As expected gale force winds all day with rain on and off. Forgot to mention that yesterday and today the garden has been full of very noisy newly fledged starlings and loads of quieter newly fledged house sparrows who share the attic with at least 3 swift nests. All four swifts stayed in all day today. From the Bristol swift blog he has his first egg. I may not see them in chimney nest but can no longer access the camera so can’t move it. No clips as nothing new to show tonight.

At long last a lovely day. No rain for the first day this month. Only today, rain back tomorrow. Swifts out from first thing til early evening. I was hoping to see them flying round the house but no luck despite being in the garden most of the day. Due to the recent weather I expect they are hunting flies over water somewhere. It is lovely seeing them in the nest snuggled up together or preening each other. Clearly a strong bond. Clip from bedroom nest.

Yet more heavy showers just a couple of hours dry early afternoon. Swifts stayed out most of the day. A couple of clips, one from each nest.

Another day with very heavy showers. All 4 swifts in and out all day between the showers. It’s lovely seeing all 4 of the swifts I have been following for the last 4 years back home. 3 clips tonight.

A great day. The second swift in the bedroom arrived back today. It’s poor mate has been patiently waiting for 21 days. It has been a very wet morning and the singleton was alone at 9am. I regularly check the cameras and at midday there were 2 on the nest. In my fairly brief experience this is the longest any of my swifts have had to wait for their mate.

It’s so lovely to see the pair of swifts in the bedroom together. Obviously the pair from last year. They went out soon after I spotted them at lunchtime. One returned at 5pm then had to wait til 8.30pm for the other to return. My guess was that it was feeding up after its long and what must have been a difficult last part of its journey due to the weather.

Day of some sun but heavy showers all day. No change to the previous days with them out before 9am then back between 5.30 and 7pm. Still only one in bedroom nest.

Much better weather today. All three swifts out by 9am then first back in chimney nest at 6pm. It’s partner back at 7pm and the singleton in the bedroom nest at 8pm. The single swift is still fiddling with the nest. I do hope it’s mate returns or it finds another soon. Short clip of the singleton.

Wet again all day today. Not the torrential downpour of yesterday but wet all day none the less. The pair in the chimney nest spent a couple of hours out of the nest but the single swift in the bedroom nest was out all day not back til about 7pm. Feeling very sorry for it and wondered if it was looking out for another partner. No clips tonight as would be exactly the same as yesterday.

Another fairly reasonable morning then from midday very heavy rain and will rain all night and most of tomorrow. All three swifts were out before I was up but returned just after the rain started. Was in the conservatory and saw the bedroom nest singleton arrive. My first flying swift of the year. They haven’t moved all afternoon.

Lovely start to the day but just after lunch the heavens opened with heavy rain for nearly 3 hours. All 3 swifts returned to the nest until the rain stopped then they all went out again returning 6pm ish. Clip of the 2 from the chimney nest about to fly off after the rain. Second clip is of the single swift in bedroom nest continuing to set up the nest. He has been waiting a long time for its mate. Starting to get concerned but do realise many swifts are still returning.