Looking through old photos I was reminded that this is the time of year we normally watch the parting of the swallows after the summer. The electricity wires which cross the garden fill with thousands of birds who depart en masse after giving us a final spectacular air display. It's a sight which made a lasting impression on my mother, she memory problems now but still talks about seeing this. This year though - no swallows! We saw plenty at the beginning of the summer, watched some courtship displays on the wires but then no more.
The same happened with the sparrows. Our house is built of stone and is unpointed. Normally it is home to hundreds of house sparrows. Again the summer started normally enough, lots of activity, lots of nest building and the sound of scurrying in the walls ( we have to tell guests not to worry - it's not mice in the bedroom) but then nothing. Normally we watch the baby birds being fed and eat our own meals outside to the noise of a veritable sparrow city. It can be VERY noisy but I've really missed it this year.
Did it get too hot? We did have several weeks of "canicule" so maybe. We will just have to wait and see what happens next year.
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