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).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | #1 | May-7 | May-12 | ||||||||
| 2024 | #4 | ||||||||||
| 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.
2024-May-12 A single swift entered nestbox #1 in the afternoon, and left again immediately - I suspect trying (unsuccessfully) to get another to follow it. 20 minutes later, two entered in quick succession and stayed for half an hour. Later just one entered - from its behaviour (looking around the box), I judge it to be the newcomer. Neither swift returned for the night.
2024-May-11 A swift visited nestbox #1 for about half and hour in early evening, and brought in a feather as nesting material, but again didn't return at nightfall.
2024-May-10 The single adult swift in camera nestbox #1 didn't return at night, after spending 3 nights in the nestbox. I heard a swift calling from inside 'starling' nestbox #sb3, and I am sure swifts are in some other the other (non-camera) nestboxes. Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) are still feeding young in nestbox #sb1.
2024-May-7 The first adult swift in a camera-nestbox this season arrived at nest #1 at 19:52 and stayed overnight. Last season, this nest ended up with a single parent swift, so one guesses that this is that bird, and it will need to find a new mate.
Nothing in camera-nestbox #4 yet, where both adult birds disappeared last year, so new occupants will probably be needed.
A house-sparrow (Passer domesticus) was taking nest-material into swift nestbox #5 today.
2024-May-6 Some swifts screamed by the house today. They've not yet been into the two camera-nestboxes, but I have turned on the online live video.
2024-Apr-30 Getting ready for a new season. No swifts sighted yet.
The two video cameras are not yet online for the 2024 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.
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.
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 2024.
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.