinosaurs, and the non-avian dinosaur lineages died out. However, the crocodiles sailed through unscathed and unchanged.