Swift Half SWIFT update - 27th April 2011

• When I returned from work this afternoon, I once again saw TWO swifts in the sky above "Swift Half" (our house). Is this the pair together now? Maybe, maybe not, as the pair didnt stick together for too long, at least whilst I was watching.
• In came our swift again, back to the roof, with another downy white feather in his/her gob - caught on the wing of course.
• She/he tries to cement it in place on the floor of the nest-space, with a little swift spittle. Swifts really are quite poor at this, even if they don't need much of a nest!
• The latest video update, here, shows the swift nest-building at about tea-time this afternoon, but at about 19:00hrs, just before I wrote this - our swift returned (alone again) to the nest with an even bigger feather!
• I think (looking at the day's recorded hours), our swift has put about four feathers in the nest today -all caught on the wing - it certainly is thinking of breeding - so I hope that second bird is its mate - otherwise we may need our lonely swift to undergo some sort of parthenogenesis to give us some eggs and hatchlings in the nest!
• We've had another stiff northeasterly over the county again today, but with beautiful, clear blue skies this afternoon, which has brought out a huge hatch of mayflies over our local watercourses. Unfortunately, this rich bounty is too low and large for our swifts, which are more interested in midges and wee beetles!