See the main page for notes, photos, and diaries for other years.
2013-August-9 The remaining adult swift left the usual nestbox #1 for the last time this season in the morning two days ago. Around the same time, a swift very confidently entered one of the holes in the soffit, and stayed for around 10 minutes - perhaps it has been doing this without me noticing. I don't think any birds are now returning to boxes, though I can't rule it out - saw one flying away from the house this morning as though it might have just left one of the spaces.
2013-August-6 The first night after the last young swift had gone, only one adult returned to the nest. So I was a bit surprised to see 2 again the next night. Then back to just one each night (arrived 8.55pm last night - getting earlier as the day gets shorter). This evening, a pair of swifts entered box #4 at 8.57pm; the video captured one entering under the tiles at 9.01pm; and one bird entered the usual nestbox #1 at 9.03pm - it was closely followed by another which hovered briefly, but didn't enter, and didn't return for another attempt.
2013-August-2 The second of the 3 young swifts left on 2013-July-31, in the morning like the first one. I guessed that the last one might go after another day, but it was still there as darkness fell yesterday. The two adult birds returned about 9.10pm, so I was suprised on looking at the video at 10pm to see only two birds. On checking the video recordings, at 9.48pm, by which time it was quite dark, the young swift was looking out of the entrance hole, when one of the adults moved from the nest, gave it a few pecks, and seemed to push it out! I saw it take flight on the outside camera. The adults stayed the night, and there were still birds in a number of other boxes and under the tiles. We'll see what birds return this evening.
2013-July-30 One young swift left this morning - I think at 7.53am. I need to check more of the video just in case this was an adult leaving, but there were only two birds left inside after it had gone. There is still activity at the other nestboxes, with birds entering 3 others last night and this morning, and showing interest in another one. The pair under the tiles came in again last night too.
2013-July-29 Well today is my estimated 'fledging day' (approx. 6 weeks from hatching). The 3 young swifts haven't gone yet, but are spending a lot of time exercising, and looking out of the entrance. The parent birds are still visiting, and coming in for the night. The new pair going under the tiles at the gable still returned last night (caught on video). I didn't see any birds return to other nestboxes last night, but I wasn't watching much, as the weather wasn't ideal for it.
2013-July-24 After all the 'prospecting' of the last few weeks, there now seems a regular pattern among the birds that remain. With nestboxes numbered #1 to #5 (left to right, photo in the snow on the main page), the pair still with 3 young are in #1, and pairs are entering #4 and #5 for the night. I saw birds enter #2 and #3 a week or two ago, but not for a while now. The two brick-size trial boxes (which are to the right of the other 5, not on photo) have had no attention for a while now, after all the interest some weeks ago. Rather surprisingly, a pair are also entering under the tiles at the gable round the far corner near #1, where some cement is missing (previously used by sparrows). I can't imagine that this leads to a very satisfactory space, but can't argue with the birds!
2013-July-21 The 3 swift chicks are often exercising, stretching their wings, though I haven't yet seen much of the 'flapping' that I could hear last year, when I had no camera. Prospecting of other nest-spaces is now declining for the year, but I've still been seeing birds enter 3 other boxes, either in during the day, or coming in to roost at night.
2013-July-12 The 3 swift chicks are quite large, and sometimes explore the nestbox, and flap their wings. I'd expect them to fledge around 2013 July 29th. Meanwhile, the high level of interest in all my other swift nestboxes continues - I've seen birds enter all 4 other boxes, plus 2 new trial 'brick size' boxes. They look at the starling box again sometimes, but I've not seen one go in again. I even had a swift fly right by me, through an open door, and into the house - it made its way to another glass door and was trying to get out, so I picked it up and released it outside.
2013-July-2 The 3 swift chicks still appear to be doing well, while spectacular prospecting of other boxes continues - I've never seen anywhere near this level of interest in previous years - they are mainly trying the entrance holes (good!), but also the tops and bottoms of the boxes and other non-entrance locations. I've not had chance for a few days to watch how many boxes now have birds staying overnight, but there are quite often birds looking out of the holes of some of the boxes.
Two days ago, I saw a swift sticking it's head into one of the starling nestboxes (so far unoccupied). I thought I'd better check inside, as a swift might not be able to get out again because of the smooth sides and deep cavity. So yesterday, I got the ladder out, and indeed there was a swift in the box. I first offered a piece of rough wood, which it started to climb up, but the wood kept moving about, so instead I lifted the swift out, and it flew off. I've now fixed some rough wood inside all 3 of the starling boxes, so hopefully any future occupants will find it easier to climb out.
2013-June-27 It's been a spectacular two days for swifts prospecting for nest places. I've seen birds enter all 4 unoccupied boxes. One entered the single occupied box, resulting the occupant fighting with it for a minute before driving it out. Here is a picture of prospecting swifts, with one about to enter one of the unoccupied boxes.
2013-June-24 At least two of the eggs hatched on 2013-June-17, and two days later, all 3 chicks could be seen being fed. Initially at least one parent stayed at the nest with them, but now both parents are sometimes away for a while before returning with food.
2013-June-16 I'm not writing so much as last year, as you can see what's going on in the video. All seems to be going well, and I'd expect the eggs to hatch any day now. This morning, a number of swifts were prospecting the other nestboxes - one 'banged' up against the entrance hole. So a good sign that more might take up residence.
2013-May-31 A third egg was laid this morning, so (unless they reject any of these eggs) they are going for what's normally regarded as the maximum clutch size. Two is the most common.
I had a worrying five minutes last night: at around 9.15pm there was only one bird in the nestbox, which was quite late for one to still be out flying. So I looked outside, thinking I'd see it come in. Instead, I heard some squawking, and I think some kind of 'hawk' bird flew by, carrying something which could have been a swift. After losing one of the bluetit parents to a sparrowhawk, I worried that I'd now lost one of the swifts, but it was a false alarm - the 2nd swift returned about 5 minutes later. Who knows what I actually saw - I'd find it difficult to imagine a hawk catching a flying swift in semi-darkness, so it was probably carrying some other prey item.
2013-May-28 Second egg laid this morning in the nestbox. Quite a bit of rain today, but still plenty swifts flying around, and lots of them feeding over the lake in the nearby Country Park.
2013-May-25 Another poor day for weather yesterday, and the swifts spent even less time out of the nestbox.
2013-May-24 The swifts haven't returned to the space in the soffit since 2013-May-15, but the pair in the nestbox continue their comings and goings.
2013-May-19 The pair in the nestbox continue coming and going regularly, and spend the night inside.
Yesterday, there were two swifts in the soffit space for some time. It really looked to me that the one which returned 4 days ago was trying to 'attract' another one in. Several times, a second following bird got half through the entrance, then circled away for another attempt. At least once, possibly more, it clearly managed the quite difficult entrance (well I think it looks difficult!), and looked around inside. So was this second one a new bird - i.e. not one of the pair that 'learned' the entrance last year? Around 7pm last night, the 'resident' swift left and didn't come back for the night. So who knows what now...
2013-May-15 This morning, the single swift was still in the nestbox around 9am, having been out briefly once.
Outside, I could see two swifts circling slowly, and on returning inside to check the camera view, one entered the space in the soffit at 9.19am. It's pleasing that one of the birds which 'prospected' this site in 2012 has made it back.
At 10am, the nestbox bird left. Outside I could again see two swifts circling. The bird re-entered the nextbox at 10.04am and a few seconds later was joined by its mate, soon settling down after some brief 'scuffling'.
So now have 3 out of 4 birds back. Will have to look out for interest in the other boxes (without cameras).
2013-May-13 The one swift has spent each night in the box, with occasional visits during the day. Today, it left for the first time at 7.03am, but at 7.34am I happened to be outside in the garden, heard swift calls, and two birds approached, the leader entering the box, and the second one flying by. Was it the 2nd of the pair? Was the first bird trying to tempt another one in? Was it just swifts doing what they usually do (I'm not keen on putting human interpretations on swift behaviour)?
2013-May-8 Again not an early start for our swift. First out at 8.20am, but back 4 minutes later (assuming the same bird). Only left for the day at 9.40am.
2013-May-7 Swift stayed overnight last night, leaving in the morning. Back in earlier this evening - around 7pm.
2013-May-6 First swift arrived in the nestbox.
2013-April-26 Saw my first swifts of 2013 today, with two over the village (Milton, near Cambridge, UK) at around 6.20pm.
2013-March-4 Examined the nestbox, and made preparations for video cameras in 2013. There is a photo of last year's nest on the main page, with one failed egg present. Who knows whether it was just infertile, or was displaced from the nest area?