How many swallows make a Summer?

Ever since I first spotted my first swallow of the year back in late April, I have been scanning the skies looking for more. For sure , I told myself "one swallow doesn't make a summer." But where were the others? Would they never arrive? After that single sighting I saw no more, and the skies around St Etienne de Gourgas remained stubbornly empty. At last I spotted a few swifts circling the skies above our house , while a few days later a group of swallows darted and skimmed above the village houses in Gourgas. "At last", I thought," summer has truly arrived." But I'm afraid my optimism was short lived. Gone, it would seem, are the days when our skies are full of summer visitors. When I ask friends about this, they too confirm that they have seen far fewer swallows and swifts than usual. What on earth is up?

"I'm sure to see swallows on the canals," I said , for they are a common sight from our boat , as they skim low across the water catching flies in the early evening. But there again, they seem fewer than usual.

Earlier this morning I spent some time parked in the middle of town waiting for Brian to return from an appointment. Lodève is an old town with tall , often shabby looking buildings, that belie their erst while elegance. But Halleluiah! Lodève offers perfect nesting places for swifts. Soaring above me scores of swifts flew backwards and forwards above the roof tops, seeking flies on the wing, and emitting loud screams. What a glorious happy sight. Did you know that in fact swifts rarely touch the ground. They not only eat, they sleep, and mate on the wing too. What's more the old run down houses of Lodève with their open lofts and eaves provide them with the perfect habitat. Sadly, more recently built houses, with their closed soffits are hostile to swifts, and this partly accounts for their demise in other parts. Unfortunately I couldn't catch on camera the many birds that I saw this morning. They fly too fast , darting backwards and forwards like streaks of lightning, and casting their shadows across the ancient stuccoed walls in the bright sunlight. But believe me, although the sky looks empty in the above photograph, there were plenty of swifts in the sky this morning above Lodève.

Last but not least is the house martin, which is a little smaller than both the swift and the swallow. This bird makes its nests under the eaves of old houses, so of course Lodève is perfect for them too. And yes, there they were flying around and above me this morning, and I even spotted one of their mud built nests under an overhanging roof. Welcome back to Lodève you magical birds from Africa.

Whilst I know that I can still enjoy watching swifts as they buzz around the skies above Lodève, our local market town, there is no doubt that their numbers are severely declining, along with the swallows and martins. It is absolutely clear that climate change has a bearing on all this , as changing weather patterns affect breeding cycles and migration. But we can definitely do something about their increasing loss of habitat. Here are some ideas that we can implement.

But what's to be done about it all?

Create a bog garden.

This provides material with which swallows and martins can build their nest, and pond plants encourage greater insect life , valuable food sources for these birds.

Let your grass grow long.

This will further encourage insect life.

Provide swift boxes, or add swift bricks and specially designed soffits to your new build.

Whilst few of us live in grand old houses like those in Lodève, we can make our own houses more welcoming to these birds. Why not? I am sure you will agree ; swallows , swifts and martins are a joy to behold.