The Natural History of Selborne

Swallows congregating, E.H. Shepard, from “The Wind in the Willows”

• 1791: September 7, 1791 – Cut 125 cucumbers.  Young martins, several hundreds, congregate on the tower, church, & yew-tree.  Hence I conclude that most of the second broods are flown.  Such an assemblage is very beautiful, & amusing, did it not bring with it the association of ideas tending to make us reflect that winter is approaching; & that these little birds are consulting how they may avoid it.
• 1789: September 7, 1789 – Mr Thomas Mulso left us & went to Winton.
• 1782: September 7, 1782 – Many Selborne farmers finished wheat-harvest.  The latter housings are in delicate order: the early housed will be cold, & damp.  The swifts left Lyndon in the county of Rutland, for the most part, about August 23.  Some continued ’till August 29: & one till September 3!!  In all our observation Mr Barker & I never saw or heard of a swift in September, tho’ we have remarked them for more than 40 years.  All nature this summer seems to keep pace with the backwardness of the season.
• 1781: September 7, 1781 – Dines at Bramshot-place.
• 1779: September 7, 1779 – No mushrooms for want of more moisture.
• 1777: September 7, 1777 – Swallows & house-martins dip much in ponds.  Vast Northern Aurora.
• 1775: September 7, 1775 – In the dusk of the evening when beetles begin to buz, partridges begin to call; these two circumstances are exactly coincident.
• 1774: September 7, 1774 – Hops brown & small, & not esteemed very good. Wheat out still.
• 1773: September 7, 1773 – People begin to pick hops.
• 1772: September 7, 1772 – Peaches begin to ripen.
• 1768: September 7, 1768 – First blanched endive.  Some wheat standing still.  A few wasps.  Inyx still appears.

In the osiers which fringed the bank he spied a swallow sitting. Presently it was joined by another, and then by a third; and the birds, fidgeting restlessly on their bough, talked together earnestly and low.

`What, already,’ said the Rat, strolling up to them. `What’s the hurry? I call it simply ridiculous.’

`O, we’re not off yet, if that’s what you mean,’ replied the first swallow. `We’re only making plans and arranging things. Talking it over, you know — what route we’re taking this year, and where we’ll stop, and so on. That’s half the fun!’

“The Wind in the Willows”, Kenneth Grahame, 1908