See the main page for notes, photos, and diaries for other years.
You can view live video here from some of the nestboxes (not guaranteed always online, but I try
to keep it running).
Not yet online for 2026 season as the birds haven't arrived.
Here is a page with some explanation of how I do the video.
The numbered nestboxes can be seen on this photo, and the entrances to the internal boxes on the gable end in this photo.
| Year | Nest | Adult1 | Adult2 | Egg1 | Egg2 | Egg3 | Hatch | Fledge1 | Fledge2 | Fledge3 | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | #2 | ≤May-12 | ≤May-12 | ||||||||
| 2026 | #3 | ≤May-8 | |||||||||
| 2026 | #g4 | ≤May-4 | ≤May-8 | ||||||||
| 2026 | #g6 | ≤May-12 | |||||||||
| Year | Nest | Adult1 | Adult2 | Egg1 | Egg2 | Egg3 | Hatch | Fledge1 | Fledge2 | Fledge3 | Comments |
Predicted dates above based on the average for previous nests with camera: last egg to hatching 19 days; hatching to first fledging 42 days.
2026-May-12 A swift was seen entering nest #g6 this morning - again a nest thet was successful last year. A pair of swifts were heard calling inside nest #2 - there was no breeding here last year, but a pair was sometimes here in July 2025, so it appears they have returned. For two days, I'd seen a swift approaching #2, but being thwarted by starlings which are nesting nearby - it (and a second swift) must have made it inside in the end.
The sparrow nest-building in swift nestbox #1 didn't continue (they are still using #b2), but a Great Tit (Parus major) has roosted in #1 for two nights - Great Tit young successfully fledged from a nest elsewhere in the garden a few days ago.
2026-May-9 I suspect a swift arrived at 'starling' nestbox #sb4 this afternoon (it was used by swifts last year). It's currently in use by starlings - young ones just starting to look out of the entrance hole. There was squawking going on outside. A starling and a swift were grappling on the ground below #sb4. I gave the swift a helping hand back into the air again,which it probably didn't need - I've often seen swifts take off from the ground, despite the myth that they can't. So who knows what next. As usual, the starlings try to chase swifts away, whether or not they're competing for the same nest.
2026-May-8 A swift was seen leaving nestbox #3 at 08:20 this morning - again a nest that was successful last year. Now up to four seen flying around together. At 11:25, two swifts entered nest #g4, one after the other.
2026-May-7 Yesterday and today, a party of 3 swifts are frequently screaming by. I assume the same ones as earlier, plus another one.
2026-May-5 A pair of house sparrows (Passer domesticus) are bringing dry grass nesting material into camera-nestbox #1, so at least some interest on camera (not online at present). Swifts can always take over later if they want to - they didn't nest in this box last year.
2026-May-4 I've not seen much of the swifts, but at 18:25 two were flying nearby, and one entered gable-end nestbox #g4. These are probably the same birds seen two days ago, and the nest in #g4 was successful last year, so it makes sense.
2026-May-2 This morning, around 07:30, I heard then saw two swifts flying nearby. I've continued seeing and hearing them later in the day. They are likely swifts which nested here last year, and are probably going into a nest-place, but I don't yet know which (not either of the ones with cameras). At present, there are starlings with young in #sb4, and sparrows in #b2 - both these nest-places were used by swifts in 2025.
2026-May-1 Getting ready for a new season. No swifts sighted yet.
The two video cameras are not yet online for the 2026 season (link to live video above).
This is nestbox #1 in which swifts raised young for the first time in 2012.
In 2013 (with a camera in the box for the first time) they raised 3 chicks; 2 in 2014; 3 in 2015; 2 in 2016; 1 in 2017; 2 in 2018; 3 in 2019; 1 in 2020; 2 in 2021; 3 in 2022; and 2 in 2023. Swifts didn't nest here in 2024 or 2025.
The dates of arrival of the first swift in this box were: 2013 May 6th evening; 2014 May 5th evening; 2015 May 5th evening; 2016 May 4th afternoon; 2017 May 6th midday; 2018 May 7th afternoon; 2019 May 7th afternoon; 2020 May 9th morning; 2021 May 7th afternoon; 2022 May 8th evening; 2023 May 7th morning; 2024 May 7th evening (but no nesting); 2025 Jul 1st morning (but no nesting).
This is nestbox #4 in which swifts raised young for the first time in 2014 (with a camera in the box).
2 chicks were raised in 2014; 3 in 2015; 2 in 2016; 3 in 2017; 2 in 2018; 1 in 2019; 3 in 2020; 3 in 2021; 3 in 2022; none in 2023. Swifts didn't nest here in 2024 or 2025.
The dates of arrival of the first swift in this box were: 2014 May 7th evening; 2015 May 4th evening; 2016 May 5th evening; 2017 May 5th evening; 2018 May 18th morning; 2019 May 15th afternoon; 2020 May 4th afternoon; 2021 May 9th evening; 2022 May 10th morning; 2023 May 7th afternoon; 2024 June 26th (but no nesting); 2025 May 11th (but no nesting).