Monday 22nd June 2020

So far a much quieter day. Been busy but yet again no flying swifts seen or heard. A moderate breeze but cloudless sky’s all day. Forecast until the weekend is very hot and humid. Should have some local flying swifts. Regular feeds. One chick in the bedroom nest is smaller than the other two as seen in first clip. Both still in bedroom nest and about the same size.

Smaller of the three chicks on the right.
Both chicks happily in the chimney nest.

Sunday 21st June 2020

So much for a quiet day. Just before bed I noticed only one chick in the chimney nest. Went into the attic and found a chick on the floor of the attic at least a 3 foot vertical drop below the nest. It’s part of the attic that due to beams and pipes is practically inaccessible. Managed to pick it up, put it on a wire frame and put it near the nest. The nest is humanly inaccessible. It was below the nest in an area the adults visit occasionally. Was not sure if the chick knew where to go but 15 mins later it had returned to the nest. Short clip showing an adult and two chicks in the nest. Hope it’s learned it’s lesson.

Adult and two chicks in chimney nest.

Sunday 21st June 2020

Father’s Day today. A few brief showers during the afternoon. My daughter came for the day. We saw no swifts flying and occasional views of the cameras showed little change in the nests. No new clips today but it’s going to be a hot sunny week so hopefully more action in the next few days.

Saturday 20th June 2020

Some fairly light rain this morning then brightened up this afternoon. Adults out most of the day and feeding the chicks well. Both sets of parents are very attentive to their chicks and feeding the chicks well. Looks like a hot and sunny week so ideal conditions for them. Three clips tonight first two from the chimney nest. First showing a chick stretching its wings. A bit earlier than expected. Second parent arriving with food and finally a parent arriving in the bedroom nest and getting a bit overwhelmed.

Chick stretching wings in chimney nest
Parent arriving in chimney nest.
Parent arriving and getting overwhelmed in bedroom nest.

Friday 19th July 2020

A better day today, it couldn’t be worse than yesterday. Dry most of the day and overcast. Parents out most of the day after a lye in this morning. The chicks in the bedroom nest didn’t wander at all today even though there is not much room. Clip of them followed by clip of the welcome to one of the adults returning to the chimney nest.

Three chicks in bedroom nest
Welcome to adult by the two chicks in chimney nest.

Thursday 18th June 2020

Got tied up last night so apologies for missing the blog. I will talk about yesterday as today it rained heavily all day and apart from a couple of trips out the adults have been in all day. Yesterday two of the chicks in the bedroom nest went for a, short, stroll this time. I was quite worried about them again and kept restraining myself from intervening again. Very relieved late last night to see a full nest with two adults and three chicks. The chimney nest is much less dramatic. It’s a shame the camera is not well focused but the two chicks are behaving. Clips of the wanderers and a full nest followed by short clip showing the two chicks in the chimney nest.

Bedroom nest. Two chicks setting off.
The two chicks out of nest totally ignored by adults.
Full bedroom nest tonight.
The two chicks in chimney nest.

Tuesday 16th June 2020

Busy day swift wise. This afternoon found only 2 chicks in the bedroom nest. Could not see the third anywhere on the camera so entered the attic to find the missing chick. It had gone walkabout again but this time was about a meter from the nest obviously not sure or strong enough to return. I used my patched up fishing net to drag it then push it back close to the nest. I then watched and it started wandering away again and was completely ignored by the adults. This has happened before in that nest and we lost a chick. I then went up again and got it into the nest where it was fed. I expect this to happen again and do not have high hopes for its survival. Clip of all three being fed after I returned the wayward chick to the nest

Three chicks being fed in the bedroom nest.

Monday 15th June 2020

Was a fairly normal day. Great swift weather and whilst out in garden had up to 4 swifts screaming round the house. Then this evening one of the chicks from the bedroom nest decided to go walkabout. This has happened before and twice in previous years have had to rescue one with a fishing net. One year one got to a place I could not reach and it perished. Hence the sheet you can see to block the gulley. I was so worried that I was stitching the perished net for another rescue. Fortunately the largest chick in the nest managed to get back. It was interesting that both parents seemed unaware that a chick was missing but one of the other chicks was looking to were the wayward chick was. One long clip of the wayward chick.

Largest chick in bedroom nest having a wander.

Sunday 14th June 2020

Busy day for the swifts. Warm and humid and sunny. Perfect conditions for swifts. This morning 4 constantly low flying round the house at a time when I knew 1 was on each nest. Tried to catch photo of them flying but using my phone it was impossible. Three clips tonight. Two from chimney nest showing two chicks and feeding time. One from bedroom nest showing all three chicks. The nest is getting full.

Poor focus but two chicks in chimney nest
Feeding time in chimney nest
A full bedroom nest. 3 chicks.