News: February 2004

Last week's very mild weather brought many swallows to the south of Britain - more than six weeks earlier than usual.

Normally even those swallows (Hirundo rustica) arriving in March are considered exceptionally early. These early arrivals flew straight into trouble - by the time they were spotted in Somerset, the weather have already reverted to the colder norms for this time of year. It is speculated that the more erratic weather we are experiencing is, at least partly, a result of global warming. Clearly it will be as troublesome to wildlife as it is to us.

Brain Unwin and James Burleigh. 2004. Swallows have arrived in Britain. But don't even think about summer. Viewed on the web at http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/environment/story.jsp?story=489254 on February 10th 2004.