Late Swallows

A small party of six swallows flew over the house today. They were flying fast and in a direct line, clearly on migration. I presume they were birds that had seen a late brood reach independence prior to setting out. The weather is quite cold and there are few insects flying and so there would be little food or comfort for them. I saw some two weeks ago on the coast in Sussex and assumed them to be the last I would see this year.