Swift Diary 2011
                  gable nest boxes                                    under eaves at the front                                   under eaves at the back

 

       gable nest boxes    
  bird 1 bird 2 egg 1 egg 2 egg 3 1st out 2nd out 3rd out 1 fledged 2 fledged 3 fledged
box 1 6/5 17/5 5/6 eggs clear or dead in shell    
box 2                      
box 3                      
box 4                      
box 5 5/5 7/5 17/5 19/5 21/5 8/6 9/6   week starting 18/7
box 6                      
box 7 3/5 13/5 19/5 21/5 23/5 11/6 12/6   18/7 22/7  
box 8 5/5 10/5 17/5 19/5 21/5 8/6 9/6   18/7 19/7  
box 9                      
box 10 8/5 8/5 gone or predated            
box 11                      
under eave nest boxes
  bird 1 bird 2 egg 1 egg 2 egg 3 1st out 2nd out 3rd out 1 fledged 2 fledged 3 fledged
box1                      
box2 27/6 7/7                  
box3 1/7                    
box4 28/6                    
box5 2/7                    
box6 1/7                    
box7 2/7                    
box8                      
box9                      
back of the house
  bird 1 bird 2 egg 1 egg 2 egg 3 1st out 2nd out 3rd out 1 fledged 2 fledged 3 fledged
box1                      
box2 no interest this year that I  know of      
box3                      
 
2011 Observations

(bracketed numbers are dates from previous seasons)

July 31st - since their second chick fledged the pair in box 7 have come home each night - 9 days

July 24th - adults continue to use gable boxes 7 and 8

Under eave nest box activity this year

June 27th – swift in box 2

June 30th – swift in box 2

June 30th – swift in box 4

July 1st – swift in box 6

July 2nd – swift in boxes 5, 6 and 7

July 7th – fight in box 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THR5Qqx8TT0 after 2 hours http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_1lPNl5yl0

July 10th – swift in box 2, 3 and 5

July 12th – swifts in boxes 4 and 5

July 14th – swift in box 4

July 15th – fight in box 5. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xoovoFCx6s 

                  they stay inside for 4 hours http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzTmFRoNuI0

July 16th – swift in box 5

July 19th – swifts in box 4 and 5 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJp83tzgeOM

July 23rd - swifts in boxes 6 and 7

 

Boxes 4, 5 and 6 are new this year

 

Swift bites the nest mould http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-ZNwDx7Bvk

 

July 22nd - last chick fledged from box 7 aged 48 days

 

July 19th - gable box 8 the second chick fledged, before 9am, aged 44 days.

              gable box 7 first chick has fledged aged 44 days

 
July 20th - two chicks fledged from box 5
July 18th - gable box 8 the first chick fledged at 21.35 aged 43 days

 

July 14th - fight in box 5 leads to a new pair. They spend 4 hours in the nest box

July 9th - box 1 eggs are a week late. Adults not sitting tight and didn't come home tonight
 
July 7th - a new pair in under eave box 2. They start uneasy but in 2.5 hours they are side by side on the nest hollow
 

 

July 2nd - This morning at 7.30am there is a swift in box 5 and 7. 6 swift chicks ringed
 

 

July 1st - This evening at 10.15pm four birds enter boxes 2, 3, 4 and 6

 

June 28th - a bird is in under eave box 2 and there is also one in box 4. Each stay approx 20 minutes
 
June 27th - a new bird looks at under eave box number 2

 

June 26th - swift in under eave box 2
 
June 25th - The 6 chicks are doing great and their pins are breaking. They get ringed during the weekend of 1st, 2nd or 3rd of July. They should fledge during the third week of July.
 
June 14th - finally the activity has increased with more swifts in the air and showing interest in nest boxes
 
First eggs laid after second bird returns
2011
box 1 - 19 days, box 5 - 10 days, box 7 - 6 days, box 8 - 7 days
2010
box 1 - 9 days, box 5 - 7 days,  box 7 - 8 days, box 8 - 12 days
2009
box 1 - 6 days, box 2 - 4 days, box 5 - no camera, box 7 - 9 days
The average is 7.8 days
 
June 5th first egg in box 1 (24/5/09) (23/05/09) 19 days back together
 
June 3rd possible increase in swift activity

 

June 2nd 5am screaming swifts woke me for the first time in a few weeks
 
May 23rd third egg in box 7

 

May 21st third egg in box 5
                second egg in box 7 (17/5/10)
                third egg in box 8

 

May 19th first egg in box 7 (15/5/10) (18/05/09) 6 days back together
                second egg in box 8 (30/5/10)
                second egg in box 5 (30/5/10)

 

the birds in box 10 have not been about for 10 days day or night. Just like 2010 the weather in April was brilliant but May was cool with cold nights

 

May 17th first egg in box 5 (28/5/10) (19/05/09) 10 days back together
                 first egg in box8 (28/5/09) (c.19/06/09) 7 days back together
                second swift back to box 1 (15/5/10) (17/5/09)
 
May 13th second swift back to box7
 
May 10th second swift back to box 8
 
May 8th pair back in box 10 (both 9/6/09)

 

May 7th second swift back in box 5 (21/5/10)
               a lone swift tries to enter many nest boxes
 
May 6th first bird back in box 1 (3/5/10)
              10.10pm and there's a fight in box 5

 

 

 

May 5th first bird in box 5 (16/5/10),
               first bird in box 8 (16/5/10), (8/6/09)
 
May 3rd first bird in box 7 (3/5/10, 7/3/09)
 
May 2nd 5 swifts over the house, screaming and one bird tries to enter box 2
 
May 1st two swifts over my house and screaming past the gable nest boxes (23/4/10)
 
Week starting April 25th  reports of swifts across N. Ireland