Swift Half SWIFTS update - 31st July 2011

• It is with not a little sadness (and strangely enough, a fair amount of happiness and pride also) that I can report that early this morning, our eldest swift juvenile fledged from the roof at 42 days old - exactly as predicted (date-wise) when it hatched from its egg, exactly six weeks ago.
• Clips number 57,58 and 59 on my website will explain all (visually if nothing else) but at present, we are left with the younger of the two swifts (by one day) all alone in the roof. Not even visited by its parents today - though I expect they'll be back tonight!
• I am pretty sure our second (and last) swift will fledge tomorrow -and as such am recording activity from the roof 24hrs a day at present (internet connection permitting!)
• I will give a full report on this blog when the last juvenile leaves and after the adults realise they don't have to return to the roof now and can feed up themselves ready for the big push down to the congo.
• By the way, in case any viewer to this blog (or website) is not aware, Anna and I are moving house in a few short weeks - "Swift Half" will be no more - the swifts that you've been watching (I hope!) this year will be the last from us for a few years.
• More on our plans soon - but just wanted to report that we are one juvenile swift away from being able to report a 100% success rate for the last two years - and sadness aside (at them leaving), that's a very nice feeling to have....