No Flycatchers :(

[Broch]

We have blue tit nests, great tit nests, redstart nests, blackcap nests, chiff-chaff and warbler nests, dunnock nests, wren nests, blackbird nests ..... and more, but no flycatchers

Normally we would have several spotted flycatcher and pied flycatcher broods by now - but none. I saw a solitary spotted flycatcher last week but no others.

Is anyone else noticing a lack of flycatchers?

 

[Silverclaws2]

I have never seen a flycatcher and I used to watch birds

 

[Broch]

They are regular summer visitors here and always nest around the house and in the wood. But, sadly, not this year

 

[Lean'n'mean]

Summer visitors have had a tough time this year, particulaly those that hunt flying insects, due the unusually cold & damp may. There are prehaps insufficient numbers that made it through to breed.....maybe some couples will form later in the summer. & produce a brood or two if the weather is favourable.

 

[Wander]

I reckon it's down to a cold May.
Dragonflies and damselflies are late on the wing this year and I reckon that's why I've not seen any hobbies yet.
I think the weather has affected the insect population and this has had a knock-on effect.

 

[Broch]

I'm sure you're right - swallow and martin numbers are down too - but to have none nest is very worrying for future years. I suppose they could just not have made it this far this year and have successfully nested further south.

 

[Woody girl]

Havnt seen a single butterfly this year yet.
Bees seem to be down too, only seen a couple of bumbles and about 6 honey bees in total.
The swifts that nest in town have not shown up yet.
My garden is usualy swarming with insects and birds, but its very quiet this year.
I think it must be the bad weather in May. Havnt even seen or heard my woodpecker yet, normaly a regular visitor.

 

[TLM]

Normal number of spotted ones around the cottage, one pied nesting and normal amount of song heard everywhere around.

 

[slowworm]

I don't think I've ever seen a fly catcher so can't comment on those.

But it's been a strange year, well strange 12 months. Very wet autumn/winter then cold spring with a very long dry period. Then a wet and very windy May (70mph+).

Things have been held back, we normally get clouds of St Mark's flies but only saw a few this year.

However, things are looking up now. We've got more nesting birds than previous years such as bullfinches and swallows, there's quite a few skylarks about and a few other previously common but rare birds.

Plenty of bumbles about and in the last week or two the butterflies, mayflies, damselflies and dragonflies are out.

 

[Silverclaws2]

Havnt seen a single butterfly this year yet.
Bees seem to be down too, only seen a couple of bumbles and about 6 honey bees in total.
The swifts that nest in town have not shown up yet.
My garden is usualy swarming with insects and birds, but its very quiet this year.
I think it must be the bad weather in May. Havnt even seen or heard my woodpecker yet, normaly a regular visitor.

I have seen one butterfly so far, to remember it because it was the first I saw this year - a Red Admiral hanging around the monstrous great Leylandiis down the bottom of the garden where they can usually be found around here, albeit in greater numbers. And under the Leylandiis there were no Cookoo Pint growing this year unlike last year when I had never seen so many in that one place. Not much of anything really though have noticed the crows are getting braver.